Hong Hao, Director Of Expo Bureau, Interviewed By The Wall Street Journal Reporter

In June 6th, the Wall Street journal "management" column published an interview with Ai Huatian, a deputy to the Shanghai municipal government and the director of the Shanghai World Expo Bureau, an interview with the reporter of Shanghai news agency of Shanghai. "The director of the Shanghai World Expo Bureau calls for innovation".

In the important position of director of the Shanghai World Expo Bureau, Hong Hao, 55, said his key role is to manage expectations.

"We need to use creative thinking to deal with the problem, which is also a part of World Expo's work that makes us very excited."

In May 25th, director Hong Hao accepted an interview with the Wall Street Journal reporter Ai Huatian in Shanghai. The following has been edited and plated.

The Wall Street Journal: the staff of the Expo site are from all sides, including about 6000 volunteers per day.

Can you tell me how you manage such a large number of volunteers?

Hong Hao: management staff is a huge and systematic work.

Each shift has around thirty thousand to forty thousand staff members in the Expo site. These workers are broadly divided into three types: the first is the Expo Bureau staff; the second is the service guarantee staff; they provide food and catering services; the third category is the volunteers.

The first is the core managers directly serving the Expo Bureau.

We have very strict standards for hiring, managing and evaluating such people.

We pay their salaries directly and manage them.

The total number of such personnel is between 8000 and 9000.

The second category is service guarantee personnel.

They provide services in the Expo site, and we manage them by signing contracts with them.

Before the opening of World Expo, we had tendering and several rounds of bidding, so our management is based on contract system.

The group's mobility is large, that is to say, the work cycle of some people is very short, a week or two weeks.

Others have a longer working cycle.

The total number of service support personnel exceeds 100 thousand, but there are about 30 thousand people in each batch.

The third category is volunteers.

The total number of volunteers is about 80000.

Every day, about six thousand volunteers provide services in the park.

Volunteers advocate the spirit of volunteering and dedication, which is also the foundation of our management.

We provide volunteers with help and support, through which they can provide services to tourists.

We provide support for them in pportation, catering, work and rest areas.

They mainly provide ancillary services and help, while some volunteers also provide professional services.

Volunteers come from different backgrounds.

Each batch of over 6000 volunteers comes from all walks of life in society.

Some are college students, some are company employees.

Some come from China, while others come from abroad.

Most of the volunteers come from Shanghai, and some come from all over the country and around the world.

Therefore, we work out jobs and jobs according to the different occupations and backgrounds of volunteers.

For volunteers who have the ability to provide professional services, we arrange jobs according to their strengths.

For example, small language talent, they mainly do plation and interpretation work.

Some volunteers know sign language, so they can help people with disabilities.

Some volunteers are very enthusiastic and active, and are willing to help us maintain the operation of the Expo site, so they help to maintain traffic and participate in the publicity of large-scale events.

Other volunteers helped us clean up the Expo site.

The management of volunteers is based on the principle of voluntariness.

They provide supplementary services or professional services.

Wall Street Journal: in the early days of World Expo opening, on the one hand, the number of tourists was lower than expected, but on the other hand, there was a long queue in the garden. What strategy did it take?

Hong Hao: I think the key is to effectively manage the entrance and exit of the park, the crowd at the entrance of the stadium, and speed up the orderly flow of people in the park.

You may remember that when the trial run in April 20th, there were long queues at some venues, sometimes not in good order.

For this reason, we have taken some measures.

For example, by adding security personnel, adding security facilities, while allowing staff to receive professional training to improve the security check rate.

As a result, the use of per capita security dropped from 45 seconds to about 20 seconds.

After the opening of World Expo, the team at the entrance of the park is shorter than originally.

In all previous World Expo, we can see long queues in front of hot venues.

For example, Aichi World Expo, people in order to see TOYOTA pavilion to row five to six hours.

How to deal with this problem? Let's start from two aspects.

On the one hand is the hardware factor, and the other is the software factor.

In order to maintain good order, we designed serpentine passageways at the entrance of popular venues, such as the American pavilion, the German Pavilion and the French Pavilion.

