20th ANNIVERSARY FIRST WORLD TOILET EXPO & FORUM 2005 – SHANGHAI, CHINA
Worldwide sanitation was the focal point of this inaugural event. China eagerly served as the host for this product exhibition and accompanying forum as part of the country’s plan to revolutionize its public sanitation system before hosting both the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing and the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.
Organized by both the World Toilet Organization (WTO), its founder Jack Sim - and the Shanghai City Appearance and Environmental Sanitation Administrative Bureau, this event was held May 8 -11, 2005. Shanghai’s population was some 16.5 million, making it the largest city in China, followed by Beijing at 13 million.
BACKGROUND
The public sanitary conditions in China at that time were not up to international industry standards. Not only was there a shortage of public toilet facilities, but the existing facilities needed to be modernized and upgraded. As part of this plan, according to NBC News on April 13, 2005, “Shanghai officials said the city planned to revamp 500 of its 3900 public toilets this year, build new ones and reserve two-thirds for women.” The Chinese had developed a 5-year plan for the new construction and upgrade of public toilets on a massive scale, and this combined product exposition and teaching forum would lay the groundwork to achieve this goal.
Population growth was also a contributing factor in the urgency of developing the plan for improved portable and public sanitation. Only ten years prior to this event, the population of Shanghai was roughly 11 million. As stated above, it was roughly 17 million in 2005, and by the time of the 2010 World Expo, it was estimated to be at 20 million – almost double that from 1995.
In addition to the expanding population, the expectations for attendance for the 2010 World Expo were for 70 million tourists over the May 1st to October 31st period. There was a critical need for expert plans to be developed!
“WORLD RENOWNED EXPERTS” CONVENE
International representation at these events would ensure that literally the best ideas in the world would be shared with all. The WTO, founded in 2001, boasted membership from 18 different countries, including the PSAI from the US.
The PSAI made an outstanding selection in choosing Lothar Vermillion, from Toi Toi & Dixi in Germany, as Delegation Leader. Lothar, a PSAI Board Member since 1988, possessed a wealth of international knowledge of our industry, having also served as Association President of Germany’s BDE (Federal Association of the German Waste Management, Water, and Recycling Industries).
Lothar Vermillion, PSAI Delegation Leader
Michael Ranck, Toi Toi & Dixi’s longtime experienced sales manager for the Far East and Asia, also attended. Other PSAI representatives included current PSAI President, Flay Anthony, and Past Presidents Lee Sola, Barry Gump, and Ned Carpenter. International sales representatives Chris Davis and Reg Adams from Five Peaks Technology attended to share their expertise in equipment, standards, and needs. Executive Director Bill Carroll and his wife, Millicent, Industry Standards / Marketing Director, completed this distinguished and experienced PSAI contingent. The other associations and organizations brought equally qualified experts in their field to this international gathering.
Lothar’s presentation to the World Expo audience was reported to be well received. He based his remarks on the “PSAI Guide to Clean Portable Restrooms.” This document, still in use today, is a summary of the best practices in the portable sanitation industry.
The PSAI so valued this document that they had it translated into Chinese for the benefit of attendees and to serve as the basis for improving portable sanitation in this part of the world. (The Chinese translation is above, and it is thought that this was the first international translation of this publication.)
Jack Sim addressed the audience with a memorable statement that summarized the goal of this event:
“Better toilets will bring more tourists, investments, lower public health costs, and increase the economic and spiritual well-being of the people.” (Associated Press, May 15, 2005)
The discussion topics were timely, and the sessions were well attended. According to Expofairs.com from June 3, 2005:
“The Forum provided participants with professional development and networking opportunities. Featuring discussions and presentations by 31 international and local experts from government bodies, associations, institutions, and commercial companies, the sessions covered a diverse range of hygiene and sanitation-related topics. Among the topics were Gender and Family Issues in Restroom Design, Sustainable Toilet Systems in Mega Cities, Water Conserving Bathroom Products and Toilet Initiatives for Shanghai for the Next Five Years.”
This publication reported that “some 250 overseas and local delegates from Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States were in attendance.”
The adjoining exposition of products, demonstrations, and technology was attended by over 1,000 visitors from 18 countries.
The 2008 Summer Olympics were only 3 years away, so the urgency of developing and implementing portable and public sanitation plans was critical. Shanghai, roughly 650 miles southeast of Beijing, was to host several early rounds of the Olympic soccer competition with its 80,000-capacity arena. This would further prepare the city for the 2010 World Expo, some two years later.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The 2005 World Toilet Expo was a success as experts from around the world worked together to assist China in upgrading its public sanitation system. This event showed that worldwide cooperation is the key to providing worldwide access to sanitation. Both the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai were successful from a public sanitation standpoint. It seems reasonable to conclude that the 2005 World Toilet Expo and Forum was a contributing factor in this success.