Let's Park, established last year by Wilson Group, a subsidiary of SHKP, is a one-stop electronic parking platform that promotes digital transformation in the parking management industry. By consolidating parking resources in a dedicated mobile app, Let's Park provides parking space owners with a greater opportunity to lease their spots, while also helping drivers find a parking space more easily.

Optimizing parking resources with easy operation

Let's Park is a platform to connect available parking assets with the driving community, said Jessica So, General Manager of Let's Park. It allows parking space owners to make additional income by leasing their vacant parking spots on an hourly, monthly or time-sharing basis, and drivers can use the service to rent a parking space without the hassle of queueing for parking. For hourly parking, bookings can be made from 10 days to 15 minutes in advance; for monthly parking and time-sharing, parkers can submit a request 24 hours beforehand. The user-friendly operation provides great flexibility and convenience for both space owners and parkers.

Facilitating the digital transformation of car parks

To encourage different car parks to join Let's Park, the team designed a smart system, called 'bCODE', which is compatible with most parking gates in Hong Kong. After making a booking, drivers can gain access to the car park via a 'Smart Pass' sent to their mobile phone. They can enjoy a more streamlined parking experience because the system does not modify the original database of the car park. In addition, Let's Park offers an enterprise management solution to assist car parks in digital transformation, including automating the management of the sale and transaction of monthly passes. "We will set up a new website for parking companies to list their vacant parking spaces," said Jessica. "This will offer them a better chance to lease their space through greater exposure."

Jessica added that Let's Park supports the advancement of Hong Kong's smart city journey. Since its launch several months ago, the platform has received a highly encouraging market response for its monthly pass service, and discussions on collaboration with a number of parking management companies are underway. As Let's Park continues to develop and grow its user base, she said she believes that digital car park management is set to become more prevalent in the industry.

The community has united to fight the novel coronavirus. For seven consecutive nights from 3 April, SHKP displayed light slogans on the International Commerce Centre's façades to cheer for Hong Kong's healthcare workers and citizens. SHKP Office Leasing General Manager Lo King-wai said, "The virus outbreak has dragged down community sentiment. Through this campaign, SHKP hopes to spread positive energy across Hong Kong, while expressing our gratitude for our healthcare workers' selfless efforts and dedication. We hope that the community can work together to overcome the virus."

The slogans "Thank You Hong Kong Medical Services" and "Stay Strong Fight Pandemic Together" are displayed on the International Commerce Centre's façades for seven consecutive nights to cheer for Hong Kong's healthcare workers and citizens

SHKP's property management arms, Hong Yip and Kai Shing, have adopted a series of anti-coronavirus measures and value-added services in the Group's residential properties to ensure the safety and health of every resident.

To reduce the risk of virus transmission, with the consent of owners' organizations, the children's recreational facilities and parts of the clubhouse facilities have been temporarily closed, while indoor activities such as interest classes have been suspended. In addition, the Customer Service Offices regularly distribute the latest information on infection prevention to residents via designated mobile apps and/or notice boards in residential lobbies.

As part of its commitment to promoting healthy and sustainable living, for the 12th straight year, the company participated in Earth Hour, a worldwide lights-off campaign organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). This year, SHKP mobilized 300 commercial and industrial buildings, shopping malls and residential estates managed by its property management subsidiaries to switch off their non-essential lighting devices on the night of the event in order to conserve energy. The Group’s properties participating in the campaign included Sun Hung Kai Centre, the International Commerce Centre (ICC), the Kowloon Commerce Centre (KCC), Tsuen Wan Plaza, and St. Barths. A number of large-scale landmarks on the mainland, such as Shanghai IFC, Shanghai ICC, Shanghai Central Plaza, and Parc Central and Tianhui Plaza in Guangzhou, also took part in the event to contribute to environmental protection.

In view of public concerns about going working and shopping during the novel coronavirus outbreak, SHKP has introduced eight new measures at nearly 60 shopping malls and office buildings to help prevent the spread of the virus to put tenants and shoppers at ease.

In addition, SHKP has been actively working with tenants to strengthen in-store infection prevention measures, including assisting tenants to clean and disinfect the air-conditioning outlets in their stores. Tenants are also encouraged to provide customers with hand sanitizers and temperature screening services. Meanwhile, hygiene guidelines for shopping malls and offices have been drawn up and strictly adhered to. They require frontline staff, contractors and other workers to submit health declaration forms and conduct temperature checks before work, and to wear face masks at work. SHKP hopes that everyone can fight the coronavirus together by taking a step further.

