1982 World's Fair

1982 international exposition in Knoxville, Tennessee, US July 2022 June 2022 Expo 1982 the BIE-recognized Horticultural Expo in 1982 Floriade 1982 Specialized 2 150px-1982WorldsFair.png 149px The 1982 World's Fair logo 1982 Official: Knoxville International Energy Exposition Simple: Expo '82 Energy Turns the World Sunsphere, Tennessee Amphitheater 28 ha acre flip Touchscreen technology Pay at the pump Cordless telephone Coca-Cola Cherry 11,127,786 Jake Butcher Downtown Knoxville Association Knoxville Foundation Inc. 22 More than 50 United States Knoxville World's Fair Park 35.962 -83.924 region:US-TN_type:event title, inline 1975 1980 1982 05 01 1982 10 31 Expo 81 Plovdiv 1984 Louisiana World Exposition New Orleans Expo '70 Osaka Seville Expo '92 Seville Floralies Internationales de Montréal Montreal Internationale Gartenbauaustellung 83 Munich 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). 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. The fair was constructed on a 70 acre m2 on 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 ft m on steel tower topped with a five-story gold globe, was built as the main structure and symbol for the exposition; it remains standing and, over time, it has become a symbol not only of the fair, but of the city of Knoxville. Farley Kristen Visit Knoxville Announces Sunsphere Updates knoxvilletn.gov September 5, 2023 https://www.knoxvilletn.gov/archived_news_stories/2023/visit_knoxville_announces_sunsphere_updates December 8, 2025 Background and construction The first World's Fair to be held in Tennessee occurred in the state's capital, Nashville, in 1897. Knoxville developers cultivated the idea for a World's Fair in their city after several visited Spokane, Washington, which hosted a World's Fair in 1974. In November 1974, W. Stewart Evans, president of the Downtown Knoxville Association, proposed the idea of the fair to the city government and a group of Knoxville business owners after visiting the exposition in 1974. Evans cited Knoxville's association with energy research and development, spurred by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the University of Tennessee. This made Knoxville a potential energy center and suggested the promotion of an energy-themed World's Fair as early as 1980. Officials cited the city's location along Interstate 40 and position in the most populated one-third of the United States as crucial advantages. Knoxville had also previously held an Appalachian-oriented regional exposition promoting the environmental movement in the United States in 1913.Jack Neely https://web.archive.org/web/20130711213325/http://www.metropulse.com/news/2009/nov/11/fair-remember-knoxvilles-national-conservation-exp/ http://www.metropulse.com/news/2009/nov/11/fair-remember-knoxvilles-national-conservation-exp/ dead A Fair to Remember: Knoxville's National Conservation Exposition of 1913 Metro Pulse November 11, 2009 October 1, 2015 July 11, 2013 Knoxville mayor Kyle Testerman appointed local banker Jake Butcher to lead an exploratory KIEE committee. Butcher served as one of the main driving forces behind the fair. Within the city, Knoxvillians referred to the fair as "Jake's Fair".Bruce Wheeler http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=754 Knoxville World's Fair of 1982 https://web.archive.org/web/20120427042704/http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=754 April 27, 2012 Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture 2002 An administrative body known as the Knoxville Foundation Inc. was established to organize and operate the event.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103967270/1982-worlds-fair-shows-57-profit/ February 3, 1985 11-F Associated Press 1982 World's Fair shows $57 profit The Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Newspapers.com June 18, 2022 June 18, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220618072525/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103967270/1982-worlds-fair-shows-57-profit/ live There was skepticism, both locally and nationally, about the ability of Knoxville, described as a "scruffy little city" by The Wall Street Journal in a 1980 news article, to successfully host a World's Fair. Katie Allison Granju http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=37494 The "Scruffy Little City" pulls off a real World's Fair WBIR-TV September 1, 2006 January 2, 2010 June 18, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220618072525/https://www.wbir.com/error/404?storyid=37494 live This controversy contributed to the development of the term "Scruffy City", as a nickname synonymous with Knoxville.McElroy Jack https://www.knoxnews.com/story/opinion/columnists/jack-mcelroy/2018/10/07/scruffy-city-knoxville-nickname-jack-mcelroy/1509862002/ Does Knoxville still want to be called 'scruffy,' or is that bad for the brand? October 7, 2018 Knox News Sentinel March 11, 2020 July 2, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190702112847/https://www.knoxnews.com/story/opinion/columnists/jack-mcelroy/2018/10/07/scruffy-city-knoxville-nickname-jack-mcelroy/1509862002/ live Major politicians representing Tennessee across the aisle and financial boosters supported the idea and prompted interest from the Ford Administration. Then-Secretary of Commerce Elliot Richardson, while inquired, discouraged the idea for Knoxville to host an exposition in 1980, citing a conflict from Los Angeles who planned to host a fair the same year. Richardson would approve for an exposition in Knoxville for the year 1982. Jake Butcher, facing criticism for his efforts for the KIEE, offered