SHANGHAI: Like the Olympics, the World Expo is a gala event for the whole world, which will be best demonstrated by both the hordes of visitors descending on Shanghai in 2010, and the business opportunities involved.

The organizer of the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 yesterday launched a programme to invite plans from all over the world for the content of the exhibition and its development.

Winning bidders will not only be paid by the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Co-ordination (BSWEC), but earn the right to share the bureau's resources on upcoming projects.

The bureau declined to comment on the exact budget to be allocated to successful bidders.

Individuals, companies and organizations from home and abroad are all invited to submit bids from today until June 30.

Candidates can either try for part or all of the programme, covering planning and implementation of expo content, forum organization, and other cultural and entertainment projects, according to Dai Liu, a BSWEC's deputy director.

Parties can team up to form a consortium or go for a smaller share of the event, said Dai.

"Global brain-storming will help us make the grand event a greater success," he added.

Lasting 184 days, the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, under a banner of "better city, better life," will host national and business pavilion exhibitions from around 200 countries and regions, with 70 million visitors expected to attend the event.

These activities, together with a plethora of special daily events, holiday activities and other folk programmes, are set to make the expo very complicated to plan, organize and implement.

"There could be one or more winners," said Dai, adding that a panel of judges consisting of renowned experts and scholars from home and abroad will be responsible for the selection process.

The bureau will form a consortium with the winners to work out a final plan before September 30.

Apart from the obvious gains of a winning bid, those successful will be in a better position when gunning for further contracts in the future, which, according to Wu Yunfei, another BSWEC deputy director, will involve 30 billion yuan (US$3.62 billion) in total investment.

"More participation from international players will surely make the expo more professional and transparent as it is not a only domestic event, but a global one," said T B Song, greater China chairman of Ogilvy, a world-leading marketing communications service provider.

"And that will help attract more visitors," said Song, adding that his firm will "certainly" join in the bidding, backed by its expertise.

But whether to work independently or join hands with other players still needs discussion, Song said.

The BSWEC has also released a regulation on the management of the World Expo's logos aimed at streamlining the use of Expo symbols and cracking down on copyright infringements.

The regulation, effective yesterday, allows the commercial and non-commercial use of the expo's trademarks in seven major areas, such as product production, sales, imports and exports and promotions.

It also promises a seven-day yes or no from the regulatory body in response to an application to use any logos or symbols.

Applicants must fill in a form and file it with the regulatory authorities, together with identification and other documents.