<div>For Expo 2010, a company is being sought to promote the Czech participation</div>

Prague - The office organizing the Czech participation at the World Expo 2010 in China is looking for an agency to ensure effective promotion of the national exhibition. A contract worth around 16 million crowns is expected to be awarded to the company that wins the announced tender. The office informed ČTK about this.
    The selected company will be responsible not only for promoting the Czech pavilion among visitors of the world exhibition but also among those who will view the Czech pavilion virtually on the internet. The company will also be tasked with ensuring a positive perception of the exhibition among Czechs, the office stated. Interested parties can apply until October 23, with more information available at www.czexpo.com.
    A day earlier, the deadline for submitting proposals for creating the Czech pavilion at the world exhibition will end. The winner of the competition will prepare the concept of the pavilion's cladding and develop the design of the interior, which will then be realized, and after the exhibition, will take care of the pavilion's dismantling. The estimated value of the contract is 185 million crowns. The winner of this competition is expected to be announced this November. The selection committee, led by the chief commissioner Pavel Stehlík, will primarily evaluate two criteria: cost-effectiveness and attractiveness of the solution.
    "We will look at whether the proposal is innovative, captivating, whether it brings new solutions and utilizes elements that can be applied to such an exhibition as the one we are organizing," said Stehlík. The pavilion should promote the country from an economic and cultural standpoint and fulfill the Czech motto "Fruits of Civilization" as well as the theme of the world exhibition in China "Better City - Better Life." In its selection, the committee aims to emphasize architecture, the level of the exhibition, its connection to the Czech Republic, functionality, and risk-free interior solutions in terms of operation.
    The Czech Republic aims to present itself in China as a modern, advanced, and prosperous country, an attractive tourist destination, and an interesting investment space. The exhibition in Shanghai will begin in May 2010 and will last until the end of October that year. The state will pay 520 million crowns for the presentation in Shanghai, which is about 200 million more than what was spent on the previous exhibition in Japan three years ago. At that time, the interactive Czech Garden of Music was seen by nearly 1.7 million visitors.