30th May 2022 – Marine conservation champions from around the region are expected to converge in Singapore for the inaugural Blue Water EduFest organised by ONE15 Events Management (“ONE°15”), a subsidiary of SUTL Enterprise Limited (“SUTL”), this November.
Taking place from 3 to 6 November 2022 at the ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove Singapore, the four-day event seeks to promote and raise awareness about marine conservation and to highlight the efforts of eco-champions around the region. Partnered by Sentosa Development Corporation and International Seakeepers Society Asia, it is targeted at policy makers and industry players involved in infrastructure development, boaters and yacht owners, entrepreneurs and social-preneurs, eco-personalities and celebrities, media influencers and individuals with a keen interest in protecting the world’s oceans.
This event is presented by Citi Private Bank. Citi has a track record of over two decades work across sustainability, partnering with multiple stakeholders to address the growing challenges and opportunities related to sustainable development.
The Guest of Honour for the inaugural event is Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development and Minister-in-Charge of Social Services. There has been increasing focus on the protection of marine biodiversity in Singapore hence the inception of Blue Water EduFest as an annual crucial platform for all relevant stakeholders to build, connect and unite as one cohesive community to make a significant impact in protecting our oceans for future generations.
Mr Arthur Tay, CEO of SUTL Enterprise, is the brainchild behind the event. He is an avid diver and strong advocate for the protection of marine biodiversity. Mr Tay said: “As a boater and diver, I’ve seen and experienced the sorry state of our ocean and it’s truly heart-breaking. For me, there are two important colours of nature that affects lives and livelihoods; blue and green. Green is of course our flora and fauna and blue refers to our oceans and coastlines which are quickly deteriorating due to negligence, ignorance and sometimes selfishness.
With the forces of climate change ringing louder and the earth getting sicker as the years go by, there is a need for efforts to be intensified. However, we can only do so much as an individual or company as this affects everyone around us. Therefore, we need to garner strong support to advance the “Blue Water movement” in this part of the world, in close collaboration with the governments and industry partners in the region.”
Blue Water EduFest will have three components. The first is a two-day conference titled “Ocean Collective Summit” organised in partnership with International Seakeepers Society Asia featuring international and regional speakers with content that focuses on urban reef conservation and efforts to stop ocean plastic pollution. Lined up to deliver the keynote speech at the conference is renowned Oceanographic Explorer and aquanaut, Fabien Cousteau.
Mr Fabien Cousteau, Aquanaut, Oceanographic Explorer, Environmental Advocate, Founder of The Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Centre and Proteus Ocean Group, commented “The ocean is the lifeline for all life on Earth and holds unlimited solutions to issues humanity faces today, especially as it relates to climate change and sustainability. To make real traction toward a positive impact on the planet, we must expand our focus and reframe how we think about conservation. I’m thrilled to be part of The Ocean Collective Summit and discuss these challenges and potential solutions with those who are leading change.”
Mr Julian Chang, President of The International SeaKeepers Society Asia said, “We are pleased to partner ONE°15 for this event as we see strong synergy in reinforcing ocean conservation efforts through the inaugural Ocean Collective Summit which will bring together changemakers, advocates and collaborators to empower our community in this region “.
Mr Lee Lung-Nien, Chairman and South Asia Head at Citi Private Bank, commented “Sustainability is at the heart of our priorities. We value the importance and positive impact of marine conservation on areas including climate change, biodiversity, food, employment and the broader economy. We are delighted to partner with ONE°15 for this event to facilitate cross-sector collaboration to drive further progress in enhancing resilience of our marine ecosystems.”
The second component includes a nightly fund-raising event with two key highlights; the “Blue Water Heroes Awards”, which will honour and recognise individuals and organisations that have contributed to ocean conservation in Southeast Asia. Nominations for the awards will open in June and will be judged by key representatives from World Wildlife Fund for Nature Singapore (WWF-Singapore), ONE°15, National University of Singapore (NUS) – Tropical Marine Science Institute and GenT (part of Tatler Asia). The criteria used will include the nominees’ work in contributing to ground-breaking solutions and technological advancements that have benefitted marine conservation efforts in the past two years.
The second event highlight is a nightly charity auction that showcases a curated list of items with sustainable features or values with proceeds going to beneficiaries such as WWF-Singapore and International SeaKeepers Society Asia.
In partnership with WWF-Singapore, the event proceeds will support WWF-Singapore’s conservation work that includes working with local researchers to understand and protect the marine biodiversity and species that live around Sentosa and the Southern Islands.
The third component will be a Mini Sustainable Luxury Showcase by makers of electric vehicles, timepieces, yachts and jewellery, with sustainable initiatives and values.
Supported by Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), Blue Water EduFest is part of Sentosa’s sustainability outreach on the impact of climate change on destinations, under the Sustainable Sentosa strategic roadmap. Ms Thien Kwee Eng, CEO of Sentosa Development Corporation, said, “With our island getaway being home to a vibrant marine habitat around us, the Sentosa community plays an important role in maintaining these habitats and advocating for marine conservation and biodiversity, so that it can be shared and enjoyed by our guests and stakeholders for generations to come. We are also happy to work with ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove through our collaboration with Deloitte CarbonCare Asia to mitigate the carbon profile of Blue Water EduFest, shaping the way green events can take place on the island in future. We will continue working with our partners to bolster Sentosa’s position as a sustainable tourism destination while inspiring others to take action.”
The event will be staged at ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove Singapore, which is owned and operated by SUTL, a “Fish-Friendly Marina” recognised by the Marina Industries Association for its high standards of environmental stewardship and conservation efforts. It is home to Singapore’s first man-made Coral Garden within a marina, which was established together with the National University of Singapore’s Tropical Marine Science Institute for coral breeding and research. The marina hosts an annual eco-dive cum marina clean-up where volunteer divers sign up to pick up litter from the seabed surrounding its waters.
Mr Poh Chi Chuan, Executive Director, Exhibitions and Conferences, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “We are pleased that Singapore has been chosen to host the inaugural Blue Water EduFest, an affirmation of our efforts to anchor quality events aligned with Singapore’s sustainability goals. We welcome the event’s vision of engaging and contributing to ongoing global conversations surrounding marine conservation – a particularly significant endeavour, given Singapore is in one of the world’s most biologically diverse marine regions. We look forward to welcoming participants to join the conversation in Singapore.”
The Blue Water EduFest is opened to the public. Ticket sales have started and is available online at www.bluewateredufest.com. Proceeds will go to WWF-Singapore, International SeaKeepers Society Asia and Blue Water Edufest which will be used to fund marine conservation efforts and future editions of the ocean conservation event respectively.
