Vietnam M&A Forum 2017 underway   Vietnam M&A Forum 2017 has opened this afternoon in Ho Chi Minh City, promising lively discussions on the next breakthrough opportunities.    Le Trong Minh, editor-in-chief of VIR and head of the Organising Board, expressed his hope that the forum would contribute to the development of the Vietnamese M&A market, helping restructuring and increase the competitiveness of businesses in Vietnam. The forum this year is now taking place at GEM Centre, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Co-organised annually by VIR and AVM Vietnam under the auspices of the Ministry of Planning and Investment,  Vietnam M&A Forum has been a major event in the M&A market in the past nine years. The theme of this year’s edition is Seeking a big push, as new challenges in 2017 may prevent the Vietnamese M&A market from reaching the $5-billion mark in deal value. A strong initiative is necessary to boost the quantity and quality of M&A deals. The forum this year has attracted 20 speakers and 500 senior leaders of government agencies, investment funds, and leading corporates from Vietnam and overseas.   In his opening speech, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung noted that the Ministry leaders highly appreciate the contribution that Vietnam M&A 2017 has made in the last nine years. This is particularly timely, as more state-owned enterprises become equitised and state divestments are getting stronger.   Minister Dung said that the forum has promoted foreign investment in Vietnam through M&A, connected investment partners in and outside of the country, as well as discussing and producing recommendations for state management agencies to improve the legal framework for M&A, promoting Vietnam’s economic growth and international integration. “I highly appreciate the theme of Vietnam M&A Forum 2017, which is “Seeking a big push.” It calls attention to a breakthrough in policies and foreign capital flows, as well as identifying fields with potential and room for M&A activities,” said Minister Dung.   “We believe that with the participation of top-level state management officials, industry experts, and corporate leaders, the 9th Vietnam M&A Forum will collect and discuss the necessary information to push forward the Vietnamese M&A market,” said Minh. At the event this afternoon, speakers and representatives from various sectors will discuss the most pressing issues of M&A via three sessions.   In the first session, themed “Identifying breakthrough sectors,” state management officials from the National Assembly’s Finance and Budget Committee, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Finance, State Securities Commission, and industry experts will analyse and evaluate the current M&A trends in Vietnam, discuss solutions to achieve a breakthrough, and identify emerging sectors for M&A transactions. The next session, titled “M&A Opportunities from the Perspective of International Investors,” consists of in-depth analysis of specific M&A opportunities and forecasts coming foreign capital inflows. The speakers will also identify fields of special interest to foreign investors, as well as providing recommendations to facilitate a better inflow of foreign capital. For the final session themed “Lessons from Big Deals,” top CEOs of Vietnamese and foreign businesses will share their experience through outstanding deals in 2016-2017 from the perspective of insiders and individual experts. The panelists will also share lessons in finding and choosing the right partner, contract negotiations, the role of advisory firms in M&A deals, issues in valuation and financing, as well as post-M&A issues, such as staff and business management.   By Nam Phuong