Singapore EXPO, the country's largest purpose-built MICE facility, is taking firm strides towards achieving Net Zero by 2024 with the largest single-site solar rooftop installation in Singapore, as well as the development of the largest electric vehicle charging hub in the eastern part of Singapore. The projects are a significant boost to the venue's sustainability infrastructure and will enable it to become Asia's first MICE venue running on clean energy. Singapore EXPO is managed by Constellar.

With over 17,000 photovoltaic panels installed on the rooftops of 10 exhibition halls and convention wing, Singapore EXPO would be the country's largest single-site solar panel installation at a total estimated size of about 6.5 football fields. In a Singaporean context, the energy generated from these panels can power 4,000 units of HDB 3-room flats (at 68 square metres per flat) for a year. The installation is expected to be completed in October 2023 and once completed, it will replace conventional energy consumption at Singapore EXPO with renewable energy.

As events and communities return to Singapore EXPO, the venue is also enabling a more sustainable way to travel. Shell will be installing 20 Shell Recharge electric vehicle charging points at Singapore EXPO's carparks, making this the largest charging hub in the eastern part of Singapore. 20 drivers can charge at any single point of time while attending events or enjoying the F&B offerings at Singapore EXPO.

Sustainability has been a continuous journey for Singapore EXPO since 2012 when its meetings and convention wing became the first MICE venue in Singapore to receive the BCA Green Mark Platinum Award. It has accelerated its efforts in the past year as sustainability considerations from travel, meeting and event professionals have grown in importance towards their selection of service providers including venues.

Last year Constellar pledged its commitment to the 'Net Zero Carbon Events" initiative by the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) and also joined the Global MICE Sustainability Alliance to explore solutions for green events, develop relevant MICE sustainability standards and accelerate adoption of green practices. As part of the Alliance's efforts, Constellar will also be piloting waste measurement methodologies at BuildTech Asia, a Constellar event, from 28-30 March 2023, as well as Food & Hotel Asia 2024. Both events will be held at Singapore EXPO.

Adding on to the earlier BCA Green Mark Platinum Award for the meetings and conventions wing, Singapore EXPO has also just been awarded the same award for the ten exhibition halls in February 2023. Other initiatives that Singapore EXPO is also embarking on include implementing urban farming on the rooftop of the convention wing by October 2023. The latter complements the venue's current food waste management initiatives, as well as the operation of a food digestor at Timbre+ food park to turn food waste into water that can be discharged into the public sewage system and thus reducing carbon footprint from transporting the food waste for disposal.

Mr Chua Wee Phong, Chief Executive (Venues), Constellar, said: "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. Education is a focus area this year as we learn and share about industry standards and reporting with our eco-system of communities including event organisers. We want to support them in their sustainability journey, and to create impact with scale."

Doong Shiwen, General Manager of Shell Mobility Singapore, said, "We are glad to partner with Singapore Expo in their sustainability journey. We want to deliver more and cleaner energy solutions, and electric mobility is one of the solutions that can meet the growing demand for transport in a lower-carbon world. With the largest EV charging hub in the eastern part of Singapore, we are extending Shell Recharge to more customers and hope to encourage even more drivers to embrace EVs."

Bungee Jumping in Singapore is an adrenaline-filled activity ; it has become more popular in recent years. It offers a thrilling experience and a unique view of the city skyline. Bungee jumping is an extreme sport requiring specialized equipment and knowledge of safety protocols to ensure the safety of participants. Several companies in Singapore offer bungee jumping experiences, each with its own unique packages and safety measures. Whether you're looking for a one-time thrill or want to become an experienced bungee jumper, there's something for everyone in Singapore.

