Hu Min/Shanghai Daily news

What are the most pivotal factors involved for a striking and fabulous Expo? Answers vary. While the eye-catching pavilions are always talked about, it is the details that often ruin a presentation.

Based on the experience of previous Expos, one of the crucial details is service. When the 2010 Expo finally lowers its curtain, service will be a major subject.

"We have to consider the needs of all visitors to the Shanghai World Expo," said Xu Zuhua, vice chief of the Visitors' Service Center whose staff have begun working on service items tailored to a multitude of visitors since April last year.

Information offices will be opened at all the entrances of the 5.28-square-kilometer Expo site and within the site. Visitors can obtain information about pavilions, timetables, city traffic, hotels and restaurants or even lodge complaints at the offices.

A reservation service will allow visitors to book for popular performances and forums. "The reservation service is a hard one for us because the resources for reservations are limited and cannot meet all demands, but we still try to avoid having visitors wasting time in queues," Xu said.

"We are considering setting up reservation points at the entrances to popular pavilions and the Expo gate to allow visitors to book for particular pavilions with a numbered ticket system. We are still working on these plans so that we can avoid overcrowding."

Staff will tell visitors the best way to reach pavilions and the easiest routes to follow. They will also assist in helping lost children and any other visitor problems that might arise.

Baby carriages, wireless terminals, electronic maps and chargers for electronic equipment will be available for rental. Wheelchairs will be available for free, Xu said.

There will be barrier-free access throughout and Braille guides will be made available.

Probably the most popular items for visitors will be the multimedia guide system and the mobile phone guide. They will let visitors enjoy multi-lingual commentaries in pavilions and other tourist attractions.

Xu said organizers would seek cooperation with China Telecom, one of the event's global partners, for the multimedia guide system.

Organizers are also trying to establish a sign language service via the system as they expect 3 percent of the Expo visitors will be deaf-mute.

A mobile phone tour guide system with a wireless positioning function would help visitors locate themselves and their destinations, and find information on traffic, dining and shopping within the site, said Xu.

Tour guide services will be provided to group visitors in different languages, including Chinese, English, French, Japanese and Korean.

Visitors will have to book for personal guides, said Xu, adding that Japanese and Korean are key languages for staff as the Expo expects that tourists from neighboring countries will account for the largest number of overseas visitors.

Children will be given special consideration during the six-month event. "At the Expo Zaragoza, the daily number of lost children averaged about 500, which is spurring Shanghai to a major effort to tackle this problem," Xu said.

Expo staff will take care of lost children and publish their information on electronic screens throughout the site. A GPS cell phone with a one-button transmission function will help find lost children and the elderly - anyone who is lost can send a signal to the designated cell phone by just pushing one button on the phone.

There will be designated rest areas for pregnant women and mothers who want to breastfeed.

Regular weather forecasts will be provided on electronic screens, especially on days when important events and activities are planned.

Visitors can purchase Expo commemorative stamps and post cards at post offices in the site, which will also offer mail and delivery services.

Financial services on hand will include cash deposits and withdrawals, foreign currency exchange and coin changing.

Pets are banned but organizers are planning to set aside an area for them, Xu said. Whether visitors will be allowed to carry water into the Expo is still being discussed.

"The key of our work is to provide diverse and human-oriented services based on everyone's needs," said Xu.