Eighth Vietnam M&A Forum on the way

The forum, co-organised by VIR and AVM under the guardianship of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), has attracted 20 expert speakers and 500 attendees from governmental organisations, leading corporations, and investment funds from Vietnam and overseas.

Under the theme “M&A in Wider Economic Boundaries,” the forum will examine M&A potentials as Vietnam joins numerous bilateral and multi-lateral trade deals, notably the ASEAN Economic Community and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

This slew of trade agreements is expected to draw international M&A flows into the ASEAN, a diverse market with 600 million people, a growing middle class, and young workforce. As one of the fastest developing economies in the ASEAN, Vietnam is forecast to receive a great part of this increased inflow.

In fact, in 2015 the country already recorded $5.2 billion in M&A investments and this figure is expected to climb to $6 billion in 2016, according to the Institute of Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances in Switzerland.

“As Vietnam has been integrating deeper and wider into the world economy, this year’s forum is thus held under the theme of “M&A in Wider Economic Boundaries”. Apart from exchanging information, evaluating the pros and cons, and sharing experience on M&A deals in Vietnam, the Forum will promote M&A as a vital channel to raise capital and restructure enterprises and the economy,” said Le Trong Minh, editor-in-chief of VIR and head of the Organising Committee.

A wider economic zone allows Vietnamese firms in the consumer goods, retail, finance, and real estate sectors, among others, to attract foreign M&A flows. This is also a great opportunity for state divestments and the equitisation of state-owned enterprises.

“The MPI expects that this year’s forum can deliver adequate assessments on M&A trends and help find wise responses to challenges. It should also promote investment and networking activities between businesses and investors from both Vietnam and overseas,” noted Nguyen The Phuong, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment at the event.

The forum will include three discussion sessions on various issues of M&A, ranging from raising capital to drafting strategies. Experts from the MPI, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the State Securities Commission, and many more will share their experiences in these discussions.

In the morning, investors and 50 top firms have already joined MAF EXPO 2016 to discuss potential M&A deals. As one of the largest annual investment networking events, the EXPO also acts as a platform to introduce soon-to-be equitised firms to the investor community.

Following the Forum, the 50 best M&A deals in 2015 will be awarded at the Gala Dinner this evening.

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