Visitors attend the Vietnam Expo in HCM City (Photo: VNA) But Vietnam Expo 2020, the oldest and most prestigious trade promotional eventin Vietnam, did go ahead, thanks to a combination of regular and online booths.
Nguyen Thu Hong, Deputy General Director of Vinexad (Vietnam National TradeFair and Advertising Company) said online business platforms helped to improvetrade opportunities amid ongoing social distancing measures and border restrictions.
In special pavilions, visitors could view products and complete transactionsvia apps, with constant support from interpreters. Meetings were alsopre-scheduled to take place during the course of the exhibition.
“From the end of last year, my company developed exhibitions by combiningregular and online booths. The online business meetings were also scheduled viaZoom during the course of the exhibitions,” Hong said.
The annual trade fair in 2019 attracted 600 pavilions from 15 cities andprovinces in Vietnam and 23 territories and countries and welcomed 21,000business people.
The Vietnam Expo 2021 will take place in Hanoi from April 14-17.
Hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the annual event aims to boostexports, develop the domestic market, and expand and diversify trade promotionactivities during global economic integration. During the fair, exhibitorsinvolved in digital transformation are encouraged to join a priority area.Seminars on digital transformation are also on the agenda.
Bui Thi Thanh An, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency underthe Ministry of Industry and Trade saiddue to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, many planned trade fairs andexhibitions were postponed so the agency had to conduct online businessplatforms.
For the Chinese market, the agency conducted about eight to 10 events, usingthe method of "cloud exhibition" and "no direct contact"last year.
As it was impossible to organise trade fairs and exhibitions as usual, manyinitiatives were made to promote online trade. This move was welcomed andreceived positive support from businesses, An added.
Tina Phan, Indochina Director at Hong Kong Trade Development Council saidbecause it was impossible to bring Vietnamese businesses to Hong Kong to findtrade partners amid COVID-19, she would help Hong Kong businesses to connectwith Vietnamese companies via online platforms.
Park Ki Young, Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic ofKorea said Vietnam was an important partner and he hoped Vietnamese companieswould become a major link in the supply chain of Korean enterprises, especiallyin the fields of automobile production, electronics, footwear, and textiles.
By the end of this year, the applications for digital transformation bymanufacturers and service companies will further encourage local businesses toparticipate. Businesses applying digital transformation will have the samestarting point including transforming their thinking and perception./.
VNA
