Royal College of Art Expo 2020

Showcasing the RCA’s innovation for a global audience.

I oversaw the strategy, project management and delivery of all the elements surrounding the RCA presence at Expo 2020. 

The challenge.

The RCA was the Official Heritage Partner of the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai. The objective was to showcase the college’s innovation, creativity and knowledge in order to grow its reputation internationally and increase revenue. 

For the RCA Day, I supported the curatorial vision for the exhibition, which was centred around four themes: sustainability, mobility, advancement and opportunity. I collated work from students and arranged shipping to and from Dubai, I planned the build of the exhibit space, I worked on messaging and promotional materials and I arranged photography and videography to capture the exhibit. 

I also organised a conference with PwC Middle East, scheduling and booking the space, overseeing branding and design and arranging a private viewing of the RCA exhibit for conference attendees. 

The impact.

Exhibiting at Expo 2020 allowed the RCA to showcase students’ work and centre design-led innovations as the key for a sustainable future. Reception of the RCA’s activities was overwhelmingly positive and received wide media coverage. Outcomes of the RCA’s participation in Expo 2020 include:

  • Content produced for the exhibit was repurposed for the RCA’s participation in the London Design Festival. 

  • Expo 2020 helped the RCA to build new relationships and strengthen its existing partnership with the UK Government and specifically with the Department of International Trade (DIT). 

  • InnovationRCA have signed a memorandum of understanding with PwC and another public sector client for consultancy services. 

  • Development and Alumni Relations (RCA DARO) cultivated a seven-figure donation from a high-profile benefactor to further the RCA’s efforts in sustainability research. 

  • There are plans to showcase RCA research at COP28 in 2023. 

  • Conversations are already underway for the RCA to collaborate with the DIT for Expo 2025 in Japan. 

Panel discussion at a conference with three people sitting on stage in front of a blue backdrop displaying event branding and logos. The panel includes a woman speaker with brown hair and a patterned dress, a man in traditional Middle Eastern attire with glasses and a white kandura, and a man in a suit and tie. Audience members are visible in the foreground.

As part of the Expo programme, a conference was held in partnership with PwC Middle East looking at Shaping Futures: Education, Innovation and Living Together. Various sessions and panels were held throughout the conference. Photo credit: Matthew Twaddell/RCA.

Shaping Futures: Design-Led Innovations Exhibition

A person in a black coat looking at digital screens and informative text panels on a blue wall in an exhibition space.
A man in a black shirt and beige pants stands in front of a large digital display of a futuristic vehicle in a museum or exhibition space, with blue walls and informational signs.
Exhibit in a gallery with a large display of fruits, including a purple eggplant, on the right, and text about sustainability. In the background, there are three screens showing colorful abstract images, and blue illuminated walls.
An art exhibit with a blue theme, featuring digital displays. The right side shows a person wearing a blue hat and gloves, looking at a wall with a blue-text label, with a background resembling a wooden or textured surface. The left side displays a pink and black abstract image on a screen, with text panels explaining sustainability and related topics in white text on a blue background.

The RCA’s two-day exhibition at the UK Pavilion was titled ‘Shaping Futures: Design-Led Innovations’ and was broken up into Sustainability, Advancement, Mobility, and Opportunity. Exhibition build: Bray Leino. Video production: Next Shoot. Design: Giulia Garbin. Photo credits: Matthew Twaddell/RCA.

Shaping Futures printed materials

Four blue conference flyers titled 'Shaping Futures: Education, Innovation and Living Together,' with event details at PwC Middle East and UK Pavilion, scheduled for 15 March 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

A programme was created for the conference, which carried the design identity for RCA’s Expo participation. Photo credit: Emma Todd

Blue booklet labeled 'Royal College of Art Expo 2020 Dubai' on a white surface.
Stack of blue brochures with white text and logos, including Great Britain and Northern Ireland logo, Royal College of Art logo, and Heritage Partner text.

Notebooks were created and given out at the conference and during the exhibition at the UK Pavilion to visitors. Photo credit: Emma Todd.

Flyers for the Royal College of Art's postgraduate art and design program, featuring a large black and white proverb 'IMAGINE THE FUTURE' and an abstract blue and red art piece.

Student recruitment was one objective of the exhibition. To tie into the wider RCA campaign identity, Bond and Coyne designed a flyer that was printed in both English and Arabic for use during Expo 2020. Photo credit: Emma Todd.

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