For the first time, VPBank SME and Newing organized a specialized forum specifically for businesses in the fields of manufacturing and FMCG (fast consumer goods) - industries that play an important role in Vietnam's economic growth and exports.
The program will take place from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM on March 20, 2026 at GEM Center (HCMC), with the theme "New momentum for the big game", aiming to open up new approaches for the development journey of businesses in the context of increasing competition. Just a few days after opening registration, SME Forum 2026 received a volume of attention far exceeding expectations and officially closed registration from March 12, 2026 when the attendance reached the maximum threshold.
In-depth forum for manufacturing enterprises, FMCG
SME Forum 2026 is built as a connecting space for founders and Vietnamese business leaders, implemented by VPBank SME in coordination with Newing.
Accordingly, the forum content is structured around four pillars: Expansion - Innovation - Conquest - Implementation. In the "Expansion" pillar - experts will discuss how businesses can increase in scale without "breaking" the operating system, especially the supply chain - the first factor under pressure when output and market expand.
The pillar of "Innovation" focuses on the generational transition problem in family businesses and the process of business model restructuring.
And the "Conquer" pillars aim for leadership lessons in crisis or volatility, where strategic decisions can determine the survival of the organization.
Closing, the "Implementation" pillar emphasizes the ability to turn strategies into specific actions in business operation. The content focuses on how to standardize processes, control implementation efficiency, optimize resources and ensure consistency from leadership to deployment teams.
The highlight is that this year's forum gathers many business leaders and experts who have run large-scale organizations in Asia. Mr. Rajesh Achanta, former Vice President of Asia-Pacific Supply Operations of P&G Group, who has more than 35 years of experience in the global consumer goods industry.
At SME Forum 2026, Mr. Rajesh will share the "growth traps" that cause revenue to increase but profits to decrease, as well as the necessary management systems before businesses enter the stage of scale expansion.
Other speakers such as Ms. Vu Le Quyen, CEO of Biti's, with the story of traditional brand repositioning; Mr. Pierre Pang, third-generation CEO of Mamee Group (Malaysia); Mr. Vu Hung Son, representative of the successor generation of Bao Tin Group; or Mr. Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah, founder of Sunway Group - a multi-industry group worth about 11 billion USD...
Another highlight of the program is a specialized workshop directly led by Mr. Rajesh Achanta, exclusively for 50 SMEs that are VPBank's customers. Here, business leaders can bring their practical problems to exchange directly with experts.
Banks accompany businesses with knowledge
With the spirit of "Joining hands to create prosperity with knowledge", SME Forum 2026 brings the quintessence of knowledge distilled from the operating experience of leading domestic and international experts and leaders, promising to inspire and bring worthy experiences to participants.
SME Forum 2026 also shows an increasingly clear trend: the role of banks in relationships with businesses is changing.
At VPBank SME, this orientation is reflected through the "Touch Prosperity" campaign - a solution ecosystem for businesses built on four pillars: knowledge fostering, financial stability, comprehensive digitalization and opening up business paths.
In addition to financial products such as business capital, VPBiz business card lines or VPBank NEO Biz digital banking platform, the bank also implements the program "Joining hands to create prosperity with knowledge" to create forums for exchanging experiences between businesses and international experts.
According to Mr. Dao Gia Hung, Director in charge of VPBank SME, capital is only a necessary condition for business development. For consumer, retail and manufacturing businesses, the problem is not only in cash flow but also in the supply chain, rotation speed and market expansion capacity.
“In the process of accompanying SMEs, we realize that the need for practical management knowledge is becoming increasingly urgent, especially in the context that businesses must both grow, control risks and optimize operations. Therefore, in addition to financial solutions, VPBank SME is gradually building a supporting ecosystem, in which knowledge is an important pillar. Through SME Forum 2026, we want to bring perspectives that can be applied immediately in practice, helping businesses better prepare for the next growth stage,” Mr. Hung shared.
SME Forum 2026 is oriented by VPBank SME as the starting point for a series of specialized programs according to industry characteristics that the bank plans to implement in the near future.
