HawaExpo 2024 attracts more than 500 exhibitors

The fair is expected to welcome around 25,000 visitors, and will focus on true commercial and branding value across the entire industry.

“It’s transparent for international visitors to come to Vietnam to look for Vietnamese partners. However, the quality of current export fairs does not offer equal opportunities for growing numbers of qualified domestic manufacturers. Therefore, HawaExpo has allocated 80 per cent of the slots to Vietnamese manufacturing and processing enterprises. The remaining 20 per cent includes furniture design and innovative technology-based companies, suppliers, and services providers, who also play an important role in the supply chain. This strategy will be maintained and aims to increase numbers in the coming years,” Nguyen Quoc Khanh, chairman of Hawa and Viforest Fair, shared.

Furniture design studios, furniture designers, contractors, and hospitality furniture brands will be brought together under one roof at the White Palace Pham Van Dong.

Taking full advantage of huge visitor traffic, these hidden gems of the wood and furniture industries will aim to raise brand awareness and drive more business.

Among a series of 20 events on site, HawaExpo is also collaborating with Forest Trends to assess the current status and seek sustainable solutions to expand the use of acacia wood, as Vietnam still imports about 2-3 million m3 of round timber and sawn timber each year from other tropical countries. Also, the Essence of Vietnamese Handwoven Craftsmanship disla will add more value to the handicraft furniture and souvenir sector through storytelling that allows visitors to experience the journey themselves.

Exhibitors will have access to three main business channels: direct networking at the fair, online partnerships through the Hopefairs exhibition platform, and expanding sales channels on global e-commerce platforms thanks to collaboration with the world's two leading e-commerce brands Amazon and Wayfair.

Wood and timber sector anticipating strong finish to year Wood and timber firms have reported an uptake in orders and are taking measures to increase exports in the build up to vibrant year-end shopping season.

Several sectors expect to miss 2023 targets The Vietnamese economy saw $10.8 billion from the export of timber and wood products in the first 10 months of 2023, down nearly 20 per cent on-year.

Wood sector anticipates rosier future According to figures from the Vietnam Handicrafts Exporter Association, Vietnam can expect around $14 billion from the export of wood and wooden items in 2023, falling short of the $17 billion target. However, such a figure could be deemed encouraging amid the recession in the global market and consumers’ tightened spending.

Dearth of orders signifies shift in timber industry The likelihood of a dearth of orders in the coming year in the timber industry is diminishing, according to industry insiders.