Dorset media centre

London 2012 Games are coming to Weymouth & Portland

These pages are for use by media planning to visit Weymouth & Portland during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Dorset Media Centre

The Dorset Media Centre will be in the Weymouth Pavilion, at the western end of Weymouth beach.

The centre will be operational during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic periods and for the Torch Relay visit to Weymouth on 12 and 13 July.

Facilities:

Office services including: desks*, broadband, printer and fax machine. *Depending on demand, we may implement a booking system for desks
Access to media officers who know the area and the 2012 Olympics sailing arrangements
Daily media briefings
A media platform offering good views across Weymouth beach - access to this will be via a booking system
Operational hours are likely to be 8am to 10pm

Entry and use of the facilities will be free of charge for those registered. Demand to use the Dorset Media Centre is likely to be high, so please complete the expression of interest/registration form. Access to the centre will only be via approved pre-registered identification.

The Dorset On-Line Media Centre

If you are a member of the media but are not planning to come to Weymouth & Portland during the 2012 Games but need to access information, then visit the on-line Dorset Media Centre which will be the hub of information about the area including itineraries, fact sheets, images and footage. Information will be uploaded during the coming months.

General information about the Weymouth & Portland Olympic sailing can be also be found on our dedicated pages at http://www.dorsetforyou.com/sailing2012.

Media opportunities

Weymouth tower

The Weymouth SEA LIFE Tower is set to open on 22 June
Rising 53 metres above the resort's well-known Festival Pier, the tower's slowly revolving observation deck will offer bird's eye views over the Olympic sailing arena
At its highest point, the view on a clear day will extend far beyond Weymouth Bay and Portland into the English Channel, and many miles along the Jurassic coast
Turning through a full 360-degrees it will also reveal a panoramic vista of the beautiful West Dorset countryside

The new tower will provide a perfect outside broadcast location and vantage for photography, and may be available for 'exclusive' use by broadcasters.

The clear fronted viewing Gondola can be 'parked' at its highest elevation if required, or raised and lowered to admit and disembark different interview guests.

Owner-operator Merlin Entertainments is happy to discuss any and all media requests to utilise the tower for interviews, full programme hosting, even all-day broadcasts.

Contact: Mark Oakley, Head of Public Relations - 01202 440040 Mob: 07977 990517.