 |
| Hue businesses taking part in trade promotion activities in Ho Chi Minh City |
Market connectivity
Bringing businesses to trade fairs and business-matching events outside the city, while inviting distributors from different provinces and cities to Hue, is opening up more opportunities for local products to reach new markets. In addition to finding customers, businesses can directly gather feedback on their products, consumer preferences and the requirements of individual markets, allowing them to adjust their production and business strategies.
Mr. Nguyen Thi Kim Lang, Deputy Director of Bach Nghe Bup Sen Co. Ltd., said that in recent years, the company has participated in numerous trade promotion activities in other provinces and cities. At most events, particularly trade fairs held in major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the products brought by the company have sold relatively well, while also helping establish additional wholesale contacts.
Drawing on her experience from numerous trade promotion programs, Ms. Kim Lang said that to make the most of trade fairs and business matching programs, businesses need to carefully study the content of each event and the participating partners before registering. Businesses also hope that organizers will conduct more surveys in advance to better understand the needs of distributors and partners, as well as the characteristics of each market. Providing such information early would help businesses prepare appropriately, proactively adjust their products and identify the right partners to approach. From there, trade promotion activities would go beyond simply introducing and promoting products and could instead generate more targeted business connections and increase the likelihood of securing orders and establishing partnerships after the events.
An assessment by Hue City People’s Committee of the 2021 - 2025 trade promotion program shows that the domestic market is providing a foundation for the distribution of key product groups, OCOP products, typical rural industrial products and Hue specialties. During this period, more than 1.000 businesses, cooperatives and household businesses received support to participate in trade promotion activities. Many of Hue’s specialty and OCOP products have reached and been distributed through major supermarket and commercial center chains both inside and outside Vietnam.
 |
| Products from a Hai Phong business on display at Hue Festival 2026 trade fair |
Since May 2024, when responsibility for implementing the trade promotion program was transferred to the city’s Investment, Trade and Business Support Promotion Center, market-linkage activities have continued to expand. The Center has maintained close coordination with relevant departments, agencies and localities and organized or participated in major trade fairs such as Hue Festival 2026 Trade Fair, the 2025 Autumn Trade Fair and the first 2026 Spring Trade Fair, along with buyer-seller matching conferences between Hue City and other provinces and cities. The Center has also successfully supported more than 15 businesses in the city in establishing connections and introducing their products into modern distribution systems such as GO!, Co.opmart, WinMart, AEON Mall; and into stores at Tan Son Nhat and Da Nang airports operated by Taseco; and F&B distribution agents in northern and southern Vietnam.
Renewing trade promotion methods
Beyond delivering practical benefits to businesses, organizing or participating in interprovincial and regional trade promotion programs is also important for local authorities and trade promotion centers. Market information gathered through these programs provides a basis for promotion agencies to recommend adjustments to support policies, product development orientations and production organization so that they better match market demand. At the same time, interprovincial and intercity buyer-seller matching opens additional distribution channels, enabling businesses to access distribution systems outside their local markets and strengthening commercial links between localities.
 |
| Hue businesses participating in trade promotion activities in Hanoi |
According to Mr. Dinh Van Phuc - Deputy Director of Da Nang Center for Industrial Promotion and Trade Promotion, interprovincial and regional trade events not only allow businesses to introduce their products but also help promotion agencies gain a clearer understanding of market demand and the complementary strengths of different localities. Through each program, the center records feedback on product designs, quality, packaging specifications and the needs of distribution systems, which is then used to provide further advice to businesses. This information also provides a basis for trade promotion centers to coordinate in selecting appropriate product groups, partners and distribution systems, enabling them to organize programs that more closely match the needs of businesses and distributors. For Hue and other central Vietnamese localities, greater exchange of market data will help bring regional trade promotion activities to a deeper level and produce more substantive results.
Recognizing this importance, Hue City trade promotion program for 2026 - 2030 will continue to focus on the domestic market. Accordingly, greater investment will be directed toward interprovincial and regional trade promotion activities, with priority given to major cities and economic, commercial and tourism hubs such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang, as well as localities with strong consumer demand.
In the Central and Central Highlands regions, Hue City will also capitalize on geographic proximity and cultural and culinary similarities to expand buyer-seller linkages and organize trade promotion activities by product and industry groups. At the same time, the city will strengthen connections between Hue products and supermarkets, shopping centers, retail chains, convenience stores and specialized distribution channels. Trade promotion activities will also be diversified by linking them with tourism and festivals, opening additional channels for distinctive products, gifts, souvenirs and traditional foods to reach customers.
 |
| Hue businesses taking part in trade promotion activities in Ho Chi Minh City |
Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thao, Director of Hue City Investment, Trade and Business Support Promotion Center, said that trade promotion activities in the coming period will take a more specialized and targeted approach. In addition to traditional trade fairs, the Center plans to increase B2B (business-to-business) matching programs, market surveys and support for businesses in tapping e-commerce platforms. Alongside trade promotion support, the Center will proactively collect and analyze market information from outside the city to advise businesses. It will also coordinate with relevant departments and agencies to support improvements in quality standards, product design, packaging and traceability so that products better meet the requirements of individual markets.
The Center will also expand its network linking trade promotion centers and localities, with a focus on sharing market information, coordinating supply-and-demand forecasts and supporting the development of interprovincial supply chains. Such coordination will give agencies a stronger basis for selecting programs and establishing connections that accurately match the needs of producers and distributors, thereby improving the efficiency of trade promotion resources.
Nevertheless, the effectiveness of trade promotion programs depends not only on support from departments and agencies but also on businesses taking the initiative. Understanding market demand, maintaining contact with distributors, using feedback to improve products and developing appropriate supply plans will help businesses make better use of the opportunities created by each business-matching program. Once product quality and delivery capacity have been demonstrated, businesses will have a stronger basis for building trust with partners and gradually developing long-term commercial relationships.