DBS Invites You To “IGNITE YOUR SPARK” at i Light Singapore & GastroBeats 2023!

Hi Huneybees,

i Light Singapore and GastroBeats are back this June and DBS is back as the presenting sponsor this year. This builds on DBS’ ongoing efforts in and around the Marina Bay area to give back to the community, including the recent launch of a multi-year partnership with Esplanade to provide more experiences for people to discover and express themselves - #selfcare, sustainable living, and being future-ready.

Themed “Ignite Your Spark” DBS invites festival goers to bring out the best in you and help shape a better, brighter world. With 6 zones to experience, DBS brings you through a journey of fun games, activities, and Instagrammable visual installations, including an artwork - ‘Blumiwave’ that will later be recycled and given a new lease of life.

Simply access your DBS passport by scanning a QR code on your mobile phone, and collect just 4 digital stamps by participating in various experiences within the DBS Zone. Completing this task, you will stand to win DBS swag (limited stocks only) and, in line with the bank’s aim of galvanizing the community to drive collective good, you will also be able to pay it forward (in a partnership between DBS and Food from the Heart) in supporting meal donations to families in need.

Start your festival journey with 'Blumiwave' at Mist Walk, an artwork that aims to raise awareness of blue energy, an alternative renewable energy source harnessed from the sea and river waters. Created by local artists from DP Design, Blumiwave features ‘crashing’ sculptural waves made of a carefully weaved fabric of safety nets and scaffolding salvaged from construction sites. Here, the team transforms what is normally perceived as unsightly materials into a space that invites multiple interpretations of the mundane and its possibilities.

In the spirit of giving discarded materials a new lease of life, all plastics used in the build of Blumiwave will be recycled by Magorium after the festival. Supported by DBS Foundation, Magorium is a social enterprise that converts plastic waste into a sustainable construction material called ‘NEWBitumen’, which can be used to pave eco-roads. ‘NEWBitumen’ was also used in paving the driveway of DBS Newton Green, Singapore’s first net zero building by a bank.

Stepping into the GastroBeats grounds, you will find the DBS Zone on your right. Key highlights at the DBS Zone include Find Your Spark, where a Glambot camera will capture you in cinematic, slow-motion video reels in an experience befitting of the red carpet – you know that tutu gown Ariana Grande moment taken by Cole Walliser? Yup, that's it! Be the first in Singapore to experience that Glambot moment! You can also glam up your Glambot reels with accessories from Fashion Pulpit - a social enterprise that aims to promote environmental education and awareness in the field of fashion.

*Don't forget to post those Glambot videos on Instagram along with a creative caption about self-love. The 3 best entries will win an Apple Watch SE (worth SGD 380) each!

For those who like a little challenge, pit against your friends and family in Eco Row and Glow, where you will be power rowing to light up the tree installation. If not, pit your reflexes and financial smarts at Money Matchmaker and Made for Travel, where you will be time-pressed to solve challenges on your feet.

My favorite is over at the POSB Money Smarts, a play zone where learning about money matters is made fun of through specially designed digital artboards and animations on each "ATM" machine.

As we are all enjoying the festival, DBS will also be working its magic in the back, working with like-minded businesses for impact and community partners throughout the month-long festival to bring to life its vision of paving the way towards a more inclusive, sustainable, and better society.

Food waste will be transformed into animal feed and fertilizers. Ento Industries, also a business for impact supported by DBS Foundation, is coming in as GastroBeats’ food waste solution partner! Using its horde of Black Soldier Flies, all food waste collected from festival goers and vendors at GastroBeats will be sent to Ento Industries for conversion into high-value end products such as animal feed and fertilizers.

 

From 6pm to 7pm every Friday and Saturday, DBS will also be presenting an enthralling line-up of performances by local talents who exemplify what it means to rise above life’s challenges. From jazz and classical piano and drumming performances, to pop music and soprano acts and more, you can expect to be blown away by these talented and resilient individuals who embody what it truly means to be a hero.

i Light Singapore 2023 and GastroBeats 2023 are taking place from 1 to 25 June! 

For more details on DBS’ participation in these 2 events, you can visit - https://www.dbs.com/live-more-by-the-bay/ilight-singapore.html.

 

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Let the Games Begin! POSB #HUNTYOURZODIAC2022 Is Back!

Hi Huneybees,

In between those Lunar New Year house visits, instead of trying to avoid those life questions from relatives, why not engage together in games? POSB #HUNTYOURZODIAC2022 is back for another year of bonus earning with a total of SGD 180,000 in cash prizes up for grabs this year (including the top prize of an SGD 888 Angbao). So, let's get hunting!

