First of all, it gives me and all the citizens of Busan great honor to be able to host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference here in our city, an event often referred to as the "ICT Olympics."
Since 2011 when Busan was officially selected as the host city for the PP-14, many relevant officials have been staying in Busan to make all the necessary arrangements. We have been making our utmost efforts to ensure that there is an optimal environment and conditions to make the conference better than ever, from the most high-tech conference facilities to transportation, accommodation, tourism and safety measures.
First, the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) is now equipped with a state-of-the-art ICT environment that can match the prestige of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference. BEXCO offers a Wi-Fi network that up to 3,000 users can simultaneously access and a dedicated network has been installed between BEXCO and the ITU Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland. Mobile applications are available featuring conference programs, accommodation, traffic and other useful information, as well as some convenient functions for wireless printing and indoor navigation. In addition, free Giga Wi-Fi has been made available in all our 17 official hotels. I am proud to note that all Korean products were used in the setup of the wired and wireless communication networks.
A total of 446 shuttle buses are now providing transportation services between hotels and BEXCO. We have several help desks in place to assist all international participants in using local transportation or going around the city. We also have taken measures to improve traffic conditions, especially for the areas around BEXCO and other major destinations that participants are going to visit throughout their stay.
Regarding accommodations, a total of 21 hotels have been designated as official hotels. We are offering hotel information with a wide range of hotel ratings and room rates. We also makes it a rule to check the safety of the foods and drinks on offer for all our guests.
In addition, as a variety of excitement and cultural experiences await you, there will never be a dull moment during your stay in Busan. First, by incorporating Busan's industrial sites and it's unique local culture, we have arranged various programs that PP-14 participants and foreign tourists can enjoy during the conference period. In addition to the 11 official tour programs for the delegations, we have 16 optional tour programs to offer which will take visitors to some of the most popular tourist destinations in Busan including the Gamcheon Cultural Village and Beomeosa Temple.
We have an exciting lineup of cultural events as well. To begin with, the Busan Fireworks Festival, the pride for our city, will run for two days from October 25 to October 26. The Busan Mackerel Festival, the Busan Biennale – a contemporary art and architecture festival, as well as the Urab Architectural Tour, to just name a few.
It will be a good opportunity for everyone to experience the Korean Wave through an array of special concerts for the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference that include the Asia Song Festival and U-Clean Concert. Participants can take advantage of the lunch break to get a glimpse of Korean culture as a Korean traditional music concert, B-boy performance and other cultural performances will be presented at BEXCO Square. The Busan Metro Cultural Concert is also ready to present the various cultural tastes of Korea to all participants and tourists during their metro rides.
The PP-14 Busan will be safer than ever as we have comprehensive safety measures in place. Two rounds of joint anti-terrorism emergency and rescue exercises were conducted by the Fire and Police Departments. We also have designated six official hospitals including Kosin University Gospel Hospital and Pusan National University Hospital. Furthermore, medical rooms at the conference venue are also at the ready to provide immediate first-aid treatment and medical services.
Lastly, we have a total of five thermal imaging scanners installed at the conference venue to detect anyone with a fever, to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus. Your kind understanding for this inconvenience would be very much appreciated as these measures are to ensure everyone's safety. Thank you.
|
