"I Want to Be close to Downtown Halifax"

"The media have very special requirements," stated Suzanne Morrison of CorporaTel. "Due to the uncertainty of the news business, the media organizations are often unsure of exactly who is coming; numbers and dates are constantly changing, and they all need access to phones and CNN, and everyone wants to be close to downtown Halifax."

Although a few people who made last-minute arrangements are as far away as Truro, most of the media are, in fact, booked into hotels and motels in the Greater Halifax area.

Corporatel, which specializes in providing customer service/quality programs and a one-stop shopping service for Nova Scotia Tourism information and reservations, dedicated five of their operators to address media requirements and information relevant to the Summit.

"It was a challenge and an opportunity," says Ms. Morrison. "We were pleased to work with the international media. They were kind and patient, and they couldn't believe how organized and friendly we were."

Tight deadlines and schedules will limit the media's ability to be tourists or extend their stay in Nova Scotia this June. However, some representatives are bringing their families and CorporaTel and the province 's tourism operators are hopeful that once the media experience Nova Scotian hospitality, they will be anxious to come back on holiday at another time.

CorporaTel was established in 1994, after being awarded a contract from the Nova Scotia government for the upgrading of hardware and software and the management of an existing tourist information and reservation system known as Check In.