About us

The people behind Expomuseum

Since 1998, Expomuseum has kept the story of Expos open to everyone. Meet the founder who started it, the team that carries it forward and the logo that brings it together.

About Us

Our founder

Urso Chappell

Urso Chappell founded Expomuseum in 1998 with a lasting vision: to see it one day become a physical museum dedicated to the history of Expos, much in the spirit of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Since attending his first Expo in 1982, Urso was fascinated by nearly every aspect of these extraordinary international events. He was especially inspired by their ability to educate, engage and encourage the public to look beyond everyday life. Bringing together his interests in design, architecture, culture, history, internationalism and communication, Urso transformed his passion for Expos into Expomuseum, which became a leading online resource on their history and legacy.

Over the years, Urso attended 11 international exhibitions, wrote for a range of publications, consulted on Expo bids and worked with Expo 2015 Milan to help create the Expo 2015+100 Archive.

Sadly, Urso Chappell passed away in December 2020. A group of friends and colleagues has continued Expomuseum’s work in his memory, preserving his legacy and advancing the mission he began.

Our team

César Corona

Executive Director

César Corona is a specialist in public diplomacy and Expos. He has worked at Expo 1998 Lisbon, Expo 2000 Hannover, Expo 2010 Shanghai, Expo 2012 Yeosu and Expo 2015 Milan, for the National Section of Mexico, the University of Southern California (USC) and the International Exhibitions Bureau (Bureau International des Expositions, BIE). He attended Expo 2020 Dubai and visited Expo 2025 Osaka representing Expomuseum, and he is a member of the Institute for the Study of International Expositions (ISIE).

He holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from UNAM and a master’s degree in public diplomacy from USC. His hobbies include photography, drumming and languages. He lives in Los Angeles.

Jason Griffing

Deputy Director

Jason Griffing has been an Expo fan since his first visit, to Expo 1982 Knoxville. He has researched and attended 15 Expos since 1982, the latest being Expo 2020 Dubai. His main interests are Expo architecture and visiting past Expo sites.

He keeps a collection of memorabilia from every Expo he has attended, and some from others. Beyond Expos, his interests include travel, photography and eating ice cream almost every day. He lives in Connecticut.

Christine J. Hsieh

Editor-in-Chief

Christine J. Hsieh is an Expo enthusiast. She first learned about Expos while visiting her family and seeing Shanghai prepare for its Expo. Over the next few years, she received several research grants from her university to attend Expo 2010 Shanghai and Expo 2012 Yeosu, and most recently she attended Expo 2015 Milan. She loves to travel, and one of the first things she looks for in any city is a trace of a past Expo.

Beyond Expos, she loves coffee, plant-based cooking and photography. She lives in New York.

Jean Huard

French Editor

Jean Huard has been a fan of Expos since Expo 1967 Montreal, which he visited about 20 times at age 13. Over the years he has built a personal collection of objects and photographs from Expos.

He worked as a journalist and radio host, and he administered an outdoor tourism site in his region of Mauricie, Quebec. He is also a sports fan and a supporter of the Shawinigan junior hockey team and the semi-professional baseball club in Trois-Rivières, a genealogist and a vegetable gardener in summer. He lives in the Shawinigan and Trois-Rivières region of Quebec, Canada.

Browse the timeline