Vietnamese handicraft firms weak at trade promotion

The Milan Fine Arts and Handicrafts Fair 2008 was opened on November 29th in Milan, Italy with more than 2,000 booths run by businesses from over 100 countries across the world.

15 Vietnamese businesses with 18 booths took part in the event. This is the sixth time that Vietnamese businesses have been present at the Milan Fine Arts and Handicrafts Fair, the largest fine arts and handicraft fair in the world.

VINEXAD (the Vietnam Exhibition and Advertisement Company), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, help sponsor the Vietnamese businesses participating in the fair.

This event is a good chance for Vietnamese to introduce their products to Italian and international customers and to learn more about the European and international market, as well as to exchange information and sign contracts with new international partners.

According to assessments by experts, Italy is one of the EU’s largest and easiest-to-access fine arts and handicraft markets, with a total yearly trade turnover of Euro 20 billion. Yet, Vietnamese handicrafts only make up a very modest proportion of it due to limited product promotion and marketing.

In addition, Vietnamese businesses’ product promotion programs are still quite small, scattered and non-professional. As a result, they have so far end up with little success.

The fair will run till December 12th.

VINEXAD plans to also support Vietnamese handicraft companies at a similar event in Paris in April, 2009. (Hanoi Moi)