a rebuke in a 1981 interview with United Press International, "They called the fair the Jimmy Carter-Jake Butcher pork barrel, but they never revealed that [U.S. Senator] Howard Baker also supports it. I don't expect to get anything personally out of the World's Fair." Intent on running for governor in Tennessee in 1982, Butcher pointed out that his opponent, then-Governor Lamar Alexander, was also an outspoken supporter of the fair. Public opinion of Knoxvillians leading up to the fair changed drastically, with a 1979 poll showing a majority of residents disapproved of the fair but later polls showing massive approval.Daniel Leon 'What If You Gave A World's Fair And Nobody Came?' https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/06/04/What-If-You-Gave-A-Worlds-Fair-And-Nobody/1073360475200/ April 22, 2022 UPI June 4, 1981 April 22, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220422131551/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/06/04/What-If-You-Gave-A-Worlds-Fair-And-Nobody/1073360475200/ live The fair would prompt investment into minority-owned businesses. Civil rights activist Avon Rollins, who served as an executive for the TVA, would ask for a significant portion of the fair proceeds go to Knoxville's African-American community. The fair's iconic red flame-logo apparel was contracted to be produced by Upfront America, a black-owned business. Upfront America would go on to sell more than 500,000 expo shirts. Leading up to the fair, the KIEE committee faced competition in recruiting larger corporate sponsors due to the development of EPCOT Center at the Walt Disney World resort, a permanent scientific-focused amusement park. thumb|right|alt=Construction workers at the expo site.|Workers and guests gather at the expo site for the topping out ceremony for the U.S. Pavilion, October 21, 1981. October 22, 1981 U.S. Agencies Weigh Use of Pavilion, Official Says https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111834867/us-agencies-weigh-use-of-pavilion/ 2 The Knoxville News-Sentinel October 23, 2022 Newspapers.com Most of the KIEE's financial support came from the United States federal government which provided an estimated $44 million in funding. The Tennessee state government provided $3 million, and the Knoxville municipal government approved a nearly $12 million bond. Jake Butcher, through his companies, gave approximately $25 million. An additional $224 million in federal and state funding was utilized by the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration to improve the transportation infrastructure system surrounding Knoxville in preparation for the fair. These improvements included completion of the Interstate 640 semi-beltway and improvements to the infamous "Malfunction Junction" of then I-75 (now I-275) and I-40 north of the fair site. The firm of Bruce McCarty designed the master plan for Fair.Nolan, Amy. Noted Architect Bruce McCarty of Knoxville Dies. Washington: Tribune Content Agency LLC, 2013 thumb|left|alt=City view from the air.|Aerial view of fair site Located along the Second Creek watershed between downtown Knoxville and the University of Tennessee campus, the roughly 70-acre disused Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N) railyard was selected as the site for development of the exposition.Neely Jack 1982 World's Fair in Hindsight https://knoxvillehistoryproject.org/1982-worlds-fair-in-hindsight/ Knoxville History Project April 22, 2022 April 2022 May 22, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220522222415/https://knoxvillehistoryproject.org/1982-worlds-fair-in-hindsight/ live The railyard would be demolished to make way for the nation-representing pavilions and exhibits, the Tennessee Amphitheater, and the Sunsphere. The L&N station, however, would be redeveloped into a restaurant and office space. Acreage located south of the railyard site near the University of Tennessee campus would be home to the exposition's midway, which included the Great Wheel, the tallest Ferris wheel in the world at the time. A gondola system was developed to provide rapid connections to the exhibit and midway areas of the fairgrounds. For the design of the Sunsphere, the KIEE recruited Knoxville-based architectural firm Community Techtonics, which was known in the region for its design of the Clingmans Dome Observation Tower in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the "SkyMart" elevated-sidewalk system in downtown Morristown, nearly 50 miles east of Knoxville.Sunsphere https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/TN-01-093-0078 Society of Architectural Historians July 17, 2018 April 21, 2022 August 26, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210826064732/https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/TN-01-093-0078 live Construction would break ground in 1980.North John 'Such a good time': WBIR alumni recall audacious, hectic, rewarding launch of 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/such-a-good-time-wbir-alumni-recall-audacious-hectic-rewarding-launch-of-1982-worlds-fair-in-knoxville/51-d891b0b0-9bd8-447f-8a8c-e87b95b4b9c0 May 1, 2022 WBIR-TV April 29, 2022 June 18, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220618072526/https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/such-a-good-time-wbir-alumni-recall-audacious-hectic-rewarding-launch-of-1982-worlds-fair-in-knoxville/51-d891b0b0-9bd8-447f-8a8c-e87b95b4b9c0 live Regarding recruitment for country sponsors, the KIEE received confirmation for participation from western European countries including the United Kingdom, France, West Germany, Italy, and