Representatives from almost 200 countries will start the voting process Wednesday morning in Paris to decide where to hold the World's Fair in 2027.
Among the top five cities? Bloomington.
The decision has been in the works for years. If Bloomington wins the bid, it would bring millions of people from all over the world to Minnesota.
If chosen, the plan is to host the 2027 world expo right near the Mall of America in the South Loop District.
Mayor Tim Busse says the proposed theme, "Healthy people, Healthy Planet," is meant to draw attention to Minnesota's strengths.
"It would be a great opportunity to really highlight our med-tech industry, our leaders in the medical industries, like the Mayo Clinic, the University of Minnesota," said Busse. "We also want to talk about the importance of the health of the planet."
The three-month export would start in May 2027 and organizers expect 14 million visitors from all around the world to come.
"We would anticipate up to about 100 participating countries, and the countries have pavilions or exhibits where they basically talk about or show off their country in terms of our theme," said Busse. "World expos and world fairs have always brought the best and brightest together. And the innovations that have come out of world experts have literally changed the world in a lot of different ways."
Busse expects a World Expo would generate 17,000 jobs, $364 million in local state and federal tax revenue, and an economic impact of about $2 billion.
"They're enormously successful and very popular across the globe," said Busse. "And they're kind of a combination of a Chamber of Commerce event, a scientific gathering, a TED Talk, and Disneyland, just a lot of fun."
A press conference in Paris is expected to be held Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. CDT Wednesday.
Bloomington is competing against cities in Thailand, Serbia, Spain, and Argentina.