Interfoam Southeast Asia is the best platform for cultivating Southeast Asian foam market; here’s why

Specialised exhibitions for precise customer engagement

Interfoam Southeast Asia is one of the branding exhibitions of Interfoam, focusing on the foam material industry and its application market in the Southeast Asia area, extending its reach to the Asia-Pacific region. As a specialised exhibition designed for precise customer engagement, it's the optimal choice for global foam enterprises aiming to invest and develop within the Southeast Asia market.

Spanning across a 4,400㎡ Exhibition Area, Interfoam Southeast Asia is scheduled to take place from August 1 to 3, 2024, in Ho Chi Minh City. The event will also feature more than 30 professional conferences.

This exhibition attracts over 100 professional exhibitors and welcomes more than 3,000 high-net-worth professional visitors from the foam material industry. These visitors include enterprises from manufacturing and processing industries, vertical application areas, professional associations, research institutions, media organisations, and more. Nearly 30% of the participants hail from overseas regions such as Japan, South Korea, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Chinese Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other countries and regions outside Vietnam. These visitors are actively engaged in foam material vertical applications, covering diverse sectors like new energy vehicles, packaging, sports and leisure, household appliances, home furnishings, cold chain logistics, medical health, construction, and building materials.

Ideal exhibitors

Interfoam Southeast Asia unites the entire industry chain of foam materials and advanced technologies in terminal applications, encompassing polyurethane and other polymer foam materials, technical components, raw materials, additives, cutting equipment, recycling technologies, and film tapes. Anticipated are over 100 exhibitors from Vietnam, mainland China (including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan), as well as international brands, offering a professional industry platform for the foam materials and their terminal applications market in Southeast Asia.There are enormous opportunities in the foam material market's development within the 'Belt and Road Initiative.

Market opportunities in the SEA region

Southeast Asia possesses a vast pool of young labour resources. As of June 2022, the total population of Southeast Asia had reached 681 million, with a substantial portion being under the age of 30. This youth-centric demographic structure implies a sustained and cost-effective labor force, establishing itself as a cornerstone for attracting foreign investment in Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asian market has become a crucial destination for Chinese exports. As the Belt and Road Initiative advances and the free trade agreement between China and ASEAN countries is signed, the Southeast Asian market has emerged as a pivotal destination for Chinese exports. China's exported goods to Southeast Asia are primarily centered around categories like electrical machinery, mechanical appliances, plastics, steel, mineral fuels, furniture, vehicles, organic chemicals, and knitted fabrics.

RCEP promotes commodity trade. The comprehensive implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has brought several policy dividends in terms of e-commerce development, tariff reduction, customs clearance procedures, and more, which marks a milestone against the backdrop of the current counter-flow of globalisation and the reshaping of the global industrial chain. The first quarter of 2023 saw strong resilience in Southeast Asian venture capital despite the impact of global macroeconomic downturn, with 146 transactions totaling US$1.53 billion in investment. Anticipated as a significant stimulant, RCEP is expected to further bolster regional trade liberalisation, facilitate investment, and foster global economic development. Southeast Asia is also poised to become one of the most closely watched markets for global investment in the future.

Vietnam's special status and advantages in the region

Geographical advantages. Vietnam's narrow north-to-south stretch boasts an extensive coastline, fostering robust import-export trade. This geographical advantage fosters close collaboration with China, making Vietnam a consistent top trading partner within ASEAN. China serves as Vietnam's primary source for machinery, electronics, textiles, footwear materials, phones, and transportation vehicles.

Demographic edge. As of early 2023, Vietnam's total population reached 98.53 million, with a labour participation rate of 68.9%. In terms of age, the median age of the population is 32.7, and those below 35 years old account for 52.2%.

Policy advantages. Vietnamese regulations offer tax incentives for new investments in industrial zones, export processing zones, high-tech parks, and economic zones, including a 'four-year exemption, nine-year half-reduction' scheme for corporate income tax. Vietnam allows 100% foreign ownership across various sectors like trade, IT, manufacturing, and education. In the first half of 2023, foreign investments surpassed US$13.43 billion, propelling robust economic growth. This surge contributed to the Ho Chi Minh Stock Index's remarkable 130% growth rate from 2020 to 2022, leading Southeast Asian indices.

Local resources empower brand-building

Vinexad, co-organiser of Interfoam Southeast Asia, is Vietnam's largest state-owned exhibition company, backed by a vast industry database and extensive social resources. Established in 1975 under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vinexad, initially known as the Vietnam National Trade Fair and Advertising company, was a pioneer in Vietnam's advertisement and exhibition industry. As a member of the Asian Federation of Exhibition and Convention Associations (AFECA), Vinexad has cultivated partnerships with trade promotion agencies like CCPIT (China), KOTRA (Korea), MATRADE (Malaysia), HKTDC (Hong Kong), GTZ (Germany), and more. With over 50 years of global market experience, Vinexad has emerged as a top-tier service provider, excelling in advertisement, communication, event organisation, exhibitions, and international trade promotion.

Supporters of Interfoam Southeast Asia

Interfoam Southeast Asia 2024 aims to enhance collaboration by tapping into extensive and diverse local professional associations. The strategy involves inviting top buyers and targeted audiences from various vertical industries, ensuring precise supply-demand alignment for maximum effectiveness.

Vietnam Plastics Association (VPA) - under the administration of the Ministry of Industry, is a voluntary non-government organisation to gather businessmen who operate in the field of plastic scientific research, production and sales. VPA is a member of ASEAN Federation of Plastic Industry (AFPI) and Asian Plastics Forum (AFP).