the 10-nation European Economic Community, along with Australia, Mexico, Japan, and the People's Republic of China. China's participation proved historic given the country's shift to a more capitalist economy; the KIEE would be the first exposition involving China since 1904. The KIEE invited the Soviet Union for participation and a swimming competition against the United States, but the invitation for participation was rescinded following the Soviet Union's military invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.Tucker Melanie 'You Should've Been There!': 1982 World's Fair exhibit will take you back in time https://www.thedailytimes.com/community/you-shouldve-been-there-1982-worlds-fair-exhibit-will-take-you-back-in-time/article_0a2087d5-55e3-543c-93df-d3b83dda2d98.html April 23, 2022 The Maryville Daily Times March 21, 2022 April 12, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220412013323/https://www.thedailytimes.com/community/you-shouldve-been-there-1982-worlds-fair-exhibit-will-take-you-back-in-time/article_0a2087d5-55e3-543c-93df-d3b83dda2d98.html live In total, 25 nations were signed to participate at the 1982 World's Fair by its opening. However, only 22 of those signed took part by opening day of the KIEE. Fair operations thumb|alt=People walking at the base of the Sunsphere.|left|Visitors walking the fairgrounds below the Sunsphere, June 3, 1982 Opening day On May 1, 1982, the 1982 World's Fair opened to a crowd of 87,000 with the theme "Energy Turns the World". Television commercials broadcast prior to the fair used the marketing tagline "You've Got To Be There!"East Tennessee Historical Society http://web.knoxnews.com/advertising/worldsfair/ 20th Anniversary of the 1982 World's Fair https://web.archive.org/web/20100206170055/http://web.knoxnews.com/advertising/worldsfair/ February 6, 2010 2002 April 30, 2010 The opening ceremony was broadcast on local and regional television stations, with President Ronald Reagan arriving to open the fair. Television personality and Winchester native Dinah Shore was the master of ceremonies for the fair.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89194074/reagan-opens-fair-with-plea-for-peace/ May 2, 1982 A-1 Richard Powelson Reagan Opens Fair With Plea for Peace The Knoxville News-Sentinel Knoxville, Tennessee Newspapers.com June 18, 2022 A six-month pass to the fair sold for $100History Behind World's Fair Park 1982 Legacy Fun Facts https://www.worldsfairpark.org/visit-us/history www.worldsfairpark.org 8 July 2022 ($US 100 1982 in US dollarsUS).$100 in 1982 → 2021 https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1982?endYear=2021&amount=100 Inflation Calculator 8 July 2022 en Fair participation and exhibits thumb|alt=Robotic arm painting a picture.|Japanese pavilion with artificial intelligence programmed "Painting Robot" From its commencement on May 1, to its closing on October 31, the fair attracted 11,127,7801982 Knoxville https://www.bie-paris.org/site/en/1982-knoxville July 12, 2020 www.bie-paris.org August 10, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200810150125/https://bie-paris.org/site/en/1982-knoxville live visitors from all over the United States and the world, making it among the best attended World's Fairs in U.S. history among those sanctioned by the BIE. It had the highest attendance among the four Specialized Expos held in the United States. It made a profit of $57, far short of the $5 million surplus projected by organizers and boosters. The city of Knoxville was left with a $46 million debt. This debt would be paid in full in May 2007. In total, 22 nations, 7 states, and more than 50 corporations presented exhibitions at the fair revolving around energy, innovation, technology, and sustainability.Schulman Bruce The 1982 World's Fair: Exhibits http://users.vnet.net/schulman/1982/expo.html#EXHIBITS 1982 World's Fair Research Site May 6, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20070430201524/http://users.vnet.net/schulman/1982/expo.html#EXHIBITS April 30, 2007 Participating nations included Australia, Belgium, Canada, The People's Republic of China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, People's Republic of Hungary, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, and West Germany.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IkZBAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-6gMAAAAIBAJ&dq=rocket-center%20omnimax&pg=5301%2C5835881 The Fair Participants Harlan Daily Enterprise April 23, 1982 September 29, 2011 6B April 3, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170403171248/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IkZBAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-6gMAAAAIBAJ&dq=rocket-center%20omnimax&pg=5301%2C5835881 live Panama, a late-comer to the fair, never occupied its pavilion space, which was eventually unofficially occupied by a group of Caribbean island nations.1982 Worlds Fair in Hindsight https://knoxvillehistoryproject.org/1982-worlds-fair-in-hindsight/ Knoxville History Project 8 July 2022https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104538011/caribean-islands-to-sponsor-fair-exhibit/ July 8, 1982 A-1 Charles Siler Caribbean Islands To Sponsor Fair Exhibit The Knoxville News-Sentinel Knoxville, Tennessee Newspapers.com June 27, 2022 Communication problems between Panama and fair officials delayed occupancy,https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104537865/two-weeks-before-opening-day-panamanian/ April 17, 1982 10 Charles Siler Two Weeks Before Opening Day, Panamanian Pavilion Still Empty The Knoxville News-Sentinel Knoxville, Tennessee Newspapers.com June 27, 2022 then it was announced that the country would not show due to "economic problems".https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104537933/panama-wont-have-exhibit/ April 28, 1982 A-1 Panama Won't Have Exhibit The Knoxville News-Sentinel Knoxville, Tennessee Newspapers.com June 27, 2022 The Peruvian exhibit featured a mummy that was unwrapped and studied at the fair. The Egyptian exhibit featured ancient artifacts valued at over US$30 million.