34
The Eurovision Center
The Eurovision Center was established in Baku in the course of preparation to the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 on the
initiative of Mrs.Mehriban Aliyeva, the President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Chairperson of the Eurovision
Song Contest 2012.
Along with being the office for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 Core Team, the Center served as an interactive hub and
the source of official information for media representatives, fans and any local or foreign person interested the Eurovision
Song Contest.
The Eurovision Center was coordinating all Eurovision-related activities for the whole year.
A noteworthy detail in this regard is that no such center was ever established in the Eurovision Song Contest hosting
countries so far.
The formation of this center for Eurovision Song Contest was viewed as an important step from the standpoint of the
project’s implementation. The Eurovision Center proved very helpful in the course of preparation to the contest, as well
as facilitating and upgrading administrative arrangements. Exhibition tracking the Eurovision Song Contest history since
1956
to 2011 and Azerbaijan’s involvement in the contest caused a lively interest of the viewers. Interactive displays
installed nearby provided all sorts of information regarding Eurovision Song Contest. Along with this, the exhibition at
the Eurovision Center provided access to the musical history of Azerbaijan together with the possibility to enjoy live
performance using traditional musical instruments.
On March 7, 2012, Mrs.Mehriban Aliyeva, the Chairperson of the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 Organizing Committee
and the President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation paid the visit to the Eurovision Center to get familiar with the ongoing
activities of the Core Team. Motor vehicles to be provided for the national delegations were also hereby presented.
The visit was followed by recommendations and instructions by the Organizing Committee’s Chairperson.