U.S. lands Corning sponsorship for Shanghai Expo

SHANGHAI – Glass and ceramics maker Corning confirmed Tuesday that they have completed a contract to sponsor the USA National Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. The World Expo in Shanghai runs between May 1 and October 31 and will attract an estimated 70 million visitors.

"As the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics, Corning is extremely proud to be a part of this historic undertaking. The Shanghai 2010 Expo provides a unique opportunity to demonstrate innovative technologies and solutions essential to improving the lives of people around the world and particularly here in China,” Eric S. Musser, chief executive officer of Corning Greater China said.

Other U.S. Pavilion sponsors include PepsiCo, 3M, Dell, General Electric, Yum, Cargill, Golden Eagle and the USA-China Education, Science and Culture Association.

Earlier this month the State Department Secretary Hillary Clinton named Jose Villarreal, an attorney from San Antonio, Texas, to head America's Expo participation and oversee the construction of the US Pavilion.

The theme of the expo will be "Better City – Better Life" and is entitled to highlight Shanghai's new status in the 21st century as a major economic and cultural center. It is expected to generate the largest number of visitors in the history of the world's fairs in terms of gross numbers.