The Great Exhibition and the V&A

Question: Did the Great Exhibition achieve its goals of maintaining England and the UK's economic competitiveness and inventiveness?

The Great Exhibition definitely showcased the British Empire and especially England's ability to compete in the beginning of a globalized market. One interesting aspect of the Great Exhibition was the speed with which it went from conception to reality. I found it hard to imagine that people would have been able to imagine and create a huge structure in such a short amount of time. I wonder how much Prince Albert's role in organizing the exhibition effected the willingness and speed of constructing and securing funding. I was shocked to learn that the exhibit only lasted 141 days; it seemed to me that after all the time and effort in planning and building, that it would have lasted for at least a year. I did like that museums (including the Victoria and Albert Museum) were constructed as a result of the Great Exhibition's success.

Were the English compensating by hosting a world's fair? Were they as self-assured and arrogant as they indicated in letters and other primary sources or were they trying to appear self-assured and confident when in fact they had serious doubts about their hold on world dominence?