From 8-11 March, VIFA EXPO returned to Ho Chi Minh City’s SECC to present the latest product from Vietnam and further afield to a global audience hungry for new opportunities.
This year’s show featured 612 exhibitors – more than 140 of which attended from 17 countries and territories outside of Vietnam, including the US, the UK, Germany, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand.
Across 2410 booths, exhibitors displayed a wide range of indoor and outdoor furniture, handicrafts, gifts, wood materials, woodworking machinery and home accessories.
The show’s organiser reports a visitor count of 18,180, including 5729 international visitors from 117 countries and territories (55% from Asia, 25% from America, 15% from Europe, 12% from Oceania and 2% from Africa). Visitors from China, the USA, the UK, France and Canada topped the attendance roster.
According to exhibitor feedback, exhibitors signed or planned orders with trade buyers during the event to the tune of nearly US$100m, and many met many buying groups and high-volume buyers from the EU, America and Japan. Indeed, 95% of the exhibitors have rebooked for next year’s edition, and 50% of them plan to enlarge their displays.
The fair also saw numerous associated activities take place, including seminars, business matching and factory tours – the latter involving 48 international customers from 10 countries, who visited 11 furniture factories in the Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces. Five of the factories were asked for quotes during the visit, demonstrating the potential of expanding the relationships between Vietnamese manufacturers and international buyers, says the show’s organiser, which, to support exhibitors following the physical exhibition, also launched the VIFA EXPO Online Platform, in order to better facilitate long-term connections.
The 15th VIFA EXPO will take place at SECC from 6-9th March 2024. In the meantime, buyers may wish to join VIFA ASEAN, taking place from 29th August this year.