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103967166/recruiting-most-visitors-are-home-folk/ May 2, 1982 I-7 Charles Siler Recruiting: Most Visitors Are Home folk; Wonders Came From Afar The Knoxville News-Sentinel Knoxville, Tennessee Newspapers.com June 18, 2022 June 18, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220618072527/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103967166/recruiting-most-visitors-are-home/ live Hungary, the home country of the Rubik's Cube, sent the world's largest Rubik's Cube with rotating squares for the entrance display to its pavilion. The Rubik's Cube remains in World's Fair Park, where it is on display at the Knoxville Convention Center.Fred Brown http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/jul/02/coming-round-again/ Rubik's Cube: Coming 'round again; World's Fair icon's future not yet squared away Knoxville News Sentinel July 2, 2007 August 10, 2009 May 23, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100523103519/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/jul/02/coming-round-again/ livehttp://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/7917 Knoxville, Tennessee – World's Largest Rubik's Cube https://web.archive.org/web/20090523111759/http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/7917 May 23, 2009 RoadsideAmerica August 9, 2009 Every night of the fair, at 10 pm, a 10-minute fireworks display was presented that could be seen over much of Knoxville. Entertainment Performances by famous artists, actors, and musicians occurred at the Tennessee Amphitheater and across other areas of the fairgrounds and Knoxville, including Bob Hope, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins, Hal Holbrook, Glen Campbell, Jerry Lee Lewis, R. L. Burnside and Ricky Skaggs. Innovations showcased thumb|Children using a touch-screen computer at the U.S. Pavilion The 1982 World's Fair brought the debut of several inventions and concepts, primarily focused on energy, technology, and sustainability. Oak Ridge National Laboratory physicist George Samuel Hurst had showcased his patented resistive touchscreen technology that was developed in 1975 as result of a partnership with his company Elographics and German conglomerate Siemens. Visitors were able to use computers with the touch-screen technology.Olito Frank July 18, 2019 15 inventions and landmarks that you had no idea debuted at World's Fairs Insider https://www.insider.com/inventions-debuted-at-worlds-fairs-2019-7 January 9, 2021 June 18, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220618072526/https://www.insider.com/inventions-debuted-at-worlds-fairs-2019-7 live Tetra Pak showcased its boxed shelf-stable milk.Remembering the 1982 World's Fair in pictures https://www.knoxnews.com/picture-gallery/news/2019/05/01/1982-worlds-fair-photos-worlds-fair-knoxville/3559790002/ May 6, 2022 Knoxville News Sentinel November 12, 2021 May 6, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220506173450/https://www.knoxnews.com/picture-gallery/news/2019/05/01/1982-worlds-fair-photos-worlds-fair-knoxville/3559790002/ live Coca-Cola organized a measure of several flavored mixtures of its traditional Coke soda during the exposition. Visitors would test lime, lemon, vanilla, and cherry flavors. By the end of the KIEE, Coca-Cola found that the cherry-flavored soda was the most popular. As a result, Coca-Cola Cherry would be distributed in 1985 as a result of its successful introduction at the 1982 World's Fair.Business Notes Soft Drinks http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961943,00.html Time June 16, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20080408134027/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,961943,00.html April 8, 2008 March 4, 1985 dead Oil corporation Texaco showcased the concept of pay at the pump, as part of the advances in energy.Burk, Tonja https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/remembering-the-1982-worlds-fair/51-101289897 Remembering the 1982 World's Fair WBIR-TV March 30, 2012 March 11, 2020 June 18, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220618072527/https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/remembering-the-1982-worlds-fair/51-101289897 live An early rendition of the cordless telephone was introduced to the public at the KIEE.Trieu Cat Remembering the 1982 World's Fair https://www.utdailybeacon.com/arts_and_culture/lifestyle/remembering-the-1982-world-s-fair/article_7f68471c-ca7e-11e7-b14f-17dc38318998.html May 6, 2022 Daily Beacon University of Tennessee November 16, 2017 January 13, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220113115828/https://www.utdailybeacon.com/arts_and_culture/lifestyle/remembering-the-1982-world-s-fair/article_7f68471c-ca7e-11e7-b14f-17dc38318998.html live The Ford Motor Company showcased a Lincoln Town Car with a built-in car phone and a concept car known as the AFV, which relied on alternative fuel consumption.Williams Bill WBIR 1982 World's Fair 25th Anniversary Special https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmVdeV-va84 May 9, 2022 WBIR-TV May 1, 2007 YouTube Video May 9, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220509024750/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmVdeV-va84&feature=youtu.be live One-hour photographic processing was introduced by Kodak and used by visitors of the exposition. The Boston-based company New England Technology Group created a $500,000 learning system that used Sony and 3M interactive video-disc systems, Apple computers, a 200-kilobyte memory made by a company called Corbus, and a screen by Illugraphics, all put together for the United States Department of Commerce. The system featured three video-disc systems on line simultaneously, each offering random access to some 54,000 frames of text. The system was scheduled to go on tour after the fair, under the auspices of the Commerce Department.Lehrman Paul D. Fair Wares: We Have Seen the Future and It Might Work https://archive.org/details/sim_boston-phoenix_1982-07-27_11_30/page/n32/mode/1up September 8, 2024 The Boston Phoenix July 27, 1982 Geodesic dome housing exhibits were showcased to promote sustainable development to confront the then-ongoing energy crisis. Housing powered entirely by solar power was constructed by the United American Solar Group to promote solar energy. The TVA would support an exhibit promoting energy conservation and private greenhouse usage. Knoxville-based fast-food chain, Petro's Chili & Chips made their debut at the fair. As of 2023, the chain consists of several locations in the state with most primarily located in East Tennessee.http://www.petros.com/about-us/ Petro's Official Site "About Us" page March 11, 2017 May 27, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190527083041/https://www.petros.com/about-us/ dead Events The Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots played a preseason football game at Neyland Stadium on August 14, 1982.Pats To Play Steelers at Knoxville 'Fair https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19811128&id=2MYyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=H2gEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1889,6732041&hl=en Sarasota Herald-Tribune November 28, 1981 July 3, 2015 April 24, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160424160408/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19811128&id=2MYyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=H2gEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1889,6732041&hl=en live The Steelers won the game 24–20 to a crowd of 93,251, making it the fourth-best-attended NFL game in history. The University of Tennessee provided use of its residence halls and dormitories as overnight accommodation for tourists, housing nearly 60,000 visitors during the exposition's six-month tenure.Rudolph Martha Exhibit: The 1982 World's Fair 40th Anniversary Celebration https://volumes.lib.utk.edu/features/worlds-fair-exhibit/ University of Tennessee April 12, 2022 March 13, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220313134824/https://volumes.lib.utk.edu/features/worlds-fair-exhibit/ live An NBA exhibition game took place between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers at Stokely Athletic Center on October 23, 1982.Thurman Sybil The World's Fair: 1982 – A Special Report https://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/198204/the.world.s.fair-1982.-.a.special.report.htm Aramco World April 22, 2022 July 1982 June 18, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220618072528/https://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/198204/the.world.s.fair-1982.-.a.special.report.htm live Difficulties Hotels and other accommodations in Knoxville were not permitted to take reservations directly. Room reservations for everything from hotels to houseboats were sold in a package with fair admission tickets through the first eleven days and were handled by a central bureau, Knoxvisit. Its financial and administrative troubles resulted in reservations being taken over by Property Leasing & Management, Inc. (PLM),https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103849976/lodging-firm-at-fair-reports-few-claims/ October 14, 1982 C7 Lodging Firm At Fair Reports Few Claims The Commercial Appeal Memphis, Tennessee Newspapers.com June 16, 2022 June 18, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220618072527/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103849976/lodging-firm-at-fair-reports-few-claims/ liveDecember 12, 1982 Tennessee Sues World's Fair For 3,500 Tourists' Refunds en-US The New York Times UPI https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/12/us/tennessee-sues-world-s-fair-for-3500-tourists-refunds.html June 18, 2022 0362-4331 April 19, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190419181251/https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/12/us/tennessee-sues-world-s-fair-for-3500-tourists-refunds.html live which also struggled with the operation and filed for bankruptcy.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103967243/olympic-size-task-committee-faces-chall/ October 15, 1991 C1, C8 Sonia Murray Olympic-Size Task: Committee faces challenge in managing hotel bookings The Atlanta Constitution Atlanta, Georgia Newspapers.com June 18, 2022 June 18, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220618072532/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/103967243/olympic-size-task-committee-faces/ liveComm821014 Jake Butcher's financial services corporation, United American Bank (UAB), failed shortly after the exposition in 1983. UAB had been raided by federal banking regulators the day after the fair's closure.Hagerty James Jake Butcher's Triumph With 1982 World's Fair Swiftly Turned Sour https://www.wsj.com/articles/jake-butchers-triumph-with-1982-worlds-fair-swiftly-turned-sour-1501252201 April 22, 2022 The Wall Street Journal July 28, 2017 April 22, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220422131846/https://www.wsj.com/articles/jake-butchers-triumph-with-1982-worlds-fair-swiftly-turned-sour-1501252201 live On February 14, 1983, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation seized control of the bank due to irregularities in its financial records. This action caused public speculation that the bank's failure was due in part to Butcher's financing of the World's Fair.