No matter where you go in Singapore, you can find the perfect bungee jumping spot to give you the ultimate thrill. Singapore is the top destination if you're ready to take the plunge. Singapore is known for other things as well: its cleanliness, its modernity, its delicious street food, and its incredible skyline. But what many need to learn is that it's a true haven for bungee jumping. Bungee jumping is an extreme sport; it involves jumping from a tall structure, such as a bridge, with an elastic cord attached to your feet, allowing you to fall and bounce back up. It's one of the most thrilling activities available, and Singapore has plenty of spectacular options for those looking for such a rush of adrenaline.

If you're looking for an unforgettable thrill, bungee jumping is the perfect activity for you. Singapore has an abundance of opportunities to experience the exhilaration of bungee jumping. From the iconic Singapore Flyer and Skyline Luge Sentosa to the wildest heights, Singapore has the perfect bungee jumping spots for any adventure. Consider these:

The Singapore Flyer is one of the most iconic attractions in Singapore - it gives the brave a chance to bungee jump from the top of the wheel. The adrenaline rush of leaping from the edge of the wheel, coupled with the breathtaking view of the city and the sea, is sure to be an experience you’ll never forget. The Skyline Luge Sentosa is another of Singapore’s most beloved attractions- it features bungee jumping at its highest level. At the top of the luge, you can take in a mesmerizing view of the city skyline before taking the plunge. Since this is the ultimate adrenaline adventure, you’ll experience the ultimate free-fall feeling.

The G-MAX Reverse Bungee in Singapore is the perfect place for those who want to take the plunge even further. Located at the Resorts World Sentosa, the G-MAX Reverse Bungee is the highest bungee jump in Singapore. At the height of 55 meters, visitors experience the thrill of bungee jumping from the highest point in Singapore. If you want to take a relaxed approach to bungee jumping, Singapore offers several spots to make the perfect jump.:

The Singapore Cable Car: Located in Mount Faber, is an ideal spot for a leisurely bungee jump- here, you can take in the beautiful view of the city and the sea. Jurong Bird Park also offers bungee jumping with its unique aviary setting. It gives visitors a chance to experience the thrill of jumping while enjoying the beauty of nature.

One Singapore's best spots for bungee jumping is the AJ Hackett Sentosa Bridge. This is a thrilling 50-metre-high bridge located on the west coast of the island. It’s specifically designed for bungee jumping. If you’re brave enough, you can leap from the bridge and fly over the sea. For a more extreme experience, you can try Mega Adventure Park in Sentosa. Here you'll find the Mega Jump, the highest bungee jump in Singapore. You'll be suspended from a height of 61 meters and then fall through the air before being pulled back up. It's a most thrilling experience- definitely not for the faint of heart.

Finally, if you're looking for a more relaxed bungee jumping experience, then you can always head to Universal Studios Singapore. Here you'll find the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure, where you can take a leisurely ride on a river before being launched into the air for a bungee jump. It's the perfect way to get your adrenaline fix without the fear factor. So, if you seek an exciting and unique way to experience Singapore’s pleasures, bungee jumping is definitely a great option. From the AJ Hackett Sentosa Bridge to the Mega Adventure Park, there are plenty of exciting venues to choose from. So, what are you waiting for? Take the plunge ; enjoy the thrill of bungee jumping in Singapore.

With a recent report indicating Asia-Pacific's travel industry may be the only one in the world to recover by 2023, this year's Chinese New Year could be cause for additional celebration. Sojern, a leading provider of digital marketing solutions for travel, shares the latest travel trends for Lunar New Year.

Singapore tops flight bookings, American travellers take advantage of the strong dollar

Looking at flight bookings the top origin countries and regions travelling to or within APAC for Chinese New Year are Singapore (16%), the United States (12%), perhaps taking advantage of last year's strong US dollar against other currencies, followed by Thailand (9%), Taiwan (8%) and Japan (7%) likely due to the long awaited loosening of their COVID-19 travel restrictions. India falls out of this year's top ten, replaced by South Korea in seventh place. For hotel bookings South Korean travellers take the top spot with 16% of all APAC bookings, then the United States (11%) moving up from sixth place, followed by Japan (10%), Hong Kong (8%) and Australia (8%).

