At 11:30 CET, the Greek broadcaster ERT and the European Broadcasting Union will present the visual identity and the international partners of the 51st Eurovision Song Contest.

A press conference has been scheduled at the King George Hotel (Ballroom 3) in Athens, where Greek media and officials will gather for the first big press conference after Helena Paparizou's victory, back in May.

During the press conference, the visual identity of the upcoming contest will be revealed as well. The ancient Phaistos disc will play an important role, ERT announced earlier. The mysterious disc, often used as a symbol for the ancient Greek history and a beloved imitation souvenir for tourists, will feature as sub-logo for next year's contest. “Inspired by the wind and the sea, the golden sunlight and the glow of the sand, the logo for the 51st Eurovision Song Contest is slowly taking shape”, the 2006 host broadcaster said. After the Eurovision Song Contest got its heart-shaped generic identity in 2004, host broadcasters aimed for an additional sub-logo to give each event a unique and original touch.

The international sponsors of the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest will be announced as well. Since 2005, sponsors play an important role from a financial perspective. In Kyiv, leading mobile phone operator Kyivstar, vodka brand Nemiroff, Samsung and Fleurop sponsored the contest. It's expected that at least one of Greece's leading mobile phone companies will sponsor the contest in 2006. International sponsorship for the Eurovision Song Contest is being co-ordinated by the Swiss company T.E.A.M., which is also taking care of sponsorship deals for the UEFA Champions League and other big sports events.

Esctoday.com will be present at the press conference and will update you with the latest news as soon as possible!