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local-news/carnival-and-collapse-1980s-brought-worlds-fair Carnival and collapse: 1980s brought World's Fair and Butcher bank failure Knoxville News Sentinel September 30, 2012 October 10, 2014 October 15, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141015234655/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local-news/carnival-and-collapse-1980s-brought-worlds-fair live Legacy thumb|right|upright=1.02|alt=Building being demolished from explosives.|Demolition of the U.S. Pavilion, April 6, 1991 The theme of the fair, "Energy Turns the World," is still very relevant to the growth and focus of Knoxville's economy. With the presence of the TVA and the Oak Ridge National Lab, jobs and businesses in the energy sector, such as electric car and battery manufacturing, have continued to be economic drivers.Sloan Silas From touch screens to downtown, Knoxville's World's Fair legacy is more than the Sunsphere https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2022/04/28/1982-worlds-fair-knoxville-legacy-tennessee-sunsphere-scruffy-downtown/7394618001/ 6 November 2025 Knoxville News Sentinel Gannett 2022-04-27 The U.S. Pavilion operated as a soccer arena until its demolition by the city of Knoxville in 1991 in a controlled implosion. It had developed structural problems that could not be safely resolved after years of neglect. The site of the pavilion was cleared and developed for a parking lot along Cumberland Avenue, adjacent to the site of the Knoxville Convention Center in World's Fair Park. The site of the Korean and Saudi Arabian pavilions and the Tennessee Gas Industries exhibit was redeveloped into a performance lawn and hosted the Hot Summer Nights rock music festival from 1991 to 1999, when the Knoxville municipal government indefinitely suspended concerts on the lawn. Ashley Capps, a Knoxville entertainment coordinator, cited the suspension of Hot Summer Nights at World's Fair Park as the start of the iconic Bonnaroo Music Festival.Wilusz Ryan Bonnaroo, America's favorite music festival, was born of canceled plans and construction https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2021/04/28/bonnaroo-how-knoxville-worlds-fair-park-inspired-tennessee-music-festival/7211168002/ April 29, 2021 Knoxville News Sentinel April 28, 2021 May 9, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210509015845/https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2021/04/28/bonnaroo-how-knoxville-worlds-fair-park-inspired-tennessee-music-festival/7211168002/ live The site of the Japanese Pavilion became the new location for the Knoxville Museum of Art in 1990. The Elm Tree Theater located adjacent to the former pavilion was added as part of the Knoxville Museum of Art's courtyard. The elm tree was later struck by lightning and was cut down. The courtyard of the theater has since remained empty. Many of the pavilion sites and the fair's midway located south of the main park were given to the University of Tennessee for future campus extensions and student parking. thumb|upright=1.02|left|alt=View of park.|World's Fair Park in 2019, with the Sunsphere and Tennessee Amphitheater in the background By 1996, World's Fair Park was subject to 14 plans to redevelop the site, all of which were unsuccessful. In the same year, Knoxville and the 1982 World's Fair were featured prominently in an episode of The Simpsons, "Bart on the Road". In the episode, Bart, having obtained a fake ID, travels to Knoxville with his friends to visit the fair after seeing an advertisement in a tourism brochure, only to learn that it closed a decade before. Nelson frustratedly throws a stone at the Sunsphere, causing it to collapse on the group's rental car, stranding them in Knoxville.Groening Matt Matt Groening Ray Richmond Ray Richmond Antonia Coffman The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family 1st 1997 New York Harper Perennial 98141857 433519M 37796735 978-0-06-095252-5 201 Richmond & Coffman 1997 Knoxville municipal personnel would criticize the show's portrayal of the city and World's Fair Park, as at the time, the Sunsphere and the main facilities at the park were in good condition and received regular maintenance.Jacobson Lou Knoxville Hopes To Have Last Laugh In Struggle to Develop World's Fair Site https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1997/04/19/knoxville-hopes-to-have-last-laugh-in-struggle-to-develop-worlds-fair-site/dfa689a7-b5d1-4449-baa4-d6515e3e0707/ April 24, 2022 The Washington Post April 19, 1997 August 28, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170828204821/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1997/04/19/knoxville-hopes-to-have-last-laugh-in-struggle-to-develop-worlds-fair-site/dfa689a7-b5d1-4449-baa4-d6515e3e0707/ live The last known attempt of redeveloping the fair site came in late 1996, as a mixed-use development named after the Tivoli gardens in Copenhagen. In 2000, the park was closed for two years for