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YOKOHAMA, JAPAN –Monday, May 17, 2010 - The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Japan 2010 Economic Leaders’ Meeting is going to be held in Yokohama for 8 day-duration from November 7th to November 14th this year.
During this period, around 8,000 people are expected to visit Yokohama including the leaders and ministers, business leaders, TV crews, and newspaper reporters from the APEC member economies (21 countries and regions). In preparation for the convention, Yokohama City has started recruitment of “citizen volunteers for APEC Japan 2010 Yokohama,” whose main role is to provide assistance to the convention participants for sightseeing and transportation information for the purpose of supporting their stay in Yokohama. Further, PACIFICO Yokohama, with its renovation completed in March this year, has been chosen as the official venue for the economic leaders’meeting and ministerial meeting.
【The citizen’s “hospitality”】
According to the survey conducted by Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), in the city ranking measured by the number of participants of international conventions organized in 2008, Yokohama attracted the largest number, about 230,000 participants, and tops the ranking, beating Tokyo.
Over the past years, Yokohama City, in cooperation with the citizen volunteers, has hosted such many convention participants from abroad. For instance, during the 2002 FIFA World Cup™ final held in Yokohama in 2002, the citizen volunteers provided guiding and clean-ups for the event officials and tourists from both home and abroad, boosting the excitement for the operation of the event. Another event that demonstrated the citizen’s hospitality is the 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development held in Yokohama in 2008. At that time, the citizen volunteers provided guiding and tourist information assistance to the convention participants to make their stay in such an unfamiliar place as comfortable as possible.
The main role of “citizen volunteers for APEC Japan 2010 in Yokohama” is to attend at information desks to be established in multiple places in the city and to provide information on sightseeing, shopping and transportation both in Japanese and English as well as to guide directions from local stations to the venue. Yokohama City is going to disseminate the message of “hospitality of the citizen of Yokohama” toward both home and abroad through these efforts where the citizen is directly involved in warm treatment of the convention participants. In parallel, Yokohama City is planning to conduct more events such as creating art works to express warm welcome and clearing up the venue’s surrounding areas for a beautification campaign.
【Recruitment of Citizen Supporters】
To host APEC Japan 2010 in Yokohama, Yokohama City will organize a group composed of about 200 people as the “citizen volunteers” and seek cooperation from them. To do this, Yokohama City will work together with such organizations as “Yokohama Convention Supporters” and “2002 World Cup Yokohama Volunteer Association” (※) as they have an extensive volunteer experience with various international conferences over the years. Further, Yokohama will recruit 60 more people as the “citizen volunteers” with an aim to enable more citizens to participate in the event.
※ “2002 World Cup Yokohama Volunteer Association” is a civic volunteer group mainly composed of those who supported 2002 FIFA World Cup™ final held in Yokohama.
＜Outline of the recruitment information＞（Please see the recruitment information for details.）
◆Duration: From Saturday, November 6 - Monday, November 15
◆The number of volunteers to be recruited:About 60 people
◆Some of the main activities:
・ Provide information assistance as to sightseeing, shopping and transportation at the information desks to be established in multiple places in the city
・ Guide visitors from the local stations to the venue
・ Provide support to the city inspection tour programs for the convention participants such as introduction of tour courses and registrations.
◆Application period: From Thursday, May 13 - Friday, June 18
【PACIFICO Yokohama has been officially decided as a Conference Center of APEC Japan 2010 meetings】
On April 28, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan made an official decision to hold the Economic Leaders’ Meeting and the Ministerial Meeting of APEC Japan 2010 scheduled in November at PACIFICO Yokohama which is located in the Minato Mirai 21 district. In addition, an “International Media Center” equipped with a press conference room and a working space for the journalists will be established in PACIFICO Yokohama.
PACIFICO Yokohama is the convention facilities composed of Conference Center, Inter Continental Yokohama Grand, Exhibition Hall, National Convention Hall and Annex Hall. In 2008, 97 international conferences were held in PACIFICO Yokohama, the largest number in the country, including “the 4th Tokyo Conference on African Development.”
Following this decision, Mayor Fumiko Hayashi stated that “Not to mention continuing to closely cooperate with the national government, Kanagawa prefecture and Kanagawa Prefectural Police, we will make every possible effort to ensure the success of the conference while, above all, gaining the understanding and cooperation of citizens and companies around the venue.”
【Renovation of PACIFICO Yokohama】
The Conference Center of PACIFICO Yokohama was renovated in March 2010. With this renovation, the Conference Center has upgraded its flexibility and become more user-friendly convention facilities in consideration of the environment and barrier-free elements.
＜Points of Renovation＞
● Wide open and light-filled entrance hall （Picture1）
Entrance space remodeled as widely and brightly space by removing a permanent counter of the entrance of first and second floor. This enables registration and reception for a larger number of the participants and a smooth conference operation.
In addition, the entrance hall remodeled as a space befitting the International Conference Center by the Japanese paper tapestry at the entrance hall.
● The small auditorium transformed into a multiple purpose flat meeting space 503 (Picture2)
The small auditorium with 390 fixed seats transformed into a multiple purpose meeting space 503 which can use as Theater format (max 442seats), School format (max 208seats), Party floor style (Standing: max 300people, Seating: max 220people). By this, the visitors become more free to make a meeting plans.
● Facilities with universal design (Barrier-free)
The multiple purpose toilets which equipped with Ostomate-acceptable facilities and baby-chair.
Furthermore, a slope for the wheelchair and a raised block in the point were founded.
● Business services at Business Center （Picture3）
In the Business Center, visitors can use self-service business facilities such as Internet, PC with a printer output function, copy machine, printer , facsimile which are necessary for convention.
● Environmental considerations
Promote energy saving by installing LED light in every floor while installing motion-sensors which detect people to the stairs and the toilets. By such careful actions, we realize a harmony of environment and a comfortable space which befit an Eco-model City Yokohama.
