BEIJING -- The 2008 Beijing International Media Center (2008 BIMC), which serves as the media center for unaccredited reporters during the Olympic Games, opened here on Tuesday.
"The 2008 Beijing International Media Center will be a warm home for the press from today to September. 17," said Zhai Huisheng, director of the BIMC during a press conference Tuesday morning.
"The BIMC will offer convenience for both work and daily life for journalists and we hope they can feel at home here," Zhai added.
Located 2 kilometers away from the Main Press Center, the BIMC is the home for journalists who do not have Olympic media accreditation.
Over 5,000 unaccredited reporters are expected here during the Olympic Games. Different from those accredited reporters, the unaccredited ones are not allowed to enter the Olympic statiums, but their focus are outside the Games.
According to Zhai, journalists can receive news about China and Beijing in addition to information about the Olympic Games here during the Beijing Olympic Games.
"The BIMC will host two or three press conferences every day, and as to some hot issues, such as environment protection, security, traffic support and so on, we will invite the relevant professionals to communicate with the journalists face to face," said Zhai.
The BIMC accually is a newly decorated hotel which covers an area of 60,000 square meters. From the first to the fourth floor, it sets up three working areas, two press conference halls, an exbition area, and a catering area. Above the fourth floor there are all guest rooms which are only open to journalists during the Olympic Games.
"This place is beautiful!" said Shinichiro Serita, a journalist from Kyodo News. "I like it very much."
The major conference hall can hold about 500 people, and the other can hold about 200. The three working areas can hold about 570 journalists, and there are 200 computers provided for those without a laptop.
Although the number of the unaccredited journalists is quite big, and the space of the working areas are limited, the large space of wireless area can satisfy the usage.
"I am quite satisfied with the facilities here," said Juan Rosso, a journalist from Caracol TV International of Colombia. "Broadcasting needs isolated spaces, and there are enough such places for us."
"The staff and volunteers here are very kind and gave me a lot of help," added him.
