The 12th European Overseas Vietnamese Business Conference

The 12th European Overseas Vietnamese Business Conference

On September 29-October 1, 2023, the 12th European Overseas Vietnamese Business Conference was held in Budapest, Hungary. Nearly 400 delegates attended the forum, including Vietnamese overseas entrepreneurs from 19 European countries, Vietnamese business associations in European countries, the Hungarian trade promotion organization, leaders of some Vietnamese government agencies and provinces, the Hungarian Ambassador to Vietnam, representatives of Hungarian parliamentarians, the Vietnamese Embassy, the Trade Office of Vietnam in Hungary and some European countries.

This is the largest annual event of the overseas Vietnamese business community in Europe, organized by the Union of Vietnamese Enterprises in Europe in collaboration with the Vietnamese Embassy and Trade Office in Hungary. The forum also received the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, which organized many side activities including visiting Vietnamese businesses in Hungary.

Nearly 400 delegates attended the forum, including Vietnamese overseas entrepreneurs from 19 European countries

Hungarian MP Szatmáry Krisztofer, Chairman of the Hungary-Vietnam parliamentary friendship group, who has always supported the bilateral relationship between Vietnam and Hungary, shared: "I am here today to sponsor this Vietnamese forum. Hungary and Vietnam are close friends, always exchanging and cooperating on political, economic, and social issues. There are always large delegations visiting Hungary, and Hungary also sends large delegations to Vietnam. In November, we will warmly welcome the Prime Minister of Vietnam to visit Hungary".

Hungarian MP Szatmáry Krisztofer, Chairman of the Hungary-Vietnam parliamentary friendship group

The conference was divided into 4 sessions with 19 presentations on the following topics including introducing the export and import potential and investment opportunities in the central provinces of Vietnam - Ha Tinh and Nghe An; Introducing business cooperation opportunities with Vietnamese businesses in Europe; Introducing the activities of some Vietnamese businesses in Europe; Creating opportunities for the young Vietnamese generation in Europe to start businesses; Discussion and contributions from participating businesses.

Vietnamese-Russian Entrepreneur Le Truong Son, CEO of Incentra Company and President of the Association of Vietnamese Entrepreneurs in the Russia, said: "This conference is timely and a connecting place to gather the Vietnamese business community abroad. This is also a very practical need of the community. We still regularly organize events like this. This year's forum is one of the annual events, of course, it is in the context of the changing of economics and politics, so there are also many stories that we need to share and propose to the business community and the Vietnamese community living in Europe. How can we work together, think together about a newer, more realistic working style, as well as evaluate stories, draw lessons, what to do and how to work in the near future".

Vietnamese-Russian Entrepreneur Le Truong Son, CEO of Incentra Company and President of the Association of Vietnamese Entrepreneurs in the Russia

The event specifically explored the formation of a young Vietnamese business club in Europe, the formation of a delegation to bring the children of foreign Vietnamese firms to Vietnam in 2024, and the formation of a Billionaire Club. Furthermore, the conference organised golf tournaments and city excursions for participating delegates, as well as B2B connections.

The delegation who joined the conference have a tour around Budapest, Hungary

Young overseas Vietnamese entrepreneur in the Czech Republic, Hoang Dinh Toan, CEO and Chairman of Tam Da Group, shared: "The forum was very well-organized. Many people attended, and it was lively and enthusiastic. The organizers paid great attention to the younger generation and suggested creating a separate platform for us to exchange, learn, and collaborate with each other".

Young overseas Vietnamese entrepreneur in the Czech Republic, Hoang Dinh Toan, CEO and Chairman of Tam Da Group

Vietnamese-Australian entrepreneur, Peter Hong, Vice Chairman of the Association of Vietnamese Businesspeople Abroad, shared: "Currently, young Vietnamese in Europe are born, raised, and educated very systematically in their host countries. Seeing them study, work, and participate in the conference today has given me a different perspective, a very special image, and hope for the future of our country's economic development. In the future, they will replace us, and when they understand Vietnamese culture and the formation on of policies and mechanisms, their participation will be easier".

Vietnamese-Australian entrepreneur, Peter Hong, Vice Chairman of the Association of Vietnamese Businesspeople Abroad (4th from the right)

Mr. Koós Peter, Manager of the Helia Hotel, who coordinated support for the Forum, shared: "We have prepared all the necessary arrangements for this Forum to make you feel at home. Although the preparation time with us was only a few weeks, it was a pleasure and easy to work with the Vietnamese people. Everyone worked diligently, with hearts and warm spirits. We feel very happy working with them and look forward to working with the Vietnamese people in the future".

``We feel very happy working with them and look forward to working with the Vietnamese people in the future``, Mr. Koós Peter

The conference emphasised the importance of the Vietnamese business community in Europe in bridging and promoting collaboration in economics between Vietnam and Europe. It emphasises the importance of increasing Vietnamese exports to the European market, particularly from Vietnam's Central provinces. In the foreseeable future, there is a strong push for additional increase of imports and exports, as well as trade between both sides. Furthermore, overseas Vietnamese enterprises are encouraged to aggressively migrate from traditional business models to new business models in order to stay up with the fast evolving era of digital technology in Europe and the rest of the globe.