The expo, said representatives hosting a Wednesday-morning pressconference at Mipim Asia here, will "Serve as a catalyst for urbandevelopment and investment, and influence the planning practices ofthe world's major cities." In fact, the event is expected to drawan estimated 10 million people and 200 city governments.

The purpose will be two-fold as the target audience of globaldevelopers, investors and capital players arrive on the scene totest the wares of various city development projects and gauge theprogress of New Songdo and Incheon as a model for master-planneddevelopment. New Songo, the Gale International/Posco Constructionproject set for completion in 2020, currently has some 30 ITtenants and 24 global logistics companies resident on its acreage.When the construction dust clear, some 250,000 people will be atwork there.

In addition to exhibits intended to highlight the variousdevelopments, the three months in '09 will also feature a fullrange of events, festivals and conferences designed, in theparlance of the promoters, to bring "city to city, city to companyand city to persons."