SHKP is committed to providing its staff with a safe work environment. In addition to undertaking epidemic prevention measures introduced at SHKP malls and offices (refer to another article), the Group's headquarters, Sun Hung Kai Centre, has been enhanced with an array of anti-coronavirus equipment. For example, the infrared temperature-scanning system in the lobby not only helps reduce manpower to manually conduct temperature checks for building users, it also minimizes the waiting time to enter the building. Moreover, ultraviolet air purifiers have been installed at the main doors to help disinfect the lobby and the mall. A transparent protective shield has been set up at the concierge service counter to prevent droplet transmission to help safeguard the health of frontline staff.

While digital products make our lives more convenient, they also leave us exposed to cybersecurity risks, inappropriate online content, false information, and other challenges. To raise public awareness of digital intelligence, SmarTone has launched the 'Be a SmarTizen' digital intelligence programme, helping the general public prepare for the upcoming 5G era and a smarter life.

As part of the programme, a one-stop information hub (https://smartizen.smartone.com) has been launched to provide a wide range of information catering to the diverse needs of different segments, including cybersecurity tips, insights shared by school principals, parenting celebrities and influencers via regular columns, as well as recommendations on smart living apps. In addition, SmarTone will host a cross-generation eSports competition, the first of its kind in the telecommunications industry in Hong Kong. With a competition category for families, this initiative is intended to help foster intergenerational communication through the growing popularity of eSports.

There will also be a series of fun and informative seminars and workshops, including an 'Andrew Sir 5G Cybersecurity Workshop', in which SmarTone information security expert Andrew Sir will share cybersecurity tips, as well as useful applications and tools. Industry opinion leaders and star guest speakers have also been invited to offer their insights on the latest internet trends. Through the 'Be a SmarTizen' digital intelligence programme, SmarTone aspires to help every citizen in Hong Kong become a smart netizen by building proper understanding and utilization of digital products and services.

SHKP cares for its employees and prioritizes their health. To ease our colleagues' worries during the novel coronavirus outbreak, the company has introduced various measures and offered considerate support to fight the virus together.

Three anti-epidemic items for colleagues

The growing number of countries around the globe affected by the epidemic has led to a shortage of protective equipment. In view of this, SHKP sourced anti-epidemic items for our colleagues. Earlier, the company distributed surgical masks and antibacterial gel to our headquarters colleagues. Recently, it provided colleagues and tenants with stylus pens so that they can press capacitive touch elevator buttons without touching the surface to minimize the risk of infection.

Lunch boxes

As the novel coronavirus is highly contagious, the Department of Health has urged the public to avoid meal gatherings. To this end, the company replaced free lunch meals with free lunch boxes for our headquarters colleagues in early February. Our two lunch box suppliers continue to serve balanced meals, with reduced oil, sugar and salt, and plenty of vegetables. They also provide immunity-boosting soups and seasonal fruit. The delivery and distribution personnel wear masks all the way. The cutlery and food containers are also checked regularly to ensure a good hygiene level.

Video conferencing

To help prevent crowds from gathering, SHKP encourages and supports the use of video conferencing for meetings. The company experimented with the use of Zoom video conferencing software starting last year. Before the virus outbreak, our colleagues started using similar video conferencing software with the Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing Offices. Also, Group Training now provides training courses and seminars as webinars. These arrangements not only minimize the risk of infection among colleagues, but also help prevent disruption to the day-to-day work and meeting schedule.

A barren site adjacent to PARK YOHO, SHKP's major residential development in Yuen Long's Kam Tin North, has been revived by the Group to become wetland Fairyland. The innovative idea was awarded a Certificate of Merit at the Hong Kong Institute of Planners Awards 2018. Recently, three town planners from the Royal Town Planning Institute of the United Kingdom, the largest planning institute in Europe, visited Hong Kong and took a tour of PARK YOHO and the Fairyland to learn about the development's daily operations and how it balances development and conservation.

20 years from planning to completion

The company pooled the expertise of professionals from different sectors to transform deserted agricultural land into the 500,000-square-foot wetland Fairyland. After 20 years of planning and restoration work, SHKP has turned the barren site into a wide brackish marsh clad with reed beds. The Fairyland is now a sustainable wetland ecosystem, providing a comfortable home to over 180 species of natural wildlife, including dragonflies, damselflies, butterflies, birds, amphibians and reptiles. Even the near-threatened four-spot midget, a type of dragonfly, can be found there!

Balancing development and conservation

The three representatives of the Royal Town Planning Institute of the UK, Ms Victoria HILLS, Chief Executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute; Dr John McCARTHY; and Dr Imran MUHAMMAD, recognized the PARK YOHO residential development as a role model, as it has incorporated wetland elements to balance development and conservation. SHKP believes that the wetland is an important resource and organizes guided eco-tours of the Fairyland from time to time to enable exchanges with members of different sectors and to promote the importance of wetland conservation. In the future, the company will develop premium properties while driving environmental conservation and sustainable development to create greater benefits for society.