the construction of the Knoxville Convention Center in the space formerly occupied by Rich's/Millers Garage, the site of the KUB Substation exhibit, and the site of America's Electric Energy Exhibit. The Tennessee Amphitheater, the only structure other than the Sunsphere that currently remains from the World's Fair, was condemned to demolition in 2002.Doug Mason Professor sings praises of iconic World's Fair structure http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local/professor-sings-praises-of-iconic-worlds-fair-structure-ep-413259808-360375381.html The Knoxville News Sentinel September 18, 2005 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20160819211310/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local/professor-sings-praises-of-iconic-worlds-fair-structure-ep-413259808-360375381.html August 19, 2016 mdy-all Popular sentiment from Knoxville residents and officials supported restoring it, and the theater was renovated between 2005 and 2007, reopening in 2007.World's Fair Park Amphitheater http://www.worldsfairpark.org/worlds-fair-amphitheater.html World's Fair Park July 2, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160630064357/http://worldsfairpark.org/worlds-fair-amphitheater.html June 30, 2016 dead In 2007, the amphitheater was voted one of the top fifteen architectural works of East Tennessee by the East Tennessee chapter of the American Institute of Architects.Doug Mason Area architects' picks for ET's Top 15 structures may surprise you http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local/area-architects-picks-for-ets-top-15-structures-may-surprise-you-ep-412345379-360064881.html The Knoxville News Sentinel December 16, 2007 July 2, 2016 August 19, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160819225019/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local/area-architects-picks-for-ets-top-15-structures-may-surprise-you-ep-412345379-360064881.html live upright=1.02|thumb|right|alt=Museum exhibit.|ETHS exhibit celebrating the fair's 40th anniversary In the summer of 2002, the World's Fair Park was reopened to general events and concerts, such as Earth Fest and Greek Fest. An Independence Day celebration is held on the park lawns every year, with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra playing a free concert with a massive fireworks display. In May 2007, the East Tennessee Historical Society (ETHS) opened a temporary exhibit in its museum located in Downtown Knoxville, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the World's Fair. On July 4, 2007, one of the annual celebrations was held in conjunction with festivities commemorating the 25th anniversary of the 1982 World's Fair. The following day, July 5, 2007, the Sunsphere's observation deck reopened to the public after renovations.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/jul/06/the-view-from-above/ World's Fair Park main attraction reopened to the public Thursday Paul N. Whitehead Knoxville News Sentinel July 6, 2007 June 11, 2011 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20070708083634/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/jul/06/the-view-from-above/ July 8, 2007 In 2020, rock band The Dirty Guv'nahs curated the Southern Skies Music Festival at the performance lawn of World's Fair Park. Postponed from its original start in May 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival debuted on May 14, 2022.Southern Skies Music Festival https://southernskiesmusicfestival.com/ Southern Skies Music Festival April 23, 2022 April 22, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220422214159/https://southernskiesmusicfestival.com/ live In 2022, the ETHS and the University of Tennessee's Hodges Library would open temporary exhibits regarding the KIEE commemorating its 40th anniversary."You Should've Been There!" The 40th Anniversary of the 1982 World's Fair https://www.easttnhistory.org/1982worldsfair East Tennessee Historical Society December 2, 2021 April 24, 2022 April 18, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220418191703/https://www.easttnhistory.org/1982worldsfair live A celebration of the 40th anniversary of the KIEE was held during the weekend of May 20–22, 2022, including a full-day festival organized by Knoxville's convention and visitors bureau.The 1982 World's Fair 40th Anniversary Celebration https://www.visitknoxville.com/event/1982-worlds-fair-40th-anniversary-celebration/18786/ Visit Knoxville April 30, 2022 May 6, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220506130803/https://www.visitknoxville.com/event/1982-worlds-fair-40th-anniversary-celebration/18786/ live Local media covered the event and provided prior coverage of the original event.1982 World's Fair 40th Anniversary Celebration in pictures https://www.knoxnews.com/picture-gallery/news/2022/05/21/1982-worlds-fair-40th-anniversary-celebration-photos-festival/9845829002/ May 23, 2022 www.knoxnews.com en May 27, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220527135643/https://www.knoxnews.com/picture-gallery/news/2022/05/21/1982-worlds-fair-40th-anniversary-celebration-photos-festival/9845829002/ live Riley Sarah 40th anniversary party for the 1982 World's Fair is Saturday – what to know plus a look back https://www.knoxnews.com/story/entertainment/2022/05/19/knoxville-worlds-fair-anniversary-party-saturday-40th/9838114002/ June 16, 2022 Knoxville News Sentinel May 19, 2022 May 20, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220520010020/https://www.knoxnews.com/story/entertainment/2022/05/19/knoxville-worlds-fair-anniversary-party-saturday-40th/9838114002/ live Collectibles Many