Singapore EXPO sets the stage for sustainable events

SINGAPORE EXPO, a prominent player in the MICE industry, has taken a leading role in creating a sustainable future for events held here, while also ensuring that visitors and stakeholders are engaged in this journey towards sustainability.

Given that large scale conferences and conventions are known to contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and waste, Singapore EXPO is committed to minimising these negative impacts through a range of initiatives, partnerships, and investments.

To guide them in this mission, the convention and exhibition centre managed by Constellar Venues has developed a comprehensive framework designed to reduce wastage and mitigate carbon footprint from events.

Singapore EXPO has already taken many concrete steps to realise its sustainability ambitions. These include investing in infrastructure such as naturally-lit meeting rooms and energy-efficient LED lightings throughout the venue to reduce electricity consumption, and recycled carpets. It is also in the process of installing 17,500 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on its roof, which will generate enough energy to power 4,000 three-room apartments for a year.

"We are proud to support Singapore's vision to become Asia Pacific's leading sustainable MICE destination by 2030. It's important to invest in both our physical infrastructure as well as develop the necessary skillsets in our people in our journey to Net Zero, so that we can create a strong foundation to build, sustain and scale our sustainability initiatives," says Chua Wee Phong, Constellar's Group CEO.

"Education is a focus area this year as we learn and share about industry standards and reporting with our ecosystem of communities including event organisers. We want to support them in their sustainability journey, and to create impact with scale."

Additionally, Singapore EXPO is committed to eliminating single-use plastics, and all food and beverages served at its events, including bentos and catering, come in eco-friendly packaging where feasible.

The venue features two herb gardens, and an urban vertical farm is currently under construction on its roof that will provide a source of sustainable ingredients. It has also implemented a food digester at its food park that converts food waste into electricity, water, and compost.

"For food that can't come from our gardens, we work with suppliers and local partners who advocate sustainable farming and who care about the environment as much as we do," says Constellar's Chief Culinary Officer, Richmond Lim.

Going car-lite

Singapore EXPO recognises that transport plays a significant role in generating carbon emissions during events. To make it easier for visitors to go car-lite, the venue is just 10 minutes from the airport and easily accessible via public transport, with the EXPO train station being an interchange for two MRT lines.

For those who prefer to drive, Singapore EXPO has partnered with Shell to create 20 electric vehicle charging points at its venue, making it the largest EV Charging Hub in eastern Singapore. These chargers, which will be installed by the end of April, are powered by the solar energy generated by the roof panels. As events typically generate a lot of wastage, Singapore EXPO is committed to the "reduce, reuse, and recycle" approach towards maximising resource usage as much as possible. For instance, water bottles given out at events are made of recycled plastics.

Furthermore, the venue's modular structures, signage, and furniture can be reused and recycled across different events to avoid wastage. Singapore EXPO also offers FLEX, a flexible and reusable structure that reduces stand building.

Supporting event organisers

Collaboration with stakeholders is key to Singapore EXPO's sustainability efforts. The venue works closely with its customers to support their sustainability goals, as exemplified with its partnership with the organisers of Food & Hotel Asia (FHA) to reduce wastage at the FHA Food & Beverage 2022 event. This included working with an external auditor and cleaning partner to sort, count, and measure the waste generated daily. In-hall stations and outdoor spaces were allocated to help the organisers carry out this exercise.

Any unused lightings during show hours were also shut down, while the air conditioning was set at an optimal temperature to avoid excessive cooling in the event halls. Furthermore, Singapore EXPO utilised the venue's outdoor atrium spaces to not only create additional F&B options for visitors, but also enhance energy efficiency through the use of outdoor spaces.

Singapore EXPO's partnership with FHA is just one example of how the venue leverages its sustainability framework to support event organisers realise their goals. Among other accolades, the venue has attained awards such as the BCA Mark - Platinum certification.

Says Mr Chua: "Here at Singapore EXPO, we've developed a framework to ensure that the events are executed as sustainably as possible. For us, it's not just a case of removing single-use plastics, turning down the air-conditioning or buying carbon credits; but real structural changes that can make a difference."

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