MEDIA GUIDE Bratislava Summit – Informal meeting of 27 heads of state or government 16 September 2016 Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Accreditation ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Access badge ...................................................................................................................................... 4 Press centre......................................................................................................................................... 5 Host broadcaster and host photographer ................................................................................... 8 Media opportunities ........................................................................................................................... 8 How to get to the press centre? ................................................................................................... 11 Security measures ........................................................................................................................... 13 General information ......................................................................................................................... 13 Visa obligation .................................................................................................................................. 13 Mobile app and social networks .................................................................................................. 14 Contacts ............................................................................................................................................. 14 Diplomatic Missions in Bratislava ............................................................................................... 16 2 Introduction The informal meeting of 27 heads of state or government will take place in Bratislava on 16 September 2016. Two working sessions and an informal programme in the Slovak capital and its surroundings will be prepared for the delegations. In the morning, the delegations are expected to arrive in Bratislava, whereupon they will be welcomed by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (doorstep and handshake) at Bratislava Castle. Before the first working session, another media opportunity – tour de table – will be provided. After the session and a family photo, the delegations will be taken to a working lunch coupled with a brief tour of the Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum. This will be followed by the second working session and a media opportunity known as the exit doorstep. During the official press conference, which will be attended by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and European Council President Donald Tusk, national press briefings may also be organised. The up-to-date programme of the summit is available on the website of the Slovak Presidency www.eu2016.sk and in the accreditation system. The press centre for the summit will be installed at Incheba Expo Bratislava, which will be home to an accreditation centre, an infopoint, rooms for national briefings and the press conference, media booths, workspaces for journalists, a lounge area, stand-up positions, a parking place for SNG vehicles, and an area from which transportation to media opportunities will be provided. The press conference and national briefings will be held in the press centre, but none of the other media opportunities will take place at Incheba Expo Bratislava. Transportation of journalists registered for the individual media opportunities will be arranged by the organiser (shuttle buses). Due to security reasons, media representatives will not be able to use private transportation to the media opportunities. It should be noted that 15 September is a bank holiday in Slovakia. Guests are therefore advised to be mindful of potential changes to the schedule of public transport in Bratislava (MHD) and the potential unavailability of some services. In order to stay up to date on possible sudden and unforeseen changes, we recommend that you follow the official website of the Slovak Presidency, or alternatively the Presidency's official channels, mainly in Slovak (Facebook and Twitter) and in English (Twitter). 3 Accreditation Accreditation for the Bratislava Summit on 16 September 2016 was only granted via the accreditation system of the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the EU: media.eu2016.sk. It was possible to apply for accreditation up until 26 August. For the summit, registration in the accreditation system is also required. Registration for the event closes 10 days prior to the beginning of the event. Following the granting of accreditation and the approval of your registration you will receive a confirmation email. The status of your application may be checked in the accreditation system. More information about accreditation is available here. Important: In the event of late submission of your application for accreditation, it is not possible to guarantee a timely verification of your personal details and the performance of a security check. Journalists will not be granted access to the press centre and to media opportunities unless they have obtained accreditation and their registration has been duly approved. Neither accreditation nor registration is possible at the event venue. Please also note that any change to the data held in your profile requires their verification again and will therefore result in the loss of accreditation already granted and any registration already approved. Access badge You must pick up your access badge in person when entering the press centre. The badge will be granted to you after you present photographic proof of identity (passport or identity card) and a scan of your press card or commissioning letter from your editor-in-chief. In light of the expected substantial interest of journalists in the event, we recommend that you collect your access badge one day before the event (i.e. 15 September between 13.00 and 23.00 PM). You must wear your access badge at all times while in the press centre, ensuring that it is clearly visible. If you lose your access badge, you must immediately report the loss to the staff at the press centre. Important notice for the journalists travelling with the delegations: Journalists who are arriving by plane together with the delegations and who wish to attend morning media opportunities, must notify the press centre team in advance at the e-mail address [email protected]. They will receive their access badge from their liaison officer at the 4 airport who will also arrange for their transport to the given media opportunity. Other journalists arriving together with the delegations will collect their badges in the press centre (Incheba Expo Bratislava), and they will need to arrange for their own transportation to the press centre (please see page 11 for more information about how to get to the press centre). Press centre The press centre during the informal meeting will be located at Incheba Expo Bratislava. Journalists must enter the area from Einsteinova Street. The accreditation centre where media representatives are asked to pick up their access badges is located outside the entrance to the A.1 Hall. To help you find your way, information and direction boards will be installed in the area. a) The press centre at Incheba Expo Bratislava comprises: - an information desk (infopoint) - 800 workspaces - a press conference room seating 350 people - 5 rooms for national briefings - 40 television booths – TV media booths (bookings at [email protected]) - 20 radio booths – radio media booths (bookings at [email protected]) - 30 stand-up positions with Bratislava Castle in the background (bookings at [email protected]) - 20 parking places for SNG vehicles (bookings at [email protected]) - Wi-Fi throughout, data connection - 3 multifunction peripherals (printer, copier and scanner) - catering - lounge area - lockers - a technical room for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the host broadcaster Opening hours of the press centre 15 September (Thursday): 13.00 – 23.00 16 September (Friday) & 17 September (Saturday): 5.00 – 1.00 The media centre is spread out over 2 floors. The first floor (B hall) is the central area for journalists, comprising workspace seating 800 people, 3 multifunction peripherals (printer, copier and scanner) and a lounge area (B1 section). It also features an infopoint and 8 LED 5 screens that show the latest information for the media and live broadcasts from media opportunities. The catering area (B-centre) seats 150 people. Refreshments (water, coffee, tea) are provided to journalists at no cost. Sandwiches and a hot lunch may be bought on site. The press conference room seating 350 people is located in the 'Expo Arena' on the ground floor. Briefing rooms are situated in D Hall (ground floor), which also comprises a mixed lounge area with catering for journalists and delegations, making it a convenient location for interviews and informal briefings. Media booths The B0 section features 40 television booths and 20 radio booths (media booths), each 3 x 3 metres, containing the following basic equipment: - a 230V power outlet - internet (LAN cable) - a monitor - a table and chairs The radio booths also feature an ISDN connection (2 x 64 Kb, Euro ISDN NT-1 terminated). Important: Media representatives