The 12 zodiac animals have been attracted by the aroma of delicious hotpots and they are all scattered all over Singapore. Get ready to collect them all in this 3rd edition location-based game and help POSB Smiley in reuniting them from 10:00 am on 30 January to 11:59 pm on 15 February 2022. The Angbao money will be credited directly into your DBS PayLah! wallet after the event ends.
Gameplay Tutorial
Leveraging on location-based technology, POSB #HuntYourZodiac can be played from wherever you are in Singapore, with over 34,000 locations (“Gates of Fortune”) around the island for your virtual hunt for the 60 Zodiac animals (12 animals x the 5 elements). 

As you hunt for the animals, you receive oranges which you can exchange with the God of Fortune for Angbao money. All Angbaos must be redeemed before the game ends at 11:59pm on 15 February 2022. After which, the cash value of these Angbaos will be credited to your DBS PayLah! accounts by 31 March 2022.*Please ensure that the mobile number registered to your game account is the same as the mobile number registered to your DBS PayLah! account. Limited quantities of Angbaos are up for redemption every day, so players are encouraged to redeem their Angbaos as soon as possible!

My first catch

To play, simply visit the game website at https://posb.hyz.sqkii.com via a mobile device, and create an account using your mobile number. Please use the mobile number that’s registered to your DBS PayLah! account. Once done, you’ll be taken through an interactive tutorial on key game features, giving you a headstart to the hunt.


The animals are rated from 1 star to 5 stars. 1-2 stars are easy to find and play, whilst the 3 stars ones make you go through the hotpot gameplay twice. 4 stars animals go through a much faster 2 x hotpot gameplay, and the 5 stars ones go at a crazier speed with 3 x hotpot gameplay. *This would be the best time to save and use your Slow Nian Gao power-up, so as not to lose that precious animal.

Above some of the animals that I have encountered so far 

Don't forget to make use of the power-ups to aid in your gameplay too:• Lure Letter helps you attract a specific zodiac animal type or element, giving you more opportunities to catch them.• Extension Roll prevents captured zodiac animals from escaping, so they stay with you for a longer time.• Skip Tart enables you to open closed Gates of Fortune so that you can immediately enter it again to catch another zodiac animal.• Slow Nian Gao slows down the shuffling speed of the hotpots so you can easily keep an eye on which one the zodiac animal is hiding under. It’s especially useful when hunting rarer zodiac animals!

They are not easy to get, so use them wisely, especially during the Golden Hour.3 ways to get power-ups
• Perform an eligible DBS PayLah! transaction during the campaign period and redeem them via the power-ups page.• Get a friend to sign up for a game account using your referral link, and make sure that they have linked their DBS PayLah! account to their game account.• By reaching score milestones with your Zodiac Clan in the Zodiac Quest!

This year, there is an addition of the ‘Zodiac Quest’ -  a progress-based race that pits the zodiac clans against one another. Based on their year of birth, players of the same zodiac sign will automatically form a clan, with clan results tracked in real-time on the leader board as the clans compete to outplay and “out-hunt” one another to gain rewards, and ultimately emerge as the winning clan at the end of the game period.

 

 

 

  

 

Image: A still image of the zodiac sticker packs, available on Telegram and Instagram starting 29^th January

Lastly, to accompany your gameplay, there are also special sticker packs featuring each of these twelve zodiacs, available on Telegram and Instagram, right in time to jazz up your festive CNY greetings! Simply search “Hunt Your Zodiac” on these platforms to download the stickers.

To play or find out more about POSB #HuntYourZodiac, visit: https://posb.hyz.sqkii.com.

All the best in your hunt and may you win lots of Angbao money. 

Huat Ah!

 

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Go Digital During This ‘Ox-picious’ Chinese New Year With DBS

Hi Huneybees,

With the encouragement of less social interaction amidst this Covid-19 situation, it seems the festive Chinese New Year mood has dampened. Therefore, to allow their customers to continue ushering in the Year of the Ox joyfully and safely,  DBS is bolstering its suite of digital offerings during this period.

Comprising digital gifting alternatives like the DBS eGift and DBS QR Gift, and a line-up of interactive experiences including games and a virtual Chingay event, so their customers can continue to keep long-standing festive CNY traditions alive even in the new normal. 

Gift safely, conveniently and sustainably with DBS eGift and DBS QR Gift

Customers can beat the queues for CNY new notes and enjoy contactless, hassle-free gifting with digital alternatives such as the DBS QR Gift and DBS eGift. Hosted on DBS PayLah! (one of Singapore’s most popular mobile platforms with over 1.8 million users) these also serve as more environmentally friendly options as compared to cash: according to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the production of new notes for CNY each year is estimated to generate about 330 tonnes in carbon emissions.

To make it even easier for customers to obtain their DBS QR Gift cards, from tomorrow to 26 January, customers will be able to order their desired amount of DBS QR Gift cards online and DBS will deliver them by mail, at no cost, by 10 February.

