The biggest trade fair we have ever had the pleasure to participate in is behind us and to be honest it will be very difficult to beat it in the future. As announced and what you could see on our fanpage, on November 6-10, we took part in the world exhibition EXPO 2020, which this time took place in Dubai. Originally, it was supposed to take place a year ago, but due to the epidemic situation in the world, the event was postponed, keeping the original name.

The enormity of the whole undertaking is simply overwhelming. Tens of millions of visitors in the pavilions of 190 countries, all in a city specially built for this purpose, which covered area of almost 5 square kilometers.

The slogan of EXPO 2020 is: Connecting Minds, Creating the Future

The city of all nations

The EXPO 2020 area was divided into 3 thematic zones: mobility, sustainability and opportunity. There are individually designed exhibition halls of almost all countries in these zones. If someone would like to see the whole world in one place, they must go to EXPO 2020. Each of the pavilions presented the features with which a given country is identified, presented characteristic symbols, promoted advantages and tried to show the region from the best side. Inside, apart from advertising stands of various enterprises, there were also cultural and entertainment shows and presentations, discussion panels and business presentations. While walking through the fairgrounds, one could get the impression that we are part of a huge, living multicultural organism.

The Polish pavilion is located in the "Mobility" zone and is promoted with the slogan "Creativity inspired by nature". No wonder that it was made mainly of wood and glass. The whole thing is a spatial construction made of wooden panels and lots of glass "shards" suspended in the air on an airy structure. The intended effect was achieved, the building very much reflected nature and reminded of forests, which are abundant in Poland. Inside, there were happenings promoting Polish culture, music and entertainment.

Currently, every few days the pavilion is taken over by another voivodeship, which then has its time to show from the best side.

Łódź Voivodeship. Modernity inspired by tradition.

This was the motto of our region - the Łódzkie Voivodship, which we were happy to represent, and thanks to which we could be in such a prestigious place. The entire trip was funded by the "Łódzkie for business - internationalization of the activities of enterprises from the Łódzkie Voivodship through participation in the World Exhibition EXPO 2020 in Dubai" - project financed by the Regional Operational Program of the Łódzkie Voivodship for 2014-2020.

Between 6 and 10 November, the main theme of the Polish pavilion was an interactive exhibition presenting the modern textile industry in the perspective of historical traditions. But other industries and services also found their place.

In addition to admiring technological innovations, you could taste the regional dishes of the Łódź region. There were also concerts, dance shows and theatrical performances, and even a fashion show inspired by elements of traditional costumes of the Łódź region.

We unite the world with #selfevolution

Such a large event attracts people from all over the world, and its location favors it. Dubai is one of the largest and most accessible communication hubs connecting Asia with Europe. For SelfMaker, it is an optimal opportunity to present on an international forum, as we have long been curious about Eastern markets, conducting business talks, working closely with Asian partners (Sunmi) and focusing very much on building the SelfMaker community in Asian countries.

This trip and presence at the EXPO2020 exhibition in Dubai seals the plans for expansion to the east, strenghtens our cooperations and the establishes new partnerships. Our stand aroused the curiosity of the visitors who had business talks with SelfMaker representatives.

EXPO 2020 was also a great opportunity to meet live with many of our associates and business partners from the Far East. People from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and countries of Pacific Asia came to meet the founders of SelfMaker, integrate and learn about the company's plans for the near future.

The businessmen mentioned above are also representatives of the #SelfMakerDeafWorld – the community we create, which brings together Deaf people from all over the world. We know how modern self-service technology can change their lives, so we talk to them, listen to their requests and try to follow their communication needs, but we also employ Deaf people in our facilities.

SelfMaker on the way to success

Participating in events such as EXPO2020 gives great promotional opportunities on a global scale, which is extremely important at the stage of development we are currently at. What's more, it gives the Chance to get inspiration, establish new contacts with the world of technology and business, but it also becomes a motivational "kick" pushing forward the further activities of the entire group.

We would like to thank the authorities of the Łódzkie Voivodship and the "Łódzkie dla Biznesu" group (www.facebook.com/lodzkie4business) for their trust and giving us a chance to show ourselves to the whole world.

Certainly, this is not our last visit to this multicultural region of the world. Let's stay in contact!