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In response to media enquiries, a spokesman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) said today (January 29) that the Government and the 2009 East Asian Games (Hong Kong ) Limited have jointly formulated a set of comprehensive, diversified and cost-effective strategies to be rolled out in phases to publicise and promote the Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games (EAG) extensively.
Announcement of Public Interest (API), in both visual and audio formats containing the EAG Theme Song has been aired on television and radio as from the middle of January. The related publicity material will be edited by the Government into DVDs to be distributed in schools, government premises and big shopping arcades for broadcast.
Various exhibitions and related activities have been held at the EAG Gallery located on the second floor of the Hong Kong Park Sports Centre to publicise the Games, while souvenirs have been manufactured and put on sale to Hong Kong people and tourists at the souvenir shop located on the ground floor of the sports centre in a bid to publicise the EAG.
The Government has planned a series of promotional programmes to widely publicise the EAG in the coming few months. These activities include:
¡¤Promotion of EAG in large-scale exhibitions and activities such as EAG mascots will be shown at the Lunar New Year Lantern Carnival in early February and the mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival in October. EAG will also be adopted as the theme in the 2009 Hong Kong Flower Show to be staged in March.
¡¤ Mascots of EAG will appear in cartoon boards to be placed in several tourist spots in February. Moreover, A package of roving exhibition materials will be staged on rotating basis in the venues of the Home Affairs Department and the LCSD in the eighteen districts as well as several big shopping arcades as from late March / early April.
¡¤ To create enthusiastic atmosphere, in addition to promotional banners displayed in eighteen districts as from late last year, giant banners and buntings will be displayed at major government offices and major venues of the LCSD as well as major traffic roads.
¡¤ Two sets of the ¡°Heart warming Stamps¡± will be released by the Hong Kong Post Office in March and August of 2009 while EAG Commemorative Stamps will be issued on December 5, 2009, the day when the opening ceremony of EAG is held.
¡¤ EAG will be publicised in various activities associated with the 2nd Hong Kong Games to be held in May.
¡¤ The eighteen District Councils will join hands to promote EAG at district levels, such as holding activities with EAG as the theme to encourage residents¡¯ participation in support of the EAG.
¡¤ A series of school activities will be jointly organised in collaboration with the Education Bureau, including the production of EAG learning and teaching materials for use by teachers to explain to students the meaning of the EAG and information related to the event.
¡¤ Guided tours for students to watch EAG events, thematic talks, school roving exhibitions and seminars, 2009 EAG mascots colouring/drawing competition, the "school cheerleading programme"will be organised.
¡¤ 100-day count down and Torch relay will be organised to enhance the atmosphere.
¡¤ Cooperation with Hong Kong Tourism Board and the tourism sector to further promote 2009 EAG overseas. Information about 2009 EAG and various cultural programmes to be held during the period of EAG will be displayed at Hong Kong International Airport and other border check points.
For the provision of the competition venues, the Government has spent more than $1.2 billion to build a new Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground and to upgrade 13 existing venues to meet the standard of holding the EAG. The sports ground is expected to be completed soon.
The upgrading work includes overall modification and renovation of venues; renovation and improvement in supporting and ancillary facilities including provision of temporary offices for umpires and the related organisations, media centre and doping control facilities; improvement in lighting and ventilation systems to compile with the latest international standards of individual sport competitions; and enhancing spectators¡¯ seating capacity. The upgrading work is in good progress and is expected to be completed in mid-2009.
Ends/Thursday, January 29, 2009
Issued at HKT 20:16
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