As part of Singapore’s Marina Bay, Sands Expo & Convention Centre is rallying other partners to collaborate as part of its Bay Precinct Strategy. Photo Credit: Sands Expo & Convention Centre
Sands Expo & Convention Centre, a triple platinum-certified venue for sustainability,
have leveraged its state-of-the-art intelligent building management
system and sustainable event advisory services to lead the way in green
meetings.
But the centre’s efforts go far and beyond surface initiatives, said Ong Wee Min, MBS vice president (sales & MICE).
A mobile hydroponics system has been trialled at Sands Expo since
last September, producing around 2kg of fresh leafy greens monthly to
supplement the two on-site herb gardens to bring the total amount of
homegrown produce to 10kg each month. These efforts support Singapore’s
“30 by 30” goal for food security and serve as educational tools for
event delegates to learn about sustainability.
Table numbers are crafted from recycled bottle corks, and printed
menus are eliminated for banquets and replaced with a QR code printed on
cubes made from recycled chopsticks. Multiple water dispensers and
reusable cups have been installed to reduce the usage of single-use
plastic bottles.
Sands Expo & Convention Centre has since 2013 offered Impact
Meeting packages for event planners seeking to integrate sustainability
elements. However, Ong revealed that these packages will be eliminated
this year as sustainability does not need to be tied to separate
packages.
“Our sustainability services remain available and we welcome all
planners to discuss how we can introduce environmentally-friendly
measures to their events,” said Ong.
”By the end of 2024, our goal is for around 100 team members to complete the Sustainable Event Professional Certificate Program (SEPC) by the Events Industry Council.” - Ong Wee Min, vice president (sales & MICE), Marina Bay SandsUpskilling to serve clients
MBS has certified 60 client-facing team members with the Event Design
Certification (EDC), employing a 10-step visual approach to enhance
event innovation. In addition, an event design lab will be launched to
help event planners collaborate with its EDC-certified team members.
MBS will also be upskilling staff, with the goal of having 100 team
members completing the Sustainable Event Professional Certificate
Program (SEPC) by year-end in a bid to offer the largest cohort of
SEPC-accredited staff in Singapore.