NATO Summit Wales 2014: operational information for media
Media information for the NATO Summit Wales 2014.
Media organisations from Wales, the rest of the UK, and across the world are invited to cover the NATO Summit Wales 2014 which is taking place on 4 and 5 September at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, Wales.
We will have print, online, and broadcast facilities on site at the Celtic Manor for up to 1,200 media delegates. The media centre will be open from 1200 until 2330 on Wednesday 3 September and from 0500 on Thursday 4 until 2345 on Friday 5 September, offering work stations for 900 people, stand up positions, edit booths as well as a range of technical services (see below for rate card details).
Summit meeting of NATO Heads of State and Government
General
The United Kingdom is hosting the NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales, on 4-5 September 2014. The NATO Secretary General will chair the meetings.
The Media Centre will be located in the grounds of Celtic Manor.
This Media Advisory complements that released on 4 July and contains programme and logistical information.
For further information on the Summit and about NATO, please visit http://www.nato.int/ and https://www.gov.uk/natowales. An online mobile application containing Summit information is also available – media can register at www.natosummit2014.uk.
Summit Programme (all times are provisional and subject to change)
A technical advisory will provide additional details.
The Summit will open on 4 September and the Secretary General will put it in context at a doorstep scheduled for 9h35 local time.
It will start at 11h45 with the Secretary General and Prime Minister Cameron officially welcoming Heads of State and Government.
This will be immediately followed by an official family photo at 12h30.
The Summit will formally open with a meeting on Afghanistan at 13h00. The Allied Heads of State and Government will meet with 27 partner countries including ISAF contributors (Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, El Salvador, Finland, Georgia, Ireland, Jordan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Montenegro, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Sweden, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Turkey recognizes the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name), Tonga, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates), countries from the region (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan) as well as Japan. High level representatives of the United Nations and the European Union will also attend.
The second meeting on 4 September will start at 16h45 and will be a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission. President Poroshenko of Ukraine has been invited.
Heads of State and Government will then attend a working dinner in Cardiff which will start at 20h30.
On 5 September, the 28 leaders will hold two sessions of the North Atlantic Council. The first session will take place at around 9h30. The second session will start around 13h00.
NATO Defence and Foreign Ministers will attend the Summit and hold parallel meetings.
On 4 September at 14h15, NATO Foreign Ministers will meet their counterparts from the four aspirant countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Turkey recognizes the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name).
At 16h30 NATO Defence Ministers will meet their counterparts from 24 partner countries which cooperate with NATO on interoperability. The format will be 28 Allied Defence Ministers and Ministers from the following partner countries: Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, Georgia, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Republic of Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Turkey recognizes the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name), Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates.
Two separate working dinners will take place in Cardiff for Foreign Ministers (2010 start) and Defence Ministers (1930 start). A separate dinner with partner countries will take place at Celtic Manor, starting at 20h00.
On 5 September at 9h30, Foreign Ministers will hold consultations with the EU, the OSCE and the Council of Europe. The Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Didier Burkhalter), the Secretary General of the Council of Europe (Thorbjørn Jagland) and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union (Catherine Ashton) are invited.
On 5 September at 11h00, NATO Defence Ministers will meet with their counterparts from Australia, Finland, Georgia, Jordan and Sweden, to discuss enhanced opportunities for cooperation.
Several events may also take place on the margins of the official programme involving delegations in a bilateral or multilateral format.
A media reception is scheduled on 4 September. Details are provided below.
Logistical information
Covering the Programme
Journalists will be able to follow NATO media events on screens in the Media Centre in multiple languages. Live and recorded host broadcast video and audio signals will be available in editing booths which are bookable via the rate card https://nato.contact-media.co.uk/. Media can also access host broadcast live feed for free at a limited number of work stations on the second floor of the Media Centre. These are available on a first come first served basis. Most programme media events are also streamed on the NATO Website (check the website summit page for details).
For national events including bilateral and press conferences, media should contact the Delegation press officer directly or via the designated UK Media Liaison Officer (MLO) for that country. Some events will be open, others will be closed or by invitation only. Contact details for Delegation press officers and MLOs will be available at the Information Desk in the Media Centre and at the Accreditation Office.
Visual Media Pools
General information
The presence of media representatives in the restricted areas of the summit venue will be governed by a system of escorted pools for accredited videographers and photographers, requiring a pool card.
