More than 450 local and foreign firms will showcase their latest products in construction, building materials, real estate and interior and exterior decoration sectors at Vietbuild 2014 in Hanoi.

The five-day exhibition, to be started on March 26 at the Vietnam Exhibition and Fair Centre, will introduce eco-friendly materials and energy-saving devices related to the housing industry.

AFC International Exhibition Company General Director Nguyen Dinh Hung told the media that the exhibition would feature 1,350 booths of 214 domestic businesses, 175 joint venture companies and 61 foreign groups and enterprises. The foreign participants are coming from China, Republic of Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Italy, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Singapore, France, the US and India.

Hung said the exhibition was also expected to offer business cooperation opportunities for the participants as well as the expanding market.

He added that Vietbuild has attracted big companies with an aim to bring a new direction to the domestic building material and interior market.

The exhibition will include the presentation of the Vietbuild Golden Cup to encourage quality improvements and the creation of new construction and real estate products.

Three special conferences would also be held to discuss the development of new eco-friendly technologies.

Vietbuild is an annual exhibition jointly organised by the Ministry of Construction and the AFC International Exhibition Fair Corporation. The event was organised for the first time in Ho Chi Minh City in 1998, and was subsequently expanded to Hanoi and Da Nang in 2005.-VNA