SOCHI WINTER OLYMPICS 2014: Main Media Center in Sochi opens its doors to first media

Main Media Centre, Sochi 2014. Photo/Michael Demin, Director Press Operations

SOCHI, January 7, 2014 - January 7, exactly one month before the start of Russia's first ever Olympic Winter Games, the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee has announced the opening of the Main Media Center. The two-story Media Center has a total area of over 158,000 sq. m and is located in close proximity to the Olympic Park. While the Olympic Winter Games are underway from February 7-23, it will receive more than 2000 representatives of the leading international and Russian media accredited to cover the competition, and more than 6000 television and radio broadcasters from around 70 countries all around the world. During the Olympic Games in the Mountain Cluster, the Gorki Media Center will also be operating. Its opening is planned for January 24. Main Media Center Zones Inside the Main Media Center (MMC) is the International Broadcasting Center with an area of 60,000 sq. m and the Main Press Center with an area of 20,000 sq. m. Along with the three-star hotel for media representatives located nearby, the Main Media Center takes up an area of 20 ha. The total area of the MMC is seven times that of Moscow's Red Square. The operations room for the media with a total area of 4,500 sq. m. is designed for 500 work spaces, and the operations room for photographers with a total area of 1,500 meters can accommodate 100 guests. The Olympic competitions will be broadcast in these rooms. The offices of news agencies occupy 3650 m². They accommodate the representatives of the 43 top international media. The interior of the Main Media Center also houses four halls for press conferences: The Pushkin Hall holds 465 places, Tolstoy has 220 places, Dostoevsky has 140, and Chekhov has 50. There are also three rooms where speakers can prepare for their press conferences. During the press conferences, which are expected to number 18 per day during the peak period, translations will be available in eight languages - Russian, English, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. Information desks for the press services of the International Olympic Committee and the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee are located in the operations room for the press. The information desk for the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee will be open from 8 AM to 8 PM from January 7-23, and from 8 AM to Midnight from January 24 to February 24. Here the media can get all the background information about the Games in Sochi, and can request an interview with representatives of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee. Information support is available 24/7 by phone at +7 862 445 10 00, e-mail: media@sochi2014.com The information desk of the International Olympic Committee will be open from 9 AM to 6 PM on February 1-24. Here the media can obtain any information on the operations of the IOC, and can request an interview with an official speaker for the IOC. Information support is available by calling: +7 862 445 19 23, via e-mail: pressoffice@olympic.org Operation hours From January 7-23, the Main Media Center will be open from 8 AM to 11 PM. From January 24 to February 24, the Main Media Center will be open round-the-clock seven days a week, and from February 25-26, it will be open from 8 AM to 10 PM. Access to the International Broadcasting Center during the whole Olympic period starting from January 7, will be open to broadcasting companies representatives around the clock. Transport accessibility A walk from the Main Media Center to the farthest venue in the Coastal Cluster takes less than 10 minutes, and the media shuttle can deliver passengers from the Coastal to the Mountain Cluster within as little as 40-45 minutes. Thanks to the convenient location of the Main Media Center, many members of the media and broadcasters will be able to get to work in just a few minutes - the eight story-hotel with over 600 rooms, intended for their residence, is located just 100 meters from the Main Media Center. Other hotels are also situated nearby - at a distance of one and a half to five kilometers from the Main Media Center. Additional services offered by the Main Media Center In the common area, along the so called "Main street" of the Media Center, there is a bank, post office and courier delivery, pharmacy, laundry and dry cleaning, supermarket, a store with the Sochi 2014 licensed products, an Internet cafe, a gym, a news-stand and more. From January 7-23, a range of shops will be open from 9 AM to 6 PM, and from January 24 to February 24 — from 8 AM to 8 PM. In the Main Media Center Open for the world's press and television and radio broadcasters are food courts, cafeterias, cafes, restaurants, bars and vending machines with food and drinks. The Media Center's main food court is where you'll find McDonald's, a Global Olympic Partner and the Official Restaurant of the Olympic Games. Its unique design was specially developed for the Sochi Games, and the dishes will be prepared using cutting edge technologies. Patrons will find their favorites there — Big Macs, Chicken McNuggets and salads. Food for the media will be arranged, and at all sporting venues hot meals and drinks will be provided in the press centers in each rest area for journalists. Gorki Media Center The Gorki Media Center is situated at the very heart of the Mountain Cluster, in the Gornaya Karusel complex at a height of 540 m above sea level. It is situated 48 km from the Main Media Center and within 10-35 minutes’ drive to the competition venues of the Mountain Cluster. The Gorki Media Center serves as a transport hub for the press representatives and broadcasters in the Mountain Cluster, from where comfortable buses take guests to sports venues in the mountains. The Media Center includes the Mountain Broadcasting Center and Press Center. The total area of the venue is 33,200 sq.m. The Gorki Media Center is ready to receive around 500 press representatives and around 4000 television and radio broadcasters during the Olympic Games. In the main street of the Gorki Media Center there is a food court and coffee corner, as well as services for press and TV representatives and radio broadcasters, such as a pharmacy, a supermarket, an Internet cafe, a dry cleaner's and a souvenir shop. Press Centers at Olympic Venues At all 10 Olympic venues in the Coastal and Mountain Clusters, dedicated press centers will be open while the Games are underway. In the Coastal Cluster they will open 3 hours before the start of the competitions and close 3 hours after the competitions end for the day. In the Mountain Cluster they will open 3 hours before the start of the competitions and close 4 hours after the competitions end for the day. The President of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, Dmitry Chernyshenko, noted: "The Main Media Center has all the conditions for media and broadcasting representatives from around the world for convenient operation. This unique building is located within walking distance of all the sports venues in the Olympic Park, which will enable them to fully immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Olympic Games in Sochi. I am confident that the Media Center will become a truly hospitable home for all those who will be working here during the Games."