In a letter sent to hundreds of stamp dealers around the world, Richard Arvonio, USPS Manager of International and Direct Marketing, has announced plans to stage World Stamp Expo 2000 in Anaheim, California, on July 7-16, 2000. The letter invites dealers to reserve booth space for the show---and unveils a highly unusual and modernized design for the booths, themselves.

	Booth Designs for WSE2000... Design A showing four separate booths configure in a circle. This circular design is revolutionary in the history of stamp shows and promotes an easy flow of foot traffic all through the show floor.
Design B showing a "Double Booth" with space for two philatelic firms. A Super Booth will occupy both sides of this circular design.

World Stamp Expo 2000 will take place in the Anaheim Convention Center and is the Postal Service's second effort to stage a major international stamp show. The first took place in Washington, D.C., in the fall of 1989 during the huge Congress of the Universal Postal Union held in that city. Arvonio says in his letter:

"The overall theme of the exhibition will be 'Space Achievement and Exploration', one of the world's most popular stamp topics. WSE 2000 will be a spectacular international stamp exhibition that will showcase a broad range of philatelic wonders from around the world and provide an exciting venue for the promotion of stamp collecting.

"The exhibition will consist of more than 130 postal administrations, over 250 stamp dealers, stamp manufacturers, and philatelic merchandisers. We also will have a Court of Honor, competitive exhibits, a major interactive youth area, several high-tech space exhibits, and a number of first day of issue ceremonies. We are conservatively projecting attendance at 150,000."

Booth prices for the show range from $1,500 for a small number of basic booths to $30,000 for a super booth (see illustrations).

Though on a scale of comparison to PACIFIC 97, the booth prices are nominal, one has to ponder the potential for this event achieving the kind of success and attendance that Arvonio envisions. Anaheim---and southern California, in general---has not been a particularly exciting venue for major stamp events. The APS' annual Stampshow bombed there in 1989, and efforts to stage an ASDA Mega Event in that city in recent years have met with only mild success. This, in addition to the fact that World Stamp Expo 2000 is to take place in the middle of the summer, will be a major ponderable to philatelists until the show takes place.

But the show can succeed, perhaps, on the sheer pulling power of the Postal Service and the inherent advertising and promotion that they are known to use to hype such exhibitions. In any case, WSE2000 is part of the USPS' plans to stage a major international stamp exhibition at least every five years. If the plans succeed, the hobby will receive quite a boost!