Bureau International des Expositions

The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), or the International Exhibitions Bureau in English, is an organization made up of many countries working together. It was created to oversee big international exhibitions, also called expos, global expos, or world expos. These special events bring together people, ideas, and cultures from all over the world. The BIE makes sure these expos follow the rules set by a special agreement called the Convention Relating to International Exhibitions. This helps countries host safe and successful exhibitions that share knowledge and creativity with everyone.

History

The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) was created by an agreement signed in Paris on November 22, 1928. Its main goals were to manage the schedule, bidding, choosing, and organizing of big international fairs, also called World Expositions. It also aimed to create rules so that organizers and participants could work together better.

The agreement only became official after at least seven countries agreed to follow it. This happened on December 17, 1930, and the first meeting of the BIE’s leaders took place in January 1931. They decided that the organization’s main office would be in Paris. The BIE stopped working during World War II but started again in 1948 with a new set of rules. More changes were added in 1966, 1972, 1982, and 1988.

Expo categories

The BIE looks after two main types of big international fairs, called World Expos and Specialised Expos. Each type has its own rules about how long it lasts, how often it happens, and how big it can be.

World Expos, also known as International Registered Exhibitions, can happen every five years and last up to six months. Many countries and groups can join, and they pick themes that address big challenges for everyone. Specialised Expos happen between World Expos and last from three weeks to three months. They focus on more specific topics, and the places where they are held are smaller and cheaper than World Expos.

Organizational structure

The BIE has a General Assembly where each member country has one vote. This group meets twice a year to decide important matters, like which city will host future international exhibitions. They also choose members for other important committees.

There are several committees that help manage the BIE’s work. Some focus on rules for exhibitions, while others handle budgets and communication. The day-to-day work is managed by a team led by the Secretary-General, who is selected by the General Assembly.

List of General Assembly sessions

Below is a list of sessions of the General Assembly of the BIE. The General Assembly meets twice per year, typically either at BIE headquarters in Paris, in Monaco, or (since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic) virtually via teleconferencing.

Member states

As of 2026, 184 countries are members of the BIE. To be a member, a country joins the group and gets one vote when deciding where big world fairs, called Expos, will be held. Even if a country is not a member, it can still build a display at an Expo, but only members can vote on where these events take place.

In the past, only a few countries were members of the BIE. But as time went on, more and more countries joined, especially when big cities were trying to host an Expo. For example, just before voting for the host of Expo 2005 in 1997, 31 countries joined the BIE for the first time, and four others rejoined. This grew the number of members from 47 to 82. Similar growth happened before the votes for Expo 2012 and Expo 2015.

Some countries have left the BIE to avoid paying membership fees, but most have joined again later. Countries that have never been members include Bhutan, India, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Moldova, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore.

List of member states

Below is a list of member states with the dates they joined; former members are shown in grey.