Today, the other half of the esctoday.com travelled to Hasselt, where the 2005 Junior Eurovision Song Contest will take place on Saturday. Combining our own experiences so far and the behind the stage-report of the newspaper Het Belang van Limburg, we can tell you something more about what you don't see on television!

Although the size of the event cannot be compared with the Eurovision Song Contest itself, the effort put into the organisation is just as big. While there is still quite some work to do around the Ethias Arena, inside everything seems to be almost ready for Saturday night's show. Technicians are working in and out to carry in technical equipement, while the people behind the television show itself are working on the rehearsals.

The opening sequence of the show is an original mix of exciting elements, putting the participating countries on the first place by introducing the singers on stage. Earlier, executive producer Ludo Porrez said this edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest should appeal to both kids as well as adults. It seems they managed to do so; the opening sequence looks promising already!

On the wide-screen televisions installed at the press centre, the stage reminds of the stage in Kyiv, with the LED-lights and the geometric shapes used in the design. However, the catwalk and the kidsroom (greenroom) at the end makes it a bit more exciting and flexible to use. “The winner's victory walk over the catwalk, from the kidsroom to the stage, will be impressive”, the executive producer of the show promised.

The press centre, made for about 150 journalists, is large enough to serve everyone so far. The fact that the few press conferences that are being organised take place in the same area makes it easy to work. Refreshments are free, press officers are helpful to everyone and the internet connection is stable. What more a journalist can wish!? Among the journalists are people from many countries. There are quite some people from Belgium, but also from Norway, the Netherlands and Greece, where next year's Eurovision Song Contest will take place.

In a press-restricted area, a dressing room for each of the 16 participating countries is available. According to supervisor Svante Stockselius, the delegations are happy with the organisation of the show. To learn more about the organisation of such a large event, a Romanian delegation is present to learn from their Belgian colleagues. Next year, the Junior Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Bucharest and it seems the Romanians are eager to make the fourth edition of the contest a success.