SINGAPORE — The recently launched MICE Sustainability Certification (MSC) takes the sustainability efforts of Singapore’s business events sector to the next level, with a multi-pronged programme for event suppliers.
Developed by the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS), the national MICE trade association, with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and in consultation with members and industry stakeholders, the Singapore MSC is open to the entire supply chain: event organisers, stand builders, venues (including hotels with MICE venues), food and beverage caterers, transport operators, freight forwarders and event and audiovisual technology providers.
Companies are certified based on a set of eight criteria: management approach, carbon, waste, energy, water management, social, human resources skills and purchasing. There are three levels of certification: Bronze, which represents the commitment and implementation of sustainable development goals; Silver, which shows both the implementation and the establishment of internal sustainability initiatives; and Gold, obtained by companies with external sustainability initiatives that must report on indicators related to energy, water, waste and carbon.
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Ultimately, the new initiative is “by the industry, for the industry,” said Sukumar Verma, vice president of industry and corporate at SACEOS and managing director of Informa Markets. “We worked with over 30 MICE companies who contributed to the focus groups, the public consultation process and the MSC committee. We incorporated many perspectives to make this as practical and pragmatic as possible. We also referenced a range of existing global standards to ensure that we are in sync with what is happening internationally, so that when we deal with international clients, there is a fit in terms of their expectations of what a sustainability initiative should look like.”
Interested companies must follow a multi-step process that includes developing an audit plan, submitting documentation and evidence, and taking corrective action, if necessary. The certification process can take anywhere from four to twenty weeks, with the possibility of grant funding.
The certification programme was developed to align with Singapore’s existing, industry-leading MICE sustainability roadmap, which called for the development of a set of sustainability standards and certification framework for the sector by 2023, followed by certification for 80% of SACEOS members and all six MICE venues in Singapore by the end of 2025.
Contact Sukumar Verma at +65 9732 3941