In terms of software, we provide sunshade and sunshade, so that tourists do not feel very hot.

At the same time, we give warm tips to inform tourists how much time they need to enter, so that they will not be too anxious.

It can be said that the order of the garden in the Expo site is gradually improving.

At the same time, I think the key is to make full use of and make balanced use of all kinds of resources.

For example, we need to balance the flow of Puxi and Pudong areas.

We put a lot of activities and venues, promotional activities in Puxi district.

We also guided group tourists to visit Puxi area first and then to Pudong area.

We collected the opinions of foreign exhibitors and designed a set of linkage schemes between Puxi and Pudong.

We arrange special events and cultural projects in the relatively crowded area.

For example, when Jackie Chan arrived in Shanghai, he appeared in Puxi district.

And we also use various channels to pmit information.

For example, using TV, radio and large screen to tell visitors which venues are crowded and which venues are few, so that tourists can avoid tourists' peak.

The number of visitors to World Expo is increasing steadily.

During the first week of the park, the daily tourist volume does not exceed 150 thousand.

In the second week, the tourist volume was about 200 thousand, but the number has been over 300 thousand for 5 consecutive days.

As summer vacation approaches, we expect more and more people to come to visit World Expo.

Despite the increasing number of tourists, the order in the park has not deteriorated.

On the other hand, we are trying to maintain order, and I believe that even if the number of tourists is greater, we still have enough space and resources to receive them.

Wall Street Journal: during your stay in World Expo, you worked with managers from many countries (including the chief representative and curator, etc.). What inspiration do you get from it? What foreign management methods can be applied to China's management?

Hong Hao: Yes, we learn from their experience every day.

For example, the management process of the Japanese pavilion is very orderly, no matter whether it is in the guidance of the queuing outside the museum or in the management of the tourist inside the museum.

And their VIP passageway is also very ingenious.

I think there are many management skills and styles worth learning.

The management of World Expo is similar to the management of large-scale events.

The Expo site is very large, just like a super large park.

Let me take the Japanese pavilion as an example. The Japanese pavilion is the first sign at the door to tell visitors that they need to wait for 1 hours or 3 hours.

I think their approach is very close to tourists.

There are also some European museums that arrange theatrical performances in front of queuing entries and interact with waiting visitors to ease the anxiety of tourists waiting in line.

The Saudi Arabian Pavilion also has some management methods to learn from.

The Saudi Arabian Pavilion covers an area of 6000 square meters, and receives more than 40000 tourists every day. It needs queuing for at least 6 hours to enter the museum during rush hour. But they have devised a reasonable and clever way to guide the passenger flow, so that the queuing tourists keep moving forward so that they will not despair of the inactive team.

We have 246 pavilions, including 42 self built pavilions, 42 rental houses and 11 joint pavilions.

I think all the exhibitors brought their best exhibits, the highest technology and the most advanced management skills.

So in learning advanced management technology, I think World Expo is a very good opportunity.

For example, sometimes we can see Disney's management style, sometimes the management mode of Universal Studios, and sometimes the management mode of Paris.

At the same time, World Expo provides a very good opportunity to combine the management methods and skills of different parts of the world, and we can learn a lot from it.

I think this will be an important factor in promoting the development of Shanghai's Convention and exhibition industry.

Wall Street Journal: in addition to complaints about queuing, we also heard some complaints about security work.

Some officials at the stadium said they could not bring clean uniforms into the park.

How do you let staff balance security requirements and people's reasonable needs?

Hong Hao: security is the top priority of our work.

Security is also the key to the success of a large event.

Most visitors understand our strict security measures.

But sometimes there are people who do not understand our work.

I think what we can do now is to strengthen publicity and education and tell tourists why they need to make such strict security measures.

For example, we need to tell people what the purpose of security is, whether tourists, exhibitors or construction workers.

For example, no bottled water is allowed in the park.

We need to advocate and inform the public that this is one of the security measures we take.

Of course, at the same time, we must provide enough direct drinking water in the park.

And we must constantly improve our management and service level.

As for what you mentioned just now, we did not allow wet clothes or clothes to be brought into the park before.

But now we have improved the regulation.

