The 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Media Registration Guide aims to provide best services to journalists from home and abroad during the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games and facilitate their understandings about relevant issues of the Special Olympics World Games to be held in Shanghai, China from 2-11 October, 2007 so as to enable them to make good preparations for news coverage.

The Media and Publicity Department of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Steering Committee is responsible for the organization, coordination, management and service of the media coverage and promotion of the World Games.

3.1 Journalists covering the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games must register and obtain a credential with photos on it. Journalists need to carry their credentials with them all the time during the Games for use in the area of news coverage.

3.2 All journalists should send the following items to the Media and Publicity Department of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Steering Committee before June 30 2007: media application form and accommodation form (see the attachments); a letter with the signature of the Editor-in-Chief or Chief Representative of the organization, confirming that the journalist is a member of the organization (For applicant of domestic media, such signed letter should have the official seal of his/her organization); and two color passport photos. Application without such signed letter would not be accepted. See 3.4 for contact information.

3.3 After identity confirmation, the Media and Publicity Department of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Steering Committee will offer journalists a Letter of Invitation by fax or e-mail.

3.4 Please contact the Media and Publicity Department of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Steering Committee for more information about registration.
  Contact person：Cai Laiyi
  Address: Room 1101, East Asia Sport Hotel, 800 Lingling Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China
  Zip code：200030
  Tel：+86-21-64265278
  Fax：+86-21-64265337
  E-mail: xwb@2007gsc.org
  Website：http:// www.2007specialolympics.com

4.1 Visa Application: Foreign Journalists should first apply to the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Shanghai Steering Committee, and fill in the Media Application Form offered, clarifying the country and the city of the visa application. The Foreign Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipal Government, after obtaining the information, will inform China’s embassy in that country as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the steering committee will give the journalist a notification via email or fax to apply for J-2 Visa in the relative embassy. All journalists need to carry valid passports or other valid identities.

Journalists shall fill in the visa application form in the indicated embassies. Visa cost varies in different countries, which may be consulted from the relative embassies.

4.2 Customs requirements: Journalists carrying cameras and video recorders shall fill in Declaration of Media Equipment for Customs Entry (Appendix C) and offer the form to the official in the embassy while going through procedures of visa application. The embassy is requested to issue an Equipment Confirmation Letter. Journalists are qualified for customs clearance with the J-2 Visa and the Equipment Confirmation Letter.

4.3 For the convenience of handling customs formalities for camera, video recorder and other equipment, suggest journalists enter China through Shanghai Customs

4.4 In connection with the radio equipments to be taken into the PRC, one may log on Frequency Application for more information.

5.1 The 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Steering Committee will send working staff to welcome journalists at the airport based on the flight information provided by journalists and provide reception services.

5.2 Journalists covering the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games should fill in detailed information such as flight number and time of arrival and departure during registration. If there are some changes to the flight actually taken or time of arrival, please notify the Media and Publicity Department of the Games Steering Committee in time.

6.1 The Games Steering Committee recommends the following four hotels to journalists: Shanghai Everbright Convention & Exhibition International Hotel (four-star), Olympic Hotel (three-star), Hua Ting Guest House (three-star) and Qing Zhi Lu Hotel (three-star). The recommended hotels are equipped with bulletin boards, information desks and other service facilities. Accommodation fee will be undertaken by media organization themselves.

6.2 Introduction to recommended hotels and Form of Intent of Accommodation（See appendix B）. Please fill in and hand in the Form of Intent of Accommodation. Our Steering Committee will reserve rooms for you. As there might be limited availability of rooms due to holiday peak in October in the city, please do not delay booking rooms.

7.1 Journalists may take shuttle bus between competition venues.

7.2 The Games Organizing Committee will provide short-distance bus service for journalists between recommended hotels, main media center and competition venues. Journalists need to show their ID before taking the bus.

7.3 For important events and ceremonies, the Games Organizing Committee will, based on the needs of news coverage and the parking status of major venues, provide journalists with lease cars between recommended hotels and sports venues.

8.1 Main Media Center is situated at the Shanghai East Asia Exhibition Hall (No. 800 Lingling Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai). It will open to the public from 8am to two hours after completion of the games that day between Sep 25 and Oct 11.

8.2 Journalist registration desk will be set up in the Main Media Center, which opens from 8 am to 6 pm between Sep 26 and Oct 4. Journalists may obtain credentials for covering the Games and relevant information from the registration desk by showing their valid ID to the staff.

8.3 There are in the Main Media Center a working area equipped with telephone, computers that hook up with internet, network interface for laptops and wireless network; a service area providing free printing, photocopying, local call and fax services (for domestic long-distance call, international call and fax, please buy IP or IC card); a news release room that offers related facilities for holding a news conference; a rest area that supplies refreshments and beverages.

8.4 During the Games, there will set up in every competition venue a media center providing computers that hook up with internet, telephones, fax and photocopying services.

8.5 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Shanghai Organizing Committee and China Central Television will offer satellite signal during the Games to overseas media.

9.1 For more information about the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games, please visit some other channels of the website. For more information on Special Olympics, please visit http://www.specialolympics.org.

9.2 To know more about the culture, geography and general information about Shanghai, please visit http://www.sh.gov.cn .

9.3 Special Olympics hotline （008621）962007 is opened. During the Games, the hotline will provide English, Arabic, French, Chinese, Russian and Spanish services.