Business lessons from the World Expo

What business lessons can you pick up from this image?

To understand and do business with China it’s extremely important to understand the lessons learned from the World Expo in Shanghai.

Here’s a quick glance at some of the lessons you should try to lookout for when visiting the Expo:

1. From the architecture, one can get an understanding of Chinese mentality. The China Pavilion architecture, aptly placed in the key place of the park, shows the mentality of “Middle Kingdom” with it’s centrally pointing tops, as if it were a backwards pyramid which rested solely on the heart of China. The giant building is an homage to traditional Chinese architecture with a “modern” twist. Read about the architect’s vision here: http://www.expo2010.cn/expo/expo_english/documents/
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2. With torrents and torrents of people lining up outside each pavilion waiting to get in and get tickets it’s easy to recognize the differences between the way different countries operate their pavilion.  Obviously, the Chinese one is a major attraction to all Chinese and foreigners, so expect packed crowds. Notice the differences in service from each country.
3. With regards to the shows. It’s easy to see what Chinese people find interesting is definitely different from what the foreigners might find interesting. In fact, Chinese people are so used to seeing masterful performances by Chinese acrobats, or blazing speed demonstrations of Kung Fu by professionals raised to train to perfection from as young as 8 or 9, that certain kinds of demonstrations leave Chinese feeling quite unimpressed. Yet, ironically enough, the easiest steps in a Salsa dance show, or a Tango demonstration, will leave Chinese people breathless. Observe the differences and keep them in mind next time you want to impress your Chinese business partners.
4. Notice the positioning of the buildings. A lot of thought has gone into the exact locations of each of the pavilions. This can help understand the love of face and of giving face that Chinese people practice.

Anyways, there are countless more lessons to be learned. Which ones did you learn from the Expo?