Show report and enhancement of destination brands. MICE is therefore increasingly recognised as a key driver for raising value add, quality and international competitiveness of the tourism sector.” Vietnam’ s deputy prime minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra also urged southeast Asian countries to collaborate on a regional“ MICE ecosystem”. Exhibitor / buyer feedback To gauge reaction to ITE HCMC 2026, EW spoke to a number of exhibitors and buyers. Asked about the organisation of the event, there was generally universal praise with only the occasional gripe. For example, the sheer size of the SECC meant that finding your way to your designated meeting when time was short could sometimes be a challenge for buyers. Help desks on the exhibition floor would have been helpful in this regard. The booking system for buyers to set up meetings with exhibitors worked well, although one buyer complained that it was difficult to schedule meetings with tourist boards as they were not available on the app. The speed-dating meetings for buyers on the eve of the event was well organised.
There was definitely a sense that incremental gains are being made each year at the show. As Alistair Minty, general manager of the Sofitel Saigon Plaza, explained:“ We’ ve been
working with the tourism board for the last four years and I definitely see an improvement each year. The quality of the buyers is getting more impressive and more targeted. The strategy is more focused. Also, the layout( of the exhibition) is getting more streamlined and the organisers, with whom we have a close relationship, take feedback on board.”
Andrew Duncan, global ambassador of luxury villa rental company, Oliver’ s Travels, found the lead-up to the expo“ excellent” in terms of organisation and the SECC part of the event“ pretty slick” and, while he praised the organisation on the trade show floor, he thought some of the evening events were“ poorly thought out with not enough consideration given to buyers’ needs and expectations. The exception was the farewell thank you party on the boat, which I thought was jolly good.” ITE HCMC 2026 featured 47,960 attendees, 520 tourism exhibitors and brands across 410 booths, representing tourism promotion organisations and international businesses from a range of countries.
Although there was a revised counting methodology this year, organisers say attendance represented an increase in the number of exhibitors and tourism brands and reflected the continued growth of ITE HCMC as an international tourism trade platform.
Mind the gap Sofitel’ s Minty gave a more ringing endorsement, particularly of the destination and its MICE aspirations:“ Ho Chi Minh City can really be seen as a MICE hub. Delegates can enjoy genuine Vietnamese hospitality. There’ s a lot of opportunity for people to explore. Just take the plunge, come, and you’ ll see how vibrant and energised the city is. You’ ll really enjoy it.” Such is the city’ s growing popularity that Sofitel’ s GM forecast that in 2-3 years’ time, international arrivals in Ho Chi Minh City would exceed those of Bangkok. EW www. exhibitionworld. co. uk Issue 5 2026 29