The Land of Smiles trumps Chinese New Year travel

Southeast Asia hotspot Thailand comes out as the top destination country based on flight searches for global travellers moving from second to first place in 2023 and comprising 27% of all travel to the region this holiday. Japan (19%), Singapore (18%), dropping from first to third place, the Philippines (10%) and Malaysia (8%) make up the remainder of the top five. Singapore is the top destination country based on hotel searches for 2023 comprising 21% of all searches, followed by China (15%) and the Philippines (15%).

"While the impact of inflation in the region hit last year, our data shows travellers aren't willing to sacrifice travel this holiday season," said Lina Ang, Managing Director APAC, Sojern. "Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) and hoteliers should take note of those destinations showing the most interest from inbound international and regional travellers, and use intent data to reach these potential travellers with messaging from your particular destination or property."

Sojern is the leading digital marketing platform built for travel marketers. Powered by artificial intelligence and traveller intent data, Sojern provides multichannel marketing solutions to drive direct demand. 10,000 hotels, attractions, tourism boards and travel marketers rely on Sojern annually to engage and convert travellers around the world.

Aon plc, a leading global professional services firm, today released insights from its 2022 Salary Increase and Turnover Study for southeast Asia (SEA), revealing that salaries in the region are expected to increase slightly for 2023 compared to 2022. The study was conducted in the third quarter of 2022, surveying the salary changes and turnover rates of more than 700 companies across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Median salary increase budgets are forecasted across industries at 6.8 percent for Indonesia 5 .1 percent for Malaysia, 6 percent for the Philippines, Singapore at 4.7 percent, 5.1 percent for Thailand and 7.9 percent for Vietnam.

While inflation plays a significant role in how salary changes look across the region, they are also driven by supply and demand in the talent market. High attrition rates across southeast Asia in 2022 are putting pressure on firms to use compensation measures to tackle hiring and retention challenges: 15.9 percent in Indonesia, 14.9 percent in Malaysia, 18 percent in Philippines,19.6 percent in Singapore, 15.4 percent in Thailand and 15.2 percent for Vietnam.

Rahul Chawla, partner and head of Human Capital Solutons for southeast Asia at Aon said, "While it is critical for businesses to define and adapt pay for different worker types and the nature of the work, organisations must stay agile as they rethink their pay principles. Businesses need to shape their strategies towards long-term drivers of pay and performance by making changes in a phased manner to optimise pay effectiveness. In addition, companies must define their 2023 salary increase approach in the context of the competitiveness of their current salary levels and employee value proposition. Companies that adopt a skill-based compensation programme will help ensure they can continue to build future skills for their organisation's resilient workforce."

The survey further revealed that salary increases in 2022 varied across industries across the region, with the retail industry having the highest increases (6.5 percent), followed by technology and life sciences (6.1 percent) and financial institutions (5.9 percent). The ongoing technology and digital skills shortage across the region as a consequence of firms competing to accelerate transformation and drive their digital initiatives resulted in higher year on year increases in salaries and total compensation for technology and data analytics roles compared to others. However, with the recent reports of a potential global economic slowdown, firms are taking a cautious approach and focusing on salary increases for selected employee groups or levels as they navigate a volatile and uncertain environment.

Alina Cheng, senior consultant, Human Capital Solutions for southeast Asia at Aon said, "With the rise of fintech and digital banks in the region, roles in areas such as risk, compliance and talent acquisition are in demand. Firms are paying a premium to attract new talent at the junior and middle management levels for these roles. As a result, over the past two years, we have seen compensation structures shifting towards lesser variable and pay at risk and an increased focus on salaries.There is no one-size-fits-all approach for developing a salary increase strategy in a volatile environment. Employers must constantly analyse the market, study the available data and contextualise the unique circumstances of their industry and organisation to make better and more informed decisions."