Over 250 participants from 20 countries attended the inaugural World Toilet Forum, held in Shanghai from 8 to 10 May 2005. The meeting featured discussions and presentations by 31 international and local experts. A technical visit to allow participants gain insights into current and developmental trends of public toilets in Shanghai was also organised.

What they say at the 2005 event

I am very surprised to see so much interest in public toilets from all over the world. It would seem that public toilet has always been something a lot of people around the world is concerned about but until now, have not come out openly to discuss the problem faced. The Forum is therefore a very good platform for this purpose.

Mr Daniel Wang, Consultant (former Director-General), National Environment Agency, Singapore

 

It was an excellent conference and I learned a great deal from all the speakers. All seemed very well selected and each had a different perspective on the restroom issue. I especially enjoyed the cross-cultural emphasis of the conference and learning about how officials in various countries addressed these problems.

Prof Kathryn Anthony, Professor & Chair of Design Programme Faculty - School of Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

 

The first World Toilet Expo and Forum was well organised. We had the opportunity to see an interesting array of products and services exhibited. At the same time, the forum presentations were of a high quality.

Ms Biserka Angelova, Member, Bulgaria Toilet Association