GlobeCast the global content management and distribution company has won the contract to design, build and operate the Media Centre for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Malta later this month.
CHOGM takes place every two years, providing an informal three-day forum for Presidents and Prime Ministers of Commonwealth countries to discuss world and Commonwealth issues, and to agree collective policies and initiatives. Between 750 to 1000 journalists are expected to cover the event which will see 54 heads of state, almost a third of the worlds leaders, convene on Valleta, Malta from 25-27 November 2005.
In addition to overseeing construction of the Media Centre, GlobeCast is working with the Maltese state broadcaster PBS to provide television coverage of pool opportunities during CHOGM. Pictures will be fed on two pool channels and will be available for recording and editing by broadcasters at the Media Centre.
Coverage will include: – a one hour live feed of the opening ceremony, provided by a 10-camera outside broadcast unit; – the arrival at the airport of heads of state; – live feeds from the main venue the Retreat which is about thirty minutes traveling distance from the Media Centre.
Work began on 1 November, with GlobeCast overseeing the conversion of an ice rink into a 3,000 sq m Media Centre, consisting of 35 separate areas including eight edit suites, an MCR, two briefing rooms (one seating 150 people), media work room with PCs, internet access and large screens, accommodating more than 120 journalists.
GlobeCast will also provide SNG facilities and five uplink paths, routing all feeds via London for onward distribution via its global satellite and fibre network. Where available, GlobeCast has worked with local contractors and Maltese people, bringing in specialist technical facilities and staff as required.
GlobeCasts technical project manager, Stefan Wiederkehr, is currently in Malta overseeing the build. He said: We have a long-standing relationship with CHOGM and after providing the media centre for the last meeting, held in Nigeria two years ago, we are delighted to be involved again. Malta is a fantastic place and it is a great venue. And in terms of ad hoc events, this is a big deployment, bigger even than what we have done for the Olympic Games and World Cups.