AsiaWorld-Expo, Asia’s leading exhibition and convention venue, is pleased to announce that it has received Caring Company accreditation for the third consecutive year. Organised by the Hong Kong Council of Social Services, the Caring Company Scheme is designed to recognise businesses that demonstrate good citizenship. The award was given in recognition of AsiaWorld-Expo’s continued commitment to social responsibility, both in its internal operations and within the wider community.
“We are honoured to receive this accreditation,” said HW Lau, Chief Operating Officer, AsiaWorld-Expo Management Limited. “The Caring Company Scheme is an important reminder to businesses throughout Hong Kong that success must never be measured in profitability alone. Successful businesses also take care to protect the environment, and seek out ways to use their success for the benefit of the community at large. Here at AsiaWorld-Expo, social responsibility has always been a key aspect of our corporate culture. We’re honoured that our efforts are not only being noticed, but are also making a real difference within the community.”
AsiaWorld-Expo actively supports and participates in a wide range of fund-raising and sponsorship activities. In recent years, both the venue and its staff have proudly supported charity campaigns by Medecins Sans Frontieres, Hong Kong Red Cross and The Community Chest, to name just a few.
AsiaWorld-Expo also engages in regular initiatives to support the local community and help individuals in need, particularly in its own neighbourhood of Tung Chung. In collaboration with various local associations, over 2,000 rice cakes were also distributed to elderly people in Tung Chung and New Territories West to celebrate the recent Lunar New Year. Meanwhile, to help unemployed and ex-offenders reintegrate into society, AsiaWorld-Expo offers an ongoing programme of training and placement opportunities in association with Bright Services, a social enterprise of the Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention. In its first year alone, this important programme created 537 training opportunities, 528 temporary jobs and eight permanent jobs. This programme received the top honour of an Outstanding Partnership Project Award from the Hong Kong Council of Social Services in 2008/09.
In the field of environmental protection, AsiaWorld-Expo is also proud to play a leadership role. For instance, it adheres to strict waste management guidelines. To maximize its green area ratio, the venue has also planted hundreds of trees in its marshalling area, and uses many indoor plants. Its indoor air quality has likewise been recognised and certified as “Good Class” under the Government’s Indoor Air Quality Certification Scheme.
Naturally, energy consumption is a key issue in the fight to combat global warming. AsiaWorld-Expo proudly uses a variety of innovative technologies to minimise energy consumption, particularly for indoor lighting and cooling. The venue is also an enthusiastic participant in the Dim It and Earth Hour campaigns, organised by Friends of the Earth and WWF Hong Kong respectively.
AsiaWorld-Expo observed the recent Earth Hour event on 27 March 2010. To involve staff members in this important event, the venue also held a series of initiatives on Friday 26 March, such as encouraging staff members to wear black, powering off computers, work stations and non-essential lights during the lunch hour, and turning off all but two office printers throughout the day.