Distinct Taiwanese brands to showcase at Vietnam Expo 2014 After Taiwan Excellence Home & Leisure Experiencing Zone series in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Taiwan Excellence continues to make a bold presence at one of the biggest international trade events in the country, the 12th Vietnam International Trade Fair (Vietnam Expo 2014) which is slated to run from December 3-6, 2014 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 7. More than 40 brands introduced in Taiwan Excellence campaign this year will take part in this special trade show. Under the sponsor of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam Expo 2014 is expected to welcome 426 companies from 16 countries and territories. The exhibition- consisted of four main displaying areas including International Pavilions, Machinery - Electronics, Vehicles & Spare Parts and Home Living- seeks to offer Vietnamese and overseas enterprises an opportunity to experience latest innovation in different fields, exchange ideas and build up relationships for further collaboration. Taiwan is a familiar exhibitor of Vietnam Expo with companies joining this annual show in the past 12 years. Since 2013, leading Taiwanese brands having products awarded “Taiwan Excellence” has been put under the Taiwan Excellence booth, together showcasing the “excellent lifestyles” concept to visitors.  Returning in the 2014 show, Taiwan Excellence Pavilion will be showcasing Taiwan’s award-winning products from 45 ICT, home-living, health & fitness and transportation brands. Some of notable names are HTC, Acer, Transcend, D-Link, Silicon Power and BenQ (technology), SYM, STRiDA, Tern and Kymco (transportation) and Cashido, Caesar and Sakura (home-living) and Johnson’s Health and Ucheer (Health & Fitness). A representative from the ICT industry is Acer, introducing its Aspire P3 ultrabook which can turn into a tablet in a second and the Aspire S7 laptop with the gorgeous yet tough Gorilla® Glass 2, improved 8 hours of battery life and enhanced auto-illuminating keyboard. Also featured at the Taiwan Excellence Pavilion will be HTC’s Desire and One’s smartphone family; latest innovation in the audio solution, power bank, gaming devices, and cooler from Thermaltake; StoreJet portable hard drive series combining the superior performance of USB 3.0, vast storage space, eye-catching enclosure, and a three-stage shock protection system that meets U.S. military drop-test standards from Transcend; BenQ’s smart projector that allows up to four students interact at the same time; and many other more. Coming to Vietnam Expo 2014, Taiwan Excellence especially presents a number of vehicle manufacturers and their new innovative concepts of moving such as SYM’s elegant yet strong and fuel-efficient motorbike models and Tern’s light and convenient folding bikes which are both considered smart choices for travelling in busy cities. Coming to Taiwan Excellence Pavilion, trade partners can search for B2B cooperation while consumers are able to experience many award-winning products. Representatives from participating Taiwanese companies will also present at the event searching for more business opportunities in Vietnam. “Vietnam and Taiwan have been strategic trade partners for a long time. Taiwan was one of the first foreign investors in Vietnam and remains in the top group since then with $28 billion in committed capital last year while Vietnam is currently the 13th largest trading partner of Taiwan and is in our top 20 import market,” said Tseng Hsien Chao, director of the Commercial Division, Ho Chi Minh City-based Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.   “Taiwanese companies consider exhibitions like Vietnam Expo a great opportunity to showcase their products, gather feedback from customers as well as seek more collaboration opportunities,” he emphasised.  The symbol of Taiwan Excellence was established in 1992 by Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, and subsequently the Taiwan Excellence selection was launched the following year. Products awarded “Taiwan Excellence” are judged based on five key indicators including  R&D, design, quality, marketing, and Made in Taiwan, as well as representing the “Innovation Value” from Taiwanese manufacturers, according to Elina Lee, executive director of Strategic Marketing Department of Taiwan External Trade Development Council (Taitra). By Mai Thuy, VIR