Thomas Russell
Event set for Oct. 7-14 WASHINGTON — The U.S. Vietnam Chamber of Commerce is organizing a trade mission to Vietnam this fall. 

The trip will be held from Oct. 7-14 and will include a visit to the International Handicraft and Furniture Expo in Ho Chi Minh City. Held from Oct. 10-14, the fair will have some 800 booths showcasing furniture and handicrafts made in Vietnam. 

The trip is open to different industries that source in Vietnam, such as the textile and the shoe industries. But with the planned visit to the Expo, furniture also plays an important role. 

The visit is being organized with the help of the Vietnam Resource Group, a private consulting firm formed in 1994 to help U.S. companies identify and develop business opportunities in Vietnam. 

VRG Managing Partner Trung Trinh said the trip is open primarily to small and medium-sized companies looking to find sourcing opportunities in Vietnam. A key goal is to help them identify niche manufacturers that can help provide products and styles they may not be able to obtain from China. 

“We want to focus on special projects such as antique reproduction furniture,” he said, noting that Vietnam can’t compete with China in areas involving mass production. “We can compete in handicraft and manual work.” 

To cover the three distinct commercial areas of the country, the trip will include visits to Hanoi to the north, Da Nang in the central coastal area, and Ho Chi Minh City to the south. The organizers also are planning a series of trade and investment conferences in each of these areas. 

“I just want to keep the momentum going,” said Trung, who also plans to be in Las Vegas this week along with a group of Vietnamese furniture makers observing the market. 

The organizers also will set up meetings between participants and Vietnamese companies as well as a group of networking events aimed at introducing the different parties. 

The deadline to register is Sept. 15, 2014. Excluding international airfare, the trip costs $2,450 per participant. A 10% discount is available to those who register and pay in full by Sept. 1. 

There is also a $200 charge per person for each of the trade and investment conferences held in the different regions. 

For more information, or to register, contact VRG Managing Partner Trung Trinh, in Washington, at (202) 271-8200, or Bill Benton, the group’s West Coast representative in California, at (714) 265-7969. 

Additional information is also available by e-mailing vietgroupusa@vietgroup.-

net or by visiting www.vietgroup.net.