The NATO Media Coordinator will distribute these pool cards to each delegation, and it is the delegation’s responsibility to distribute pool cards to media from their country. For media from countries not participating at the Summit, please contact the NATO Press Office at the Media Centre Information Desk.
Pools will be required to assemble at the pool meeting point outside the Lodge in the Media area for their movement to the event. The time to report to the designated pool meeting point for each pool will be displayed on the TV information screens and indicated in the Official Media Programme distributed at accreditation and at the Information Desk in the Media Centre.
When a media representative accepts a NATO pool card it is with the strict understanding that it signals unconditional agreement by that media representative that he/she will share upon request all information collected, and/or all material produced, while in that pool. Photographers who did not get a pool card and who are seeking pool photo materials should first contact the wire service photo agency of which their organisation is a member or client. Media representatives and the news organizations that employ them who accept any material from a pool accept it with the understanding that it must be identified as pool material and that the material can be used only for legitimate news purposes; the receiving party has no right to sell pool material or otherwise profit from it. Those who are not themselves in pools can also obtain photographic and video material from any pooled event from NATO Press & Media Service.
NATO will make a selection of still photos and video footage available via the NATO website and for video footage via content@natochannel.tv. The United Kingdom will also make a selection of photos available to download from the official UK Government Flickr site for the Summit. Please also follow @NATOWales on Twitter and @NATOWales on Instagram.
Provisional schedule and pooled events
(This list is subject to change. Final media programme will be available at the Accreditation Office and at the Information Desk in the Media Centre)
Day One – 4 September
- Official greeting and official portrait at Celtic Manor (Media cannot cover this pool and the event below due to timings)
- Opening remarks of the meeting on Afghanistan (with honouring ceremony)
- Opening remarks of the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission
- Photo/video opportunity before the start of the first meeting of the Council in Foreign Ministers’ Session
- Photo/video opportunity before the start of the first meeting of the Council in Defence Ministers’ Session
- Arrival and official portrait at the start of the working dinner of Heads of Delegations in Cardiff
- Arrival and official portrait before the start of the informal working dinner of Defence Ministers
- Arrival and official portrait before the start of the informal working dinner of Foreign Ministers
- Future Leaders Event (visit Information Desk for details)
Day Two – 5 September
- Photo/video opportunity of the Heads of Delegations during the FlyPast (Media cannot cover this pool and the event below due to timings)
- Opening remarks of the first meeting of the Council at the level of Heads of State and/or Government
- Photo/video opportunity before the start of the second meeting of the Council in Foreign Ministers’ Session
- Photo/video opportunity before the start of the second meeting of the Council in Defence Ministers’ Session
- Photo/video opportunity to cover the landing of an Osprey Special Operations Forces (SOF) CV-22 aircraft and the ceremony marking the ‘Final Operational Capability’ of the Core SOF Headquarters (Allied Defence Ministers in attendance with Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Operations)
Arrival and Departures of Leaders in Wales
Airport Arrivals & Departure
There will be host broadcast coverage of arrivals by some Leaders at Cardiff Airport. There is some limited space for media in a pen position to cover arrivals. To request a place media should contact cassie.houghton@cwl.aero or NATO2014.mediaoperations@fco.gov.uk
Media travelling with delegations will be able to disembark first to cover their Leader being met by the official greeting party.
There will be no host broadcast coverage of arrivals at Bristol Airport.
Airport departures will not be covered by host broadcast.
Arrivals at Celtic Manor, Newport
Coverage of the Leaders arriving at Celtic Manor Resort will be via Host Broadcast only. There will not be a media pool.
Coverage of bilateral meetings between delegations
Host broadcast is not guaranteed for all bilateral meetings. Coverage will be organised by the Delegations concerned, working with the support of their UK Government Media Liaison Officer.
Media accreditation
Accreditation passes must be picked up in person at the NATO Summit accreditation office and Summit entrance point, which is situated at the Hilton Hotel, Chepstow Rd, Langstone, Newport NP18 2LX. Media will need to show valid photo ID (either a passport, national identity card or driving licence) to collect a pass.
Accreditation is explained in the first Summit media advisory found on the NATO website. Accreditation closed on 4 August.
Accreditation passes must be worn visibly at all times, and security personnel may ask to see another form of ID at any time. Security personnel will examine and may test equipment and personal effects carried onto the site. Media are advised to arrive with sufficient lead time to clear security checks.
In accordance with NATO media accreditation procedures, NATO reserves the right to deny or withdraw accreditation of media representatives from media organisations who abuse the privileges or put the accreditation to improper use or act in a way not consistent with the principles of the organisation.
