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| Mr. Phan Quy Phuong, Deputy Chairman of Hue City People’s Committee speaking at the conference |
Connection in depth
The program attracted 89 enterprises and cooperatives to participate in networking and showcase over 300 products across various sectors, including agricultural products, seafood, processed foods, handicrafts, OCOP products, natural cosmetics, beverages, medicinal herbs, etc., along with 14 domestic and international distribution systems.
In the framework of the conference, the center organized an exhibition area to showcase products for promotion and introduction to partners, as well as trade exchanges among localities. Enterprises and cooperatives also participated in on-site trade agreements and B2B connections (transactions taking place between businesses). Suppliers and distributors had the opportunity to meet, present offers, provide product consultations, exchange legal documents, discuss purchasing procedures, and discuss quality standards through 1:1 meetings. This approach fostered deeper connections, increased the likelihood of cooperation after the conference, and supported businesses in improving product quality, enhancing packaging, expanding business mindsets, and creating positive impacts on media coverage and consumer behavior.
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| The distributor and the enterprise signing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) |
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Thao, Director of the Center, this activity was held to strengthen cooperation in promotion and connections between suppliers, trading enterprises, supermarket systems, and distributors; hence, supporting enterprises in Hue City and other provinces and cities in finding consumption markets for their products and goods, expanding and developing markets for specialty items, key agricultural products, strengths, and OCOP products of each locality, contributing to stimulating consumer demand, and effectively serving the consumption needs of people in Hue City, the Central – Central Highlands region, and consumers nationwide.
Improving the quality of local products
At the conference, enterprises and distributors shared their views on product standards required to participate in distribution systems. Delegates agreed that enterprises and cooperatives should pay greater attention to product design, packaging, and enhance product quality. Ideally, businesses should invest in quality management standards. Additionally, they should also focus on traceability and proper invoices and documentation to facilitate entry into supply chains.
Speaking at the conference, Mr. Phan Quy Phuong, Vice Chairman of Hue City People’s Committee, affirmed that Hue is not only a cultural and tourism center but also a hub for specialty products, handicrafts, and traditional goods of high value. Along with its geographical advantage on the North - South trade axis, Hue is set to become a transshipment point and a hub for supply - demand connections for goods across the Central and Central Highlands regions.
However, to turn potential into competitive advantage, we need to innovate our mindset in trade promotion. Rather than stopping at product introduction, trade promotion should be directed toward building a closed value chain that spans production, processing, distribution, and consumption. At the same time, we also need to consider international standards, traceability, and quality certifications to pave the way for exports, while fostering regional linkages, data and market information sharing, and strengthening cooperation in logistics development to optimize the supply chain.
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| The businesses introducing and promoting their products |
To achieve this goal, the Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee suggested that the Center for Investment Promotion, Trade, and Enterprise Support, along with relevant units, continue to play the role of a bridge, providing guidance and support for enterprises to improve their products and documentation to meet modern distribution standards. Enterprises and cooperatives should proactively enhance management capacity, apply technology, standardize quality, and diversify designs to keep up with consumer preferences. Distribution systems, supermarkets, and retail chains need to accompany businesses, strengthen the signing of long-term consumption contracts, create stable market outlets, share transparent information, and reach win-win development.
Hue City will continue to direct the Center for Investment Promotion, Trade, and Enterprise Support to strengthen coordination with localities, expand B2B connections, support the promotion of specialty products, OCOP products, and outstanding rural industrial products, while building the image of Hue as the supply-demand connection hub of the Central region.