Bloomington is one of five sites around the world being considered as a location for Expo 2027. An Expo is similar to a World’s Fair, which is used by countries to showcase and unveil their most remarkable achievements of today and tomorrow. The city was selected as the official bid location for the United States last year with the theme of “Healthy People, Healthy Planet.” The Bureau of International Expositions will make its final decision about the location of Expo 2027 in June 2023.
If the specialized expo is held in Bloomington, the economic impact could be greater than $2 billion. The bid committee expects more than 7 million unique visitors to attend. This would generate direct general fund revenue through the admissions and lodging taxes collected during the three-month-long event that would benefit residents. Building the infrastructure needed for the event would also generate jobs in Bloomington.
The international campaign is a joint effort between the Expo 2027 bid committee and the United States federal government. Minnesota USA Expo 2027 is an independent nonprofit organization established for the purpose of coordinating the bid process and, if successful, planning and hosting the event. The organization is not affiliated with or governed by the City of Bloomington. Mayor Tim Busse and City Manager Jamie Verbrugge serve as ex-officio members of the Minnesota USA Expo 2027 board of directors.