1982 World's Fair

1982 Knoxville
1982 Knoxville
	The 1982 World's Fair logo
Overview
BIE-class	Specialized exposition
Category	International specialized exposition
Name	Knoxville International Energy Exposition (official); Expo '82 (simple);
Motto	Energy Turns the World
Building(s)	Sunsphere, Tennessee Amphitheater
Area	28 hectares (69 acres)
Invention(s)	Touch-screen technology; pay-at-the-pump; cordless telephone; Coca-Cola Cherry;
Visitors	11,127,786
Organized by	Jake Butcher; Downtown Knoxville Association; Knoxville Foundation Inc.;
Participant(s)
Countries	22
Business	More than 50
Location
Country	United States
City	Knoxville
Venue	World's Fair Park
Coordinates	35°57′43″N 83°55′26″W / 35.962°N 83.924°W
Timeline
Bidding	1975
Awarded	1980
Opening	May 1, 1982
Closure	October 31, 1982
Specialized expositions
Previous	Expo 81 in Plovdiv
Next	1984 Louisiana World Exposition in New Orleans
Universal expositions
Previous	Expo '70 in Osaka
Next	Seville Expo '92 in Seville
Horticultural expositions
Previous	Floralies Internationales de Montréal in Montreal
Next	Internationale Gartenbauaustellung 83 in Munich
Simultaneous
Horticultural (AIPH)	Floriade 1982

The 1982 World's Fair, officially known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition (KIEE) and simply as Energy Expo '82 and Expo '82, was an international exposition held in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Focused on energy and electricity generation, with the theme Energy Turns the World, it was officially registered as a "World's Fair" by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).^[1]

The KIEE opened on May 1, 1982, and closed on October 31, 1982, after receiving over 11 million visitors. Participating nations included Australia, Belgium, Canada, The People's Republic of China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, and West Germany. It was the second World's Fair to be held in the state of Tennessee, with the first being the Tennessee Centennial Exposition of 1897, held in the state's capital, Nashville.^[2]

The fair was constructed on a 70-acre (280,000 m²) site between Downtown Knoxville and the University of Tennessee campus. The core of the site primarily consisted of a deteriorating Louisville and Nashville Railroad yard and depot. The railroad yard was demolished, with the exception of a single rail line, and the depot was renovated for use as a restaurant during the fair. The Sunsphere, a 266-foot (81 m) steel tower topped with a five-story gold globe, was built as the main structure and symbol for the exposition. Today, the Sunsphere stands as a symbol for the city of Knoxville.

^ Cite error: The named reference grantthesis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference dodd was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[grantthesis-1] Cite error: The named reference grantthesis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[dodd-2] Cite error: The named reference dodd was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[1]

[2]