Vietnam Handicraft Exporters Association will host ‘Lifestyle Vietnam 2012’, an international fair for handicrafts, gift items, wooden products and household goods, at the Tan Binh Exhibition and Convention Centre in Ho Chi Minh City from April 18-21.
‘Lifestyle Vietnam 2012’ is expected to have 1,200 stalls of Vietnamese and foreign businesses, displaying a variety of products like handicrafts and home decor items, indoor and outdoor wooden products, household appliances, home textiles and embroidered goods, gifts made by ethnic minority groups, jewellery, accessories, fashion products and toys.
Most businesses participating in the fair will have a chance to promote their products and seek export opportunities.
At a recent press conference to introduce the fair, Le Ba Ngoc, Deputy Chairman cum Secretary-General of the Vietnam Handicraft Exporters Association (Vietcraft), said that there are many kinds of products that foreign businesses want to order but cannot find Vietnamese suppliers.
For instance, decorative glass items are in great demand in the US market but are in short supply in Vietnam.
Metallic items, festive products, home decorations, disposable cutlery, packing material, nonwoven fabrics and wheel suitcases are also in short supply here, though much in demand in other countries.
Items like lacquer wooden furniture and bamboo weave handbags are favourites in several countries. However, new design samples are few thus the handicraft industry has lost out on exports.
To overcome this shortcoming, Vietcraft will open a product design and development centre, sponsored by Denmark, for businesses to meet and develop new designs, said Ngoc.