collectible items were made specifically for the World's Fair, ranging from cups, trays, plates, belt buckles, and several other objects. Some of the more notable items include: With the focus of the World's Fair on technology and energy, video games of the era were also featured at the Fair. In the arcade area, attendees could find seven video arcade game tokens that had been minted for the Fair, each depicting a different and popular game of the time. The seven games on each of the tokens are Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Qix, Gorf, Scramble, and Donkey Kong.Video Game Arcade Token Gallery http://digthatbox.com/arcade_token_gallery.html digthatbox.com October 9, 2014 October 10, 2014 October 15, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141015224540/http://digthatbox.com/arcade_token_gallery.html usurped World's Fair Beer was also released at the beginning of the fair. 250,000 cases of the beer was sold during the fair's duration, totaling nearly six million cans sold over the six months. Rick Kuhlman, who was a marketing director for a beer wholesaler at the time, had come up with the idea for the beer. He had to pre-sell 10,000 cases of the beer to pay for the initial batch. The beer would go on to be released in nine different colored cans, beginning with red, then blue, and eventually, green, brown, gold, black, purple, yellow, and orange. Each color represented its own production batch and when a color was sold out, that color was finished. The beer was often purchased and never drunk, as many fair-goers speculated that the beer cans would one day be a rare collectible.http://archive.knoxnews.com/entertainment/life/thirty-years-later-knoxvillians-celebrate-1982-energy-expo-ep-360866163-357040481.html Thirty years later, Knoxvillians celebrate 1982 energy expo May 1, 2012 Allison Rupp Knoxville News Sentinel March 11, 2017 March 8, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170308044443/http://archive.knoxnews.com/entertainment/life/thirty-years-later-knoxvillians-celebrate-1982-energy-expo-ep-360866163-357040481.html live To observe the 35th anniversary of the fair, World's Fair Beer was brought back into production in May 2017 for a limited time at several Knoxville breweries and pubs.http://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2017/05/01/relaunch-worlds-fair-beer-on-sale-again/101166904/ Tyler Whetstone May 1, 2017 Knoxville News Sentinel Relaunch: World's Fair Beer on sale again July 20, 2017 August 9, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200809172256/https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2017/05/01/relaunch-worlds-fair-beer-on-sale-again/101166904/ live Gallery See also United States List of world's fairs National Conservation Exposition References Bibliography World Class Politics: Knoxville's 1982 World's Fair, Redevelopment and the Political Process Joe Dodd.Dodd Joe World Class Politics: Knoxville's 1982 World's Fair, Redevelopment and the Political Process 1988 Sheffield Publishing Company 978-0-88133-356-5 https://books.google.com/books?id=aMwQAQAAMAAJ May 8, 2022 Knoxville's 1982 World's Fair Martha R. Woodward.Woodward Martha Knoxville's 1982 World's Fair 2009 Arcadia Publishing 978-0-7385-6835-5 https://books.google.com/books?id=VVOPzWQ4Y8UC May 9, 2022 1982 World's Fair Official Guidebook Knoxville International Energy Exposition, Inc.The 1982 World's Fair: Official Guidebook 1982 Exposition Publishers https://books.google.com/books?id=DZz7zAEACAAJ May 8, 2022 1982 World's Fair Transportation System Evaluation U.S. Department of Transportation.December 1982 United States Department of Transportation 1982 World's Fair Transportation System Evaluation https://books.google.com/books?id=FYwnAQAAMAAJ May 8, 2022 Exhibiting the Future: The 1982 World's Fair and Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center Cristin J. Grant.Grant Cristin Exhibiting the Future: The 1982 World's Fair and Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center 2002 State University of New York College at Oneonta https://books.google.com/books?id=7Tg4twAACAAJ May 8, 2022 The Expo Book Gordon Linden.Linden Gordon The Expo Book April 2014 JRVD Architects 978-0-557-64416-2 https://books.google.com/books?id=d3d7AgAAQBAJ May 8, 2022 Federal Supervision and Failure of United American Bank U.S. Government Printing Office.Federal Supervision and Failure of United American Bank (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1983 U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. https://books.google.com/books?id=GZKqWbZPQzUC May 8, 2022 (Re)imagining an urban identity: Knoxville and its 1982 International Energy Exposition Jennifer Bradley.Bradley Jennifer (Re)imagining an urban identity : Knoxville and its 1982 International Energy Exposition Masters Theses December 2003 University of Tennessee Press https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/5197/ May 8, 2022 June 18, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220618072530/https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/5197/ live Sources 30em External links 1982 World's Fair Research Site, by Bruce Schulman Official website of the BIE European Patent Office 1982 World's Fair 25th Anniversary site (archived) ExpoMuseum's 1982 World's Fair Section https://web.archive.org/web/20070220112838/http://expomuseum.com/1982/ February 20, 2007 * Category:World's fairs in Tennessee World's Fair World's Fair World's Fair World's Fair World's Fair World's Fair Category:Tourism in Tennessee Category:Energy in Tennessee Category:Energy history of the United States Category:Energy conferences