Singapore Tourism Board announces initiatives for more sustainable and impactful MICE industry

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has launched a number of initiatives to lift sustainability requirements throughout the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry and to strengthen its place because the ‘World’s Best MICE City’, an official news release said.

In a concerted effort to pave the best way for a greener and more sustainable future for MICE occasions, STB launched its Legacy Toolkit, a Singapore MICE Industry Carbon and Waste Baselining Study, and introduced its ambition for carbon impartial participation at worldwide commerce reveals.

Since the launch of the MICE Sustainability Roadmap in 2022, the Singapore Tourism Board has remained steadfast in our dedication to fostering a more sustainable and impactful MICE industry. We are happy to share that the initiatives we unveil at this time won’t solely steer the MICE industry in the direction of a more sustainable future, but in addition present tangible methods wherein occasion organisers and planners could make significant, lasting impression in Singapore. We will proceed to collaborate with stakeholders and uphold our ambition to be the World’s Best MICE City.

– Yap Chin Siang, Deputy Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board.

Legacy Toolkit and FIRM

The ‘World’s Best MICE City’ world positioning marketing campaign, just lately launched in March 2024, goals to strengthen Singapore’s pioneering position as a sustainable MICE vacation spot and be certain that enterprise occasions can go away a constructive and lasting impression. The city-state is dedicated to supporting the impression ambitions of occasions, by inviting occasion organisers and planners to co-create enterprise occasions that yield significant outcomes. The legacy toolkit, designed to help stakeholders to know legacy and impression and embark on creating their very own, accommodates a transparent framework titled ‘FIRM’.

The toolkit encourages planners to Frame their imaginative and prescient, Ideate their initiatives, Realise motion plans and Measure impression. It additionally accommodates case research to encourage legacy prospects in Singapore. The legacy planning course of goals to foster larger engagement between occasion organisers, venues, native communities and stakeholders.

This contains working with established group organisations and establishments that function native factors of contact to supply assist and sources. The National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre is a main instance of such an establishment in Singapore, offering helpful networks and experience to construct an inclusive and caring society. STB encourages assembly planners and occasion organisers to faucet on the toolkit to maximise long-term constructive impression from their occasions.

Understanding and lowering carbon emissions regionally and overseas

STB mentioned it’s dedicated to understanding and lowering carbon and waste emissions within the MICE industry. It has additionally rolled out a two-pronged strategy.

First, Singapore was one of many first international locations on this planet to begin a nationwide MICE Industry Carbon and Waste Baseline train in 2023 to review the MICE industry’s environmental impression, thus assembly one of many targets outlined within the MICE Sustainability Roadmap introduced by STB in 2022. Through this research, an aggregated baseline of sustainability knowledge factors was established, specializing in Energy, Water and Waste. These metrics could be constantly measured and are aligned with the worldwide Net Zero Carbon Events Methodology.

The findings revealed that:

a. The common MICE venue-related carbon emissions per attendee stand at 14.13 kg CO2.

b. A big proportion, 94 % of MICE venue-related emissions, comes from Energy.

The aggregated knowledge will help STB and the industry to trace carbon emissions baselines repeatedly, and insights gained will likely be instrumental in driving waste discount and decarbonisation methods for constructive environmental outcomes.

Second, STB will undertake a pioneering position in understanding carbon emissions when taking part in worldwide MICE tradeshows. STB is due to this fact aiming for carbon impartial participation at key worldwide tradeshows from 2024, particularly IMEX Frankfurt, IMEX America and IBTM World. This long-term purpose is a part of the proactive strategy to environmental stewardship, which goals to considerably cut back its personal carbon footprint as an exhibitor at these platforms.

IMEX Frankfurt 2024 would be the first tradeshow the place STB is dedicated to holding itself accountable to strong requirements within the journey to carbon impartial participation. It goals to stick to ISO14068 requirements, newly printed in December 2023 that ‘offers ideas, necessities, and steerage for attaining and demonstrating carbon neutrality’. In accordance with ISO 14068, STB will take a hierarchical strategy that prioritises emission discount and elimination over offsets, offsetting residual emissions solely. Singapore is among the first locations to carry itself to this normal, demonstrating its dedication to accountable decarbonisation.

With STB’s deliberate efforts to create a more sustainable pavilion and monitor its carbon profile, it is going to utilise this info to derive and refine carbon discount measures for future tradeshow participation. Please discuss with the Annex for examples of measures that STB has taken for emission discount and elimination at IMEX Frankfurt 2024.

Vibrant vacation spot with a number of privileges for MICE occasions in Singapore

To additional entice MICE organisers to Singapore and guarantee an built-in, seamless occasion expertise in within the nation, the improved Singapore MICE Advantage Program (SMAP) was rolled out in March 2024. A spread of recent and revamped advantages have been added from companions akin to Singapore Airlines, Changi Airport Group, vacationer sights and meals & beverage experiences.

The 12 months 2024 additionally marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau (SECB), a gaggle of the Singapore Tourism Board, and the SECB’s efforts will proceed to centre on shaping and retaining Singapore’s distinctive status for enterprise occasions.

Testament to the unwavering assist of occasion organisers, assembly planners, and industry companions, Singapore has achieved its highest-ever rating, securing 2nd place on the ICCA Worldwide City Rankings 2023. This exceptional ascent, advancing more than 10 locations from the 2022 outcomes, underscores Singapore’s dedication to excellence within the world MICE industry.

Furthermore, the Lion City maintains its place as Asia Pacific’s Top Meeting City for 21 consecutive years, reaffirming its unparalleled attraction and capabilities in internet hosting world-class conferences and occasions. This announcement marks a monumental achievement for Singapore as a number one Global-Asia node for enterprise, empowering MICE occasions and delegates to realize significant and lasting impression.