The DBS QR Gift, which aims to replace cash while preserving the meaningful CNY tradition of exchanging physical red packets, has grown increasingly popular with customers since its introduction in 2019. The number of DBS QR Gift cards used during CNY in 2020 tripled from the previous year, with the amount of money loaded on them in the same period nearly doubling to SGD 2.8 million.

This CNY, DBS is also introducing a new customizable expiry feature that allows customers to choose their preferred expiry date of up to eight weeks from the date of loading. DBS QR Gift cards not redeemed by this date will be refunded to the givers thereafter. This new and enhanced version of DBS QR Gift has a shelf life of up to three years.

To use a DBS QR Gift card, customers simply need to scan its QR code via DBS PayLah! to load their desired cash value, then gift it to a recipient for redemption via DBS PayLah! or PayNow. Teens below the age of 16 can also scan and receive DBS QR Gift cards directly by registering for their own DBS PayLah! wallets, which can be done with their parents’ authorization via SingPass. Up to 10 DBS QR Gift cards with the same cash value, message, expiry date, and animation can be loaded at once, providing greater convenience to time-strapped users.

DBS QR Gift cards (Design 1)  for CNY

DBS QR Gift cards (Design 2)  for special occasions

This year’s DBS QR Gift cards come in packs of eight, with each pack featuring two designs: one specifically designed for CNY festivities, and a generic design suitable for all special occasions such as weddings and birthdays. DBS QR Gift cards can be collected for free at all DBS/POSB full-service branches and DBS Treasures Centres as of 11 January, and at POSB new notes pop-up ATMs starting 25 January.

For customers who prefer a fully digital option, DBS eGift allows them to gift loved ones from the safety and comfort of their homes. Customers simply need to tap the in-app ‘eGift’ icon in DBS PayLah! and indicate their preferred amount, along with a message and animation of their choice. Both DBS eGift and DBS QR Gift can be redeemed by users of DBS PayLah! and PayNow.

A range of interactive games and experiences for families and friends to enjoy

DBS has also lined up a series of interactive digital games and experiences for families and friends to enjoy this CNY. These include the return of the DBS TapLah! Contest, a scaled-up version of the highly anticipated POSB #HuntYourZodiac virtual game, and virtual showcases at Chingay 2021.

Up to SGD 888 in cash prizes to be won in the DBS TapLah! Contest

Hosted on DBS PayLah!, the DBS TapLah! mobile game challenges players to collect as many gold coins (+3 points) and red packets (+25 points) as possible within 30 seconds, while avoiding “bombs” (-10 points). DBS TapLah! exceeded 36,000 gameplays in a span of 15 days last CNY.

The game will go live on DBS PayLah! from 12 to 26 February (“game period”). Daily prizes of SGD 88 will be awarded to the top 10 players at the end of each day, while the player with the highest score of the entire game period will walk away with the grand prize of SGD 800.

To participate, customers simply need to partake in a qualifying transaction - defined as the giving and receiving of a DBS eGift or DBS QR Gift (minimum transaction of SGD 2) between a unique giver-receiver pair (i.e. multiple transactions between the same giver-receiver pair are counted as one transaction) – between 16 January to 26 February, both dates inclusive. Customers gain one chance to play for every qualifying transaction made.

Game On! POSB #HuntYourZodiac goes island-wide

POSB #HuntYourZodiac, an interactive virtual game designed for River Hongbao (RHB) last year, is back bigger and better this year!

POSB #HuntYourZodiac creates an immersive virtual experience where players can search for, encounter, and hunt the twelve Chinese zodiac animals via their mobile screens, in exchange for cash prizes and specialized Chinese horoscope predictions based not only on their zodiac animal but also the zodiac element (metal, wood, fire, water, earth) corresponding to their birth date. Piloted last CNY, the game site racked up more than 19,000 unique visitors over five days.

Previously confined to RHB grounds, #HuntYourZodiac is leveling up this year to be an exciting island-wide hunt with over SGD 150,000 worth of prizes to be won! From 10 to 14 February, customers will be able to join the nation’s largest virtual hunt for zodiac animals from anywhere in Singapore.

Chingay Parade 2021: Going digital with virtual showcases and talent shows

Organised by The People’s Association (PA), the Chingay Parade 2021 will be conducted as a digital showcase to be aired live on television, online and social media channels on 20 February 2021, 8pm – 9pm.

As a longstanding partner of the Chingay Parade, DBS is sponsoring the ‘We’ve Got Talent’ segment, which seeks to inspire and spark creativity by giving local talents a chance to showcase their skills. DBS will also leverage this platform to highlight homegrown small and medium-sized merchants, including social enterprises, by offering them more opportunities to reach out to more people in the community.

