(VEN) - Vietnam Economic News' Ngoc Long spoke with Nguyen Ba Tuan, the director of the Alliance Handicraft and Wooden Fine Art Corporation, a major implementer of VIFA 2010 operations, about the fair.
The Handicraft and Wood Industry Association (HAWA) of Ho Chi Minh City will sponsor the 2010 Vietnam International Furniture and Home Accessories Fair (VIFA 2010) from March 11-14 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City.
Could you tell something about VIFA 2010?
While the global financial crisis and economic downturn still have negative impacts on businesses, VIFA 2010 is expected to attract 150 foreign and domestic businesses that are to introduce goods and services at 600 pavilions at the fair.
Apart from wood processors and fine art and handicraft article producers, VIFA 2010 will be attracting businesses trading in timber, equipment, accessories and other materials for use in wood product production and businesses offering wood product standard control services from foreign countries and territories (including Malaysia, China, Hong Kong-China, Singapore and the UK).
VIFA 2010 is expected to help businesses restore and increase exports, find more buyers and succeed in new markets.
How is VIFA 2010 advertised overseas?
With assistance from Vietnamese trade offices in foreign countries/territories, more than 40 media companies inside and outside Vietnam are advertising VIFA 2010 at a total cost of US$180,000.
The ASEAN Furniture Industries Council (AFIC) has recognized VIFA 2010 as part of the international furniture and home accessories fair chain of seven countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam), which take place from March 2-14, 2010. Through AFIC, VIFA 2010 is introduced to customers including major importers from the US, Japan and EU countries.
Almost 1,000 major furniture and home accessories importers from 67 countries and territories, including Australia, the US, the UK, Canada, Singapore, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong (China) and more, have registered online to visit VIFA 2010. Eighty percent of these importers said that they want to look for new suppliers in Vietnam.
What kinds of assistance will VIFA 2010 provide for businesses participating in the fair in particular and businesses in the wood industry in general?
While VIFA 2010 takes place there will be a meeting with an Italian wood importers delegation, a presentation entitled 'Post-economic recession wood product demands in Germany' by Mobel Mart, the editor-in-chief of a German furniture magazine, a wood product refinery technology presentation by Bayer Vietnam, a Vietnamese-Germany Forestry Development Program presentation on the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) and the Lacey Act, and more.
What do you expect from VIFA 2010?
I expect that VIFA 2010 will be more successful than VIFA 2008 and VIFA 2009, as it will benefit from greater efforts of the fair organizing board and greater assistance and cooperation from businesses in the field, Ho Chi Minh City authorities, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and HAWA./.
Ngoc Long
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