Vietnam Saigon Plastics Association (VSPA) - established on March 26, 1993, VSPA represents a merger of numerous enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City and its vicinity, consolidating both central and local state-owned plastics and rubber entities. This association brings together diverse economic sectors encompassing production, trade, import-export activities, and scientific initiatives. By 2021, VSA had gained endorsement from the Ho Chi Minh City Committee, government ministries, and allied associations. Recognised as a centre for scientific progress and international transactions in the plastics industry, Ho Chi Minh City plays a pivotal role in industry advancement and global trade.

Shoes & Leather Association of HCMC (SLA) – is a voluntary organisation uniting legally recognised enterprises from various sectors in Ho Chi Minh City and neighbouring provinces. SLA's primary goal is to boost member competitiveness and strengthen the industry, contributing to economic sustainability and raising living standards. Working under the City's Industry and Trade Association and overseen by the State agency, SLA offers scientific expertise in footwear and leather to its members. It conducts vocational education, training programs, seminars, and other activities to enhance industry expertise and capabilities, aiming for a positive market and economic impact.

Vietnam Packaging Association (VINPAS) - founded in 2001, has membership comprising legal entities and organisations operating in production, business, consumption, research, and management directly or indirectly linked to the packaging industry in accordance with Vietnamese law. Presently, the Association boasts an estimated 150+ members engaged in various sectors, including paper, plastic, metal, wood, glass, biodegradable materials, and other related packaging industries.

Saigon Construction and Building Materials Association (SACA) - is a voluntary professional organisation formed by individuals and organisations involved in the building materials sector within Ho Chi Minh City. Presently, it proudly comprises 315 members spanning across diverse sectors. SACA operates under the management of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction and holds membership in several key bodies, including the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Science and Technology Associations, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Vietnam Construction Association, and the Ho Chi Minh City Business Association.

Vietnam Electronic Industries Association (VEIA) – was established in June 2000 by a group of electronic manufacturers to meet the growing demand of industrial activities and promote the cooperation and the development of electronic industry in Vietnam. VEIA is an industry organisation in Vietnam with activities covering both the electronics and ICT fields.VEIA has 115 members with 104 regular members and 11 associate members, including companies engage in manufacturing, trading and service in the fields of electronics, information technology and communication.

Vietnam Association for Building Materials (ABM) - previously the Association of Building Materials and Components, established on August 11, 1984, gained national-level recognition from the Ministry of Interior in 2004. By 2009, ABM had nearly 100 collective members spanning sectors like cement, construction ceramics, architectural glass, and more. It also boasted 150 individual members, including research institutes, design consulting firms, universities, production units, and management personnel.

Binh Duong Furniture Association (BIFA) - was established in 2009 as an NGO and voluntary association. At present, BIFA boasts over 200 members, comprising local enterprises representing a wide spectrum of the furniture industry. These members hail from various sectors, including indoor and outdoor furniture, accessories for industrial equipment, industrial board, trade, service, and logistics advisory.

Support from the Ho Chi Minh Industrial Development Center

HoChiMinh City Center of Supporting Industries Development(CSID)–CSID’s core aim is to elevate the city's supporting industries. It achieves this by advising on policy mechanisms, connecting government departments with relevant units, facilitating supply-demand matching, and assisting industrial enterprises in accessing government support for investment, trade, development promotion, and human resources.

F2F Connecting: Precision supply-demand matchmaking

F2F Connecting facilitates precise pre-event matchmaking based on the needs of exhibitors and buyers. By leveraging high-value face-to-face networking , it helps clients to establish new partnerships and uncover potential business opportunities, ensuring the efficient participation of professional visitors and exhibitors.

In order to better support the development of the local industry in Vietnam and assist Interfoam exhibitors in connecting with local resources, Interfoam Southeast Asia, in collaboration with the co-organiser Vinexd, will conduct targeted invitations to key buyers from local industries such as electronics, footwear, packaging, building materials, logistics, home furnishings, and hardware. This initiative aims to enable exhibitors to expand their customer base in the most refined manner, and enable visitors to optimise their procurement efficiency, thus maximising the value of the exhibition.

Precision digital marketing, global targeted deployment

Interfoam Southeast Asia 2024 will employ SEM, EDM, SMS, and other multi-dimensional digital marketing methods on platforms such as Zalo, Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other multi-platform media for a sustained period of five months. This targeted approach aims to generate regional and industry-specific exposure to build momentum. The database will expand by nearly 150% compared to the previous session, with an expected total of over 100,000 accurate data entries.

Media collaboration for strong impact

Interfoam Southeast Asia 2024 will strengthen its media impact by broadening collaborations with domestic vertical and professional media across Southeast Asia, building on existing partnerships. This initiative targets over 300 global media outlets—both domestic and international—to unify voices. Expecting coverage in 1,000+ news articles across official, industry-specific, local, mainstream, and other media platforms, the aim is to boost brand visibility and exhibition information through concentrated reporting on multiple channels.

International forum: “Redefine Foams” foams and applications international forum

The forum will focus on the theme of “Redefining Foams” and will include the following topics on the development and innovation of foams in vertical applications fields, including but not limited to the fields of furniture, packaging, sports and leisure, cold chain and building materials; and innovation and development of foaming technology, including but not limited to the fields of foaming technology, raw materials and additives.

For more information about the event, visit https://interfoamvietnam.com/ or email wenting.zhang@hjtexpo.com

(PRA)

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