Vietnam Expo 2006 - Best Chances for Enterprises to Expand Markets

Vietnam Expo is the biggest trade fair in Vietnam, taking place from April 5-9, 2006. On the occasion, reporter Tuan Kiet of Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Nguyen Khac Luan, general director of the Vietnam National Exhibition and Advertising Company (Vinexad), which has organised the event for 16 years.

The Government, agencies and enterprises have always attached importance to the organisation and expansion of markets, export ones. That is why this year's expo is themed 'Vietnam - Potential, Opportunity and Development.' The 2006 Vietnam Expo will be held in Hanoi from April 5-9, 2006. With good preparations, the organisers are confident in a high effectiveness of the event with great opportunities for Vietnamese and foreign enterprises to exchange experience, introduce potential, seek partners and promote investment and technology transfer.

With Vietnam Expo 2006, Vinexad continues to develop experience and skills for organising major events, including trade fairs and exhibitions in Vietnam. At the same time, this will mark an important development of the company's history as a joint stock company, which has developed firmly and made a significant contribution to the Vietnamese economy under the guidelines of the Ministry of Trade.

Under the sponsorship of the Vietnamese Government, the Ministry of Trade, the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, and co-operation of ministries and agencies, as well as trade and economic organisations in Vietnam and foreign countries, since 1991, Vinexad has organised 15 expos. Over the past 15 years, the role and contribution of Vietnam expo has been fully aware of in Vietnam's trade activities. Therefore, we have always built up our capacity, contributing to the building of a professional trade promotion environment.

Via the expo, we have received feedback from Vietnamese enterprises and foreign guests, based on which we have been aware that the import and export structure of Vietnam is very healthy and suitable with development goals of the trade service. Accordingly, the import volume of modern technology and equipment is higher than the volume of consumer goods. This can be seen via the goods displayed and introduced by Vietnamese and foreign enterprises at the expo. Machines and equipment, which have been introduced most in recent expos, include machines and equipment of construction, electric, electronic, information technology, telecommunication, shipbuilding, automobile, food processing and pharmaceutical industries.

At the same time, there is a tendency of an increase export of traditional products of Vietnam, including garments, textiles, footwear, processed food, woodworks, pottery and ceramic ware, handicrafts and souvenirs.

 

Activities taking place during expos have two targets, promoting import and export, and investment. During the preparation process for the expo, the Ministry of Trade provided guides to units and co-operated with relevant agencies to provide support for enterprises taking part in the event. Accordingly, departments of trade of provinces and cities have actively been involved in the expo, creating favourable conditions for enterprises in localities to take opportunities to co-operate with potential partners, especially to sign direct export contracts. We encourage business associations, trade promotion organisations to help enterprises in this ways in the future expos. In addition, the Ministry of Trade receive foreign guests to the event and keep them informed of information about the Vietnamese markets and products in which they are interested, as well as help them contact with enterprises taking part in the expo.

Many seminars and forums will be held by the organisers in co-operation with trade representatives, enterprises, to help Vietnamese and foreign enterprises to get access to concrete markets in an effective manner. Accordingly, a seminar entitled 'Managing Quality of Farm-produce and Processed Food for Export,' which is chaired by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, has had adequate information and skills to help enterprises promote their trademarks and products to huge export markets.

Also, business forums will be organised in display areas of enterprises from the Republic of Korea and Malaysia. We are very happy to introduce a delegation of enterprises from Cuba. This is the second consecutive year, the Ministry of Trade and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Cuba have organised a delegation of enterprises to attend the Vietnam expo. In particular, a deputy minister of trade will lead the delegation to the 2006 Vietnam Expo. This proves evidence for promoted friendship, economic and trade co-operation between Vietnam and Cuba, especially in the traditional fields of medical equipment, food and drink, consultancy and construction of roads and traffic works, information technology and telecommunication. At the same time, Cuban enterprises want to explore import potential of Vietnam.

As usual, a council selects and presents gold medals to products and services of Vietnamese enterprises, which have high quality, competitiveness and export potential to encourage Vietnamese enterprises to make further efforts in production and business activities. The council consists of leading experts from universities, research institutes, training centres and the Directorate for Standards and Quality to work out norms for the selection and rewarding of products and services. I would like to emphasise a scientific feature in the selection and rewarding of products and services. Accordingly, the Vietnam Expo gold medals are presented on a scientific basis of products instead of subjective voting. The system of norms for the selection and rewarding are considered carefully by the council in accordance with development tendencies of the market and consumer demand. In a list of products and services nominated for the 2006 Vietnam Expo gold medals, there are products and services of enterprises which make debut at the expo and products and services of globally famous enterprises which have attended the event for years. This shows good signs of prestige given by enterprises to the Vietnam Expo's gold medals.

-Concrete plans have been developed to invite Vietnamese and foreign enterprises to visit and work at the expo, providing support for their activities during the event to gain a high effectiveness. 

-More machinery and equipment will be displayed than consumer goods.

-Display areas will be divided according to countries and groups of products and services to facilitate enterprises' contacts.

-The event has been promoted actively as follows:

+ Apart from promotion information on outdoor posters and advertising panels, the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency will promote information on the mass media.

+ Letters of invitation have been sent directly to enterprises.