Investment

Securing, organizing and holding an event as important as EXPO 2017 requires an enormous investment. The total gross investment anticipated is $2.3 billion. Government support for EXPO 2017 will form the bulk of required revenues, with the remainder provided through corporate support and onsite EXPO revenue.

Edmonton's EXPO 2017 is being designed to provide significant economic benefits that will more than offset the spending required to host the event. The sheer number of expected visitors to EXPO 2017 will create extensive spending in the local economy. Canada's gross domestic product will receive a $2.6 billion boost, $2.3 billion of which will go directly to Alberta's economy. Thousands of jobs will be created, which will translate into nearly a billion dollars of tax revenue across the three orders of government.

Edmonton's entire EXPO bid has been designed to provide multiple payoffs for Canada, Alberta and our city: in legacy, in reputation, in image, in our attractions to visitors, in our attraction to investors, in the experience of the millions of visitors, as well as in the practical benefits of the physical legacies.

Significant capital infusion into civic infrastructure will be required in advance of EXPO 2017. Much of that capital spending will be related to planned municipal and provincial developments required regardless of whether or not Edmonton hosts EXPO 2017. Many of the buildings will be designed for repurposing in mind. This approach will extend the reach, benefits and sustainability of investment to communities across the province. Programming and legacy investments form a sizeable portion of the capital spending.

The organizing team of EXPO 2017 is sensitive to the experiences and challenges inherent in hosting an event of this size and scale. We know it is essential to avoid overconfidence and unrealistic projections. Our economic analysis has been undertaken in a diligent and conservative spirit - without starry-eyed projections. EXPO 2017 will not be inexpensive to produce, but the economic benefits are of great substance. While the numbers tell one story, assessment of added value is the difficult-to-quantify fact. The benefits of a heightened business profile for Edmonton, Alberta and Canada as a result of EXPO 2017 are substantial.