Upon receipt of an application, the Director will analyze the application and all accompanying exhibits to insure compliance with the provisions of § 310.3 and report his findings with respect thereto to the Secretary.

If more than one applicant applies for Federal recognition for expositions to be held within three years or less of each other, the applications will be reviewed concurrently by the Director. The following standards will be considered in determining which if any of the competing applicants will be recommended for Federal recognition:

The order of receipt of the applications by the Director, complete with all exhibits required by § 310.3.

The financial plans of the applications. Primary consideration will be given to those applications which do not require Federal financing for exposition development. This does not extend to funding for a Federal pavilion, if one is desired.

The relative merit of the applications in terms of their qualifications as tourism destination sites, both with respect to existing facilities and those facilities planned for the proposed exposition. If necessary, to assist in making this determination, the Director will appoint a panel of travel industry experts representing tour developers, the transportation, entertainment and hotel/motel industries for the purpose of studying the competing applications and reporting to the Director its views as to which proposed site best meets the above criteria. If such a panel is deemed necessary, the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (86 Stat. 770, 5 U.S.C. App. I) will be applicable.

In analyzing the applications, the Director may hold public hearings with the objective of clarifying issues that might be raised by the application. If desired, the Director may utilize the services of an examiner.

If the Director, in his discretion, decides to hold a public hearing, notice of such hearing shall be published in the Federal Register, and a copy of the notice shall be furnished to local newspapers. The notice shall state the subject to be considered and when and where the hearing will be held, specifically designating the date, hour, and place.

The following general procedure shall govern the conduct of public hearings: (1) Stenographic minutes of the proceedings shall be made; (2) the names and addresses of all parties present or represented at the hearing shall be recorded; and (3) the Director or Examiner shall read aloud for the record and for the benefit of the public such parts of the Act and of these regulations as bear on the application. He shall also read aloud for the record and for the benefit of the public such other important papers, or extracts therefrom, as may be necessary for a full understanding of the issues which require clarification. The Director or Examiner shall impress upon the parties in attendance at the public hearing, and shall specifically state at the commencement of the hearing, that the hearing is not adversary in nature and that the sole objective thereof is to clarify issues that might have been raised by the application.

Statements of interested parties may be presented orally at the hearing, or submitted in writing for the record.

Within six months after receipt of a fully completed application and/or the adjournment of the public hearing, the Director shall submit his report containing his findings on the application to the Secretary.