To reserve  your DBS QR Gift cards, visit go.dbs.com/sg-qrgiftorder and for more information on  DBS' Chinese New Year promotions, go to https://www.dbs.com.sg/personal/promotion/dbs-qr-gift

 

 

 

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Let's Create An Eco-Friendly World - "Recycle More, Waste Less"

Hi Huneybees,

How's your Lunar New Year celebration? Normally I'm not that jam-packed with all the errands but this year, it seemed like there is something to do every day, something to pack or someone to meet. I'm so backlogged on my posts but luckily, there are bubble tea stores around my area whenever I need to chillax.

Which brings us to the subject of the day, "Recycle More, Waste Less". I've been a really good girl, being more conscious when I am I am throwing my things out for spring cleaning, recycling them if they are still usable and also using less plastic too.

Last year, in conjunction with the introduction of DBS’ “Live more, Bank less” ethos, the bank upped the ante on its commitment to becoming more socially conscious and launched the “Recycle more, Waste less” eco-movement, with a focus on encouraging Singaporeans to reduce their consumption of single-use plastics – a particularly pressing issue in Singapore. According to the Singapore Environment Council (SEC), Singaporeans use at least 1.76 billion plastic items a year, of which less than 20% is recycled. Singapore shoppers also take 820 million plastic bags from supermarkets every year.

It may just be a little more work, a little more troublesome to recycle but when it comes to thinking about our future environment and maintaining the world's beauty for our future generations to come, that little effort is really nothing.

Attending the launch of the DBS Sparks Studio - “studio by day, communal hub by night”, located at the bank’s headquarters in the Marina Bay Financial Centre district, not only introduced me to this new interactive space for communities (including social enterprises supported by DBS Foundation, interest groups within the bank, as well as public interest groups – where they can gather, network, organise or attend event), but also given me more insights on how we can do our little part in saving the earth.

DBS’ green initiatives are part of the bank’s commitment to sustainable development. It was the first Singapore bank to be included as an index constituent of the FTSE4Good Global Index, a global sustainability index. The bank is also the first Asian bank and first Singapore company to join global renewable energy initiative RE100.

DBS has pledged to power 100% of its Singapore operations using renewable energy by 2030. As part of this commitment, the bank installed 1,200 solar panels at its office buildings in Changi Business Park. Today, 40% of DBS’ total energy consumption in Singapore comes from renewable sources. In 2017, DBS launched Singapore's first green bond by a financial institution and helped to promote green finance through the issuance of a USD 500 million green bond. In the same year, DBS was also the sole bookrunner for the first green bond by a Singapore company – City Developments’ SGD 100 million green bond.

They have done a ton of effort to spread awareness like reducing the use of disposable plastic water bottles in Singapore by giving away 20,000 reusable water bottles last year to attendees of the DBS Marina Regatta and Social Enterprise Summit; working with their tech vendor to reuse and reduce packaging for its electronic items, and also eliminated the use of plastic wraps for its red packets, avoiding 220 kg in plastic wastage.

8,000 Sporks were also given out as part of a “pledge-for-Sporks” campaign across universities, food outlets and hawker centres in Singapore as well as to their employees to adopt sustainable practices by distributing  4,000 reusable bags (which fold easily to become tiny, zipped pouches), 2,000 Sporks (a hybrid metal cutlery tool shaped like a spoon and a fork at either end) and 2,500 sets of metal straws to help employees lead more eco-friendly lives.

More than 1,300 employees have also pledged to an ongoing campaign to reduce their carbon footprint in 2019. DBS also recently carried out a six-week campaign that saw some 200 staff volunteers (or “Eco-Heroes”) drive greater awareness on recycling among employees. The campaign has resulted in nearly 70% more trash (or 1,900 kg more) being sorted for recycling.

Next, in December 2018, DBS also partnered the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) to jointly launch the ‘One Less Plastic’ national campaign with four leading supermarket chains - Dairy Farm Singapore Group, NTUC FairPrice, Prime Group and Sheng Siong - to encourage the use of reusable bags among supermarket shoppers. To date, some 30,000 reusable bags have been distributed through the partnership.

Ever since I've been to the event, I also learned new ways to do my bit to help save the earth. During CNY month, I've eliminated the use of plastic utensils and plates for our gathering meals, recycled some of last year's decorations to create new displays on the wall, using recycle bags when shopping for groceries as well as bringing my own cup holder and metal straw for my bubble tea sesh.

I believe with just a little change of habits, we can all do our bit to “Recycle more, Waste less” and create a better future for our generations to come. So, get the word out and show the world #RecyclemoreWasteless, #LivemoreBankless and #DBSSparks.

To find out more about DBS’ “Recycle more, Waste less”  eco-movement and the bank’s other sustainability initiatives, visit go.dbs.com/recyclemorewasteless and for more information about Sparks Studio, you can go to http://go.dbs.com/sparksstudio.

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