For example, now if you want to bring the laundry into the Expo site, you can take a special channel and enter the park after security check.

For some important managers, such as the general representatives of exhibitors, we have dedicated channels so that they may not have to accept security checks.

We also provide convenience for them to travel in the park, such as providing electric vehicles such as battery cars.

We will do everything possible to help them so that they can work in the park and easily enter the stadium.

This morning, we took a new measure to add a short shuttle bus to and from the Expo Village and the park.

At the same time, we have established close coordination work between the security staff and the security personnel.

Through this channel of communication, we can always understand the needs of venues, what they need and what they want us to do.

They did put forward some needs, and we did our best to help.

In the past, some people complained that the production process of exhibitors' documents was too slow.

We have communicated with exhibitors and improved the certification process.

In the future, we will continue to improve and optimize our work and cooperate more.

I believe our communication with exhibitors will be more and more smooth.

Wall Street Journal: in the United States, the family members of public servants like you will also play a part in your work.

How does your wife help you in your work? How does she evaluate World Expo, Shanghai?

Hong Hao: my wife doesn't work here.

She works on the subway.

Although she does not work here, she is always concerned about what is going on here.

(she likes the Chinese pavilion very much).

She also liked other venues, such as Spanish Pavilion, German Pavilion, French Pavilion, American pavilion, Japanese pavilion, Saudi Arabia Pavilion, etc.

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Wall Street Journal: your understanding of the vast Expo site is of course very deep.

What are your suggestions for the follow-up use of Expo site?

Hong Hao: This is a mature land.

We will retain one axis and four pavilions, including China Pavilion, cultural center and Theme Pavilion.

In the future, this will become an important public service and cultural place in Shanghai.

Various exhibitions, conferences, cultural performances and high-end business activities will be held in these venues.

After the completion of World Expo, the Expo site will become one of the most important areas of cultural industry and exhibition industry.

Non permanent pavilions will be demolished or renovated, but further research is needed.

In any case, this land will be kept alive in the hearts of the people of Shanghai.

I think the Expo Park will play an important role in Shanghai's economic and cultural development as well as the improvement of Shanghai's Civic literacy.

Wall Street Journal: as a former environmental official, you must be aware that not every "green" goal can be realized in development.

What compromise did World Expo make in terms of environmental protection this year?

Hong Hao: in the construction and operation of the Expo site, we always keep the concept of green environmental protection firmly in mind.

I once served as the director of Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau.

Whether in Shanghai or in China, we all attach great importance to environmental protection. I am also very committed to the concept of environmental protection.

I think the key to solve the problem lies in solving problems arising from the development process through development.

Development is the top priority.

But in pursuit of development, we are responsible for the next generation.

Therefore, the planning, design and construction of the Expo site received strict environmental assessment.

As you may know, because of the construction of the stadium, we have solved many environmental problems and moved some of the old heavy industries in the center of Shanghai to the Luo Jing iron and steel industrial area.

There, energy efficiency increased by 200% while energy consumption dropped by nearly 60%.

1/3 of the Expo area is used to build parks, which has become the largest "green lung" in Shanghai.

All public pport has achieved zero carbon emissions.

The solar panels in the China Pavilion and the theme pavilion are 4.5 MW, and are second to none in China.

I think first, we need to build and develop.

Second, in pursuit of development, we should not bring regrets to future generations.

We need to adopt strict environmental standards.

As for what we do, we need to consult and listen to experts from different parts of the world.

Careful study and careful design must be made before construction.

Wall Street Journal: did you encounter surprises in the process of being the director of the Shanghai World Expo Bureau?

Hung Ho: every day there are surprises.

Why? Every day we encounter new problems and new things. For China, for our generation, World Expo is a new thing. We need to deal with problems with creative thinking. This is also a part of World Expo's work that makes us feel excited.

Wall Street Journal: are you in the park every day? Do you have the opportunity to relieve work pressure at ordinary times?

Hong Hao: I jog for an hour every morning and swim once or two times a week.

In order to make the work more interesting, I like doing alternately.

For example, I am meeting with the media now, I will meet with the construction staff later, and I will see the exhibitors later.

Alternately, the work becomes more interesting.