The Accreditation Office will be open for pass collection on:
- Monday 1 September: 10h00 to 16h00
- Tuesday 2 September: 10h00 to 16h00
- Wednesday 3 September: 11h00 to 20h00
- Thursday 4 September: 4h30 to 18h30. (see important footnote)
- Friday 5 September: 06h00 to 15h00.
N.B. Media wishing to enter the Summit for the first time before 06h30 on Thursday 4 September should collect their passes before 8 pm on Wednesday 3 September. If unable to do this, they should contact natosummitmediaqueries@hq.nato.int to ensure their badge is ready for collection.
Media Centre opening hours and access
The Media Centre at the Summit venue will be open during the following times:
Wednesday 3 September: 12h00 to 23h45. Thursday 4 September: 5h00 and continuously thereafter Friday 5 September: continuously and until 23h45.
Pre-and post-event access (media technical installations only)
Media who have purchased edit booth or standup positions and who need access to install equipment before the Media Centre is open should contact NATO2014.mediaoperations@fco.gov.uk ahead of the Summit.
Media Accommodation
A limited number of rooms may still be available in the designated media hotels. Enquiries should be directed to medianatosummit2014.uk@hrgworldwide.com.
Media Transport
Access to Celtic Manor
All accredited media will only be able to access the Media Centre at Celtic Manor from the media entrance point at the Hilton Hotel, Newport, NP18 2LX.
Frequent shuttle bus services will run from the designated media hotels to the co-located Accreditation Office and media entrance point at the Hilton. After routine security checks, media will board escorted buses to the Media Centre.
Shuttle bus timetables
Between 0400-0000, shuttle buses will depart at 15 minute intervals from pick up points at designated media hotels and from the media entrance at the Celtic Manor. The buses are scheduled to depart from the hotels at the following minutes past the hour:
Holiday Inn Newport: 10, 25, 40, 55 Hampton Newport: 00, 15, 30, 45 Park Inn Cardiff: 10, 25, 40, 55 Maldron Hotel Cardiff: 00, 15, 30, 45 Novotel: 10, 25, 40, 55 Mercure: 00, 15, 30, 45
Between 18h45 and 23h45 on Thursday 4 September, the bus times will vary as the shuttles will travel via the media reception at Tredegar House.
Between 0000-0400 buses will run approximately every 30 minutes from all the designated pick up points above.
Anyone not staying in a designated media hotel should make their way to one of these hotels or be dropped off at the media entrance point at the Hilton Newport to access the media centre.
Between 0400-0000, media shuttles will leave the entrance point (Hilton) for the Media Centre every 5 minutes. Outside of these hours the service will run less frequently.
Media staff will be available at each of the hotels as well as the airports and Newport train station at key times to provide assistance.
Full timetables will be available via the Summit app, in hotels and at the Media Centre Transport Desk. Timings are subject to traffic conditions
Parking
There is no parking at the media entrance at the Hilton Newport. If you need to park, please go to the Summit Park & Ride facility off Queensway, Newport, NP19 4QX, where a shuttle bus will transfer you to the media entrance at the Hilton Newport.
Transport for media opportunities
Transport will be provided for all pooled events, including from Celtic Manor to Cardiff for the working dinners, for all bilateral meetings, and other programme events. All pool movements will depart from the pool meeting point outside the Lodge at Celtic Manor.
Further Information
Please contact the Transport Desk at the Media Centre for any queries around transport at the Summit.
Media facilities at Celtic Manor
The media facilities at the Summit venue are located around the Lodge area of Celtic Manor Resort. It is the central distribution point for Summit information and material. They include :
Main Media Centre
- A media filing centre with 1000 workstations, television screens retransmitting main media events, wifi and hard wired internet connections and standard UK electrical outlets
- Working areas for broadcasters with host broadcast live feed at a limited number of work stations and transmission services
- TV and Radio Edit Booths and lockers available to purchase via the rate card (limited availability – details below).
- Host TV Master Control
- NATO and Host Nation Press Offices and a joint UK/NATO media operations office
The Lodge
- Food and drink (hot meals and grab bags) and seating area
- Food and drink voucher sales desks on ground and first floors (and in the Shop)
- Shop selling newspapers, local Welsh produce and gifts and Celtic Manor merchandise
- Wales Information Desk
- Media briefing rooms
- Broadcast stand up positions outside the Lodge available to purchase via the rate card
Press Conference Centre and other briefing rooms
11 press conference and briefing rooms, ranging from 30 to 400 capacity.
