Lights Are Going Out At The Singapore Expo

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Singapore’s top MICE venue takes part in Earth Hour 2010, joining millions of others in making a stand against climate change

15 March 2010, Singapore. Singapore Expo is stepping up its green efforts by participating in Earth Hour 2010. Despite a full day of events, including Lifestyle21, Kampung Festival and L’Oreal Sales, neon lights at Foyer 1 and all other lights which are not essential to the operations and safety of the venue, including ambient, flood, perimeter and walkway lights in some areas of the Convention & Exhibition Centre, will be switched off for an hour from 8.30pm on Saturday, 27 March. Additionally, wherever possible, all other lights will be dimmed for that duration as well.

Earth Hour is a worldwide campaign held annually, urging businesses and households to turn off lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. What started as a one-city initiative in Sydney, Australia, in 2007, has since grown into a global phenomenon with over 4,000 cities in 88 countries making the pledge in 2009. To date, renowned landmarks, such as New York’s Empire State Building, Rome’s Coliseum and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, have stood in ‘darkness’ for a cause that grows more critical by the hour.

Singapore Expo’s pledge to conservation

“Recycle, Reuse, Reduce” is a corporate initiative that Singapore Expo works relentlessly to further. For example, concourses and walkways are flushed with natural light while waste left behind after exhibitions are sorted and recycled as far as possible. The local exhibitions industry too is moving in this green direction, with the recently-concluded International Furniture Fair Singapore 2010 utilising fully recyclable booths and carpets. SITEX 2010 (25 to 28 November) too will once again implement its “Go Green” project where proceeds from visitor e-waste and paper recycling efforts will go to the Society for the Physically Disabled.

Singex Venues Pte Ltd, which manages Singapore Expo, sees Earth Hour as an extension of that initiative, hence it is answering this urgent call for conservation. In addition to switching off lights and minimising electricity usage that night, Singapore Expo is also publicising the international event and hoping to heighten awareness of global warming through its various communication channels, from posting messages on the official website, Facebook page and Twitter, to placing signage around the Convention & Exhibition Centre as well as on the complimentary lunchtime shuttle buses that run between Flavours East at Singapore Expo and the neighbouring Changi Business Park.

Deputy General Manager, Mr Chandran Nair, says, “Earth Hour is truly one of the most successful worldwide initiatives to fight climate change. The action of switching off lights for an hour is symbolic enough to deliver a powerful message on the need for effective and immediate climate change solutions, and Singapore Expo is proud to stand alongside businesses and individuals the world over to encourage responsible energy management and increase environmental consciousness.”

About Singapore Expo Convention and Exhibition Centre

Ranked one of the top Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) venues in Asia, Singapore Expo, managed by Singex Venues Pte Ltd, is the largest MICE centre in Singapore. It is proud to be the chosen venue for some of the major Conventions, Meetings and Exhibitions held in the region. With 10 exhibition halls, 10 conference halls, multiple Meeting Rooms, and six mobile conference rooms, there are plenty of versatile spaces for breakout sessions, private VIP lounges and auxiliary activities.
Singapore Expo is a one-stop event and meeting venue with event planning, operations, top caterers, parking spaces for over 2,400 cars, a dedicated EXPO MRT station, and barely 15 minutes to the city centre and five minutes to Changi International Airport. Visit www.singaporeexpo.com.sg for more details on the facilities and services.

For media enquiries, please contact Natalie Leung (Ms), Public Relations Manager, at Tel: (65) 6403 2125 or 9001 3427 or email natalie.leung@singaporeexpo.com.sg.