In addition, media and delegations can book 3 smaller rooms available for interviews – two in the Media Filing Centre and one in the Lodge.
All bookings for these rooms should be made via NATO Press Office at natosummitdelegationqueries@hq.nato.int.
Host Broadcaster
A technical advisory will be released separately for television and radio networks.
Rate Card Services – Technical Services
All rate card facilities can be viewed and purchased at http://nato.contact-media.co.uk/
Any cancellations will be invoiced and charged in full. Services available to purchase are:
- Edit Booths (now limited in number available)
- Radio Booths (now limited in number available)
- Stand Up positions (now limited in number available).
- Lockers
- Catering Vouchers
Television / Radio Studio
NATO is providing a fully equipped and staffed television studio available for media free of charge to conduct interviews. It is cabled for live transmissions (transmission at cost). Contact for the studio is via bookings@eurovision.net.
Requests for interviews
Interviews with representatives from national delegations must be sought via the delegation press officers.
Additional media opportunities
Several public diplomacy events are scheduled in Cardiff and Newport in the margins of the Summit and already on 2nd and 3rd September. Contact natosummitmediaqueries@hq.nato.int for details.
The events include an opportunity to visit and film NATO ships and interview naval personnel, in Cardiff Bay on Wednesday 3 September. Two media tours will take place at 13h00 and 15h00 and will last around 90 minutes. Numbers are strictly limited and places will be allocated on first come first served basis. Interested media should contact NATO2014.mediaoperations@fco.gov.uk.
Food and Drink
Food and drink will be available in The Lodge with tea / coffee / water available in the media centre.
Hot meals will be served at the following times:
Breakfast: 0500-1000 Lunch: 1200-1530 Dinner: 1800-2200
Outside of these times, take-away sandwich meals will be available.
All food will be purchased using a meal voucher purchased in advance. The cost is as follows:
- Hot Meal Voucher - £15.00
- Take Away Sandwich Meal Voucher - £8.00
We strongly encourage media to purchase their meal vouchers in advance via the media rate card. Any purchased before the Summit can be collected from the Accreditation Office with your pass.
During Summit hours, vouchers can be purchased at the catering desks via credit card and via cash or credit card in the shop located in the Lodge at the following times:
- Wednesday 3 September: 12:00-22:00
- Thursday 4 September: 06:00 – 22:00
- Friday 5 September: 06:00 – 22:00
We strongly recommend that media purchase these vouchers throughout the day to avoid congestion at till points during meal times.
Welsh Street Food Market
There will also be local food available directly outside the Media Centre run by local businesses providing a taste of Welsh food and drink – from Rarebit to Cawl, Welshcakes and cider. There will be local delicacies, as well as twists on international dishes like curry and tacos.
Media Reception
All media representatives are invited by the Welsh Government to a reception on Thursday 4 September at Tredegar House, Newport, from 19h00 to 23h45. There will be local food, drink and entertainment.
CONTACT INFORMATION
NATO Media Coordinator’s Office
National Delegations
Contact details for press officers with delegations at the Summit will be made available in Wales at the NATO Media Accreditation Office. Prior to that time, media should contact the national delegation at NATO Headquarters in Brussels for information as appropriate. Central switchboard: +32.2.707.4111.
Accreditation
The deadline for media accreditation has now passed. Any journalists wishing to attend the Summit who have not yet accredited should contact NATO2014.mediaoperations@fco.gov.uk immediately.
All applications will be subject to security checks and individuals will separately need to ensure that they comply with the relevant UK immigration rules.
Rate card services
The rate card for the NATO summit, available here, details technical services, including edit booths, stand up positions and lockers, that are available to purchase at the media centre.
Vouchers for food at the media centre are also available to purchase in advance via the rate card. Buying vouchers in advance is strongly encouraged.
Accommodation
The accommodation website is now closed. However, some hotels in the area still have limited availability. Bookings should now be made direct with the hotel.
Immigration
All journalists requiring visas for the UK will be responsible for ensuring that they have the appropriate visa to enter the country. This process is separate from the process of accreditation. You can find out more details on how to apply for a visa to the UK here.
Contacts
If you have further questions on media operations at the summit at this stage, please contact: NATO2014.mediaoperations@fco.gov.uk
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Updates to this page
Last updated 1 September 2014 + show all updates
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This page has been updated to include Summit meeting details and logistical information.
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First published.