Suggesting a model of connecting banks and businesses through fairs and exhibitions

Expanding the connotation of the activity “connection”

The first Autumn Fair - 2025 was held from October 25 to November 4 with the theme "Connecting people with production and business". This national-scale event gathered more than 2,500 domestic and foreign organizations and enterprises, with 3,000 booths displaying a variety of key product groups from industry, technology, agricultural products, processed foods, consumer goods to e-commerce, cultural industry, services and tourism . Many countries and territories such as Japan, Korea, China, Singapore, New Zealand and the European Union participated, contributing to creating a colorful picture of international trade.

Not only a place to promote and introduce products, the Autumn Fair is also a real "connecting platform" with more than 30 specialized events, conferences, seminars, cultural and art festivals; attracting an average of 100,000 visitors per day. Notably, nearly 2,000 trade transactions and more than 100 memorandums of understanding and cooperation agreements were signed, with a total value of nearly 5,000 billion VND,... as a vivid demonstration of the spreading power of the multi-dimensional connection model.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Politburo member and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed: After 10 days of exciting, professional and inspiring activities, the fair has opened a new chapter for a series of national and international trade, investment and cultural promotion events in Vietnam. This event also affirmed its potential to become an important annual activity, contributing to stimulating consumption, developing services and promoting the country's image.

*The first Autumn Fair - 2025 attracts an average of 100,000 visitors to visit, shop and experience every day. Photo: Nam Nguyen*

From the perspective of the banking management agency, Mr. Nguyen Duc Lenh, Deputy Director of the State Bank of Vietnam, Region 2 Branch, said: if placed in relation to the activities of connecting and supporting businesses, the results of the Autumn Fair suggest many lessons and solutions to innovate the bank-business connection program, helping the program to have a more practical support mark, in line with the current two-level management model of local government.

According to Mr. Lenh, the bank-business connection program over the past 20 years has demonstrated its core value of "solving the capital problem" for businesses, removing difficulties in credit and interest rates during economic periods affected by crises, natural disasters or epidemics. This is an effective companion model, creating conditions for businesses to access capital to develop production and business, maintain economic growth and stabilize employment.

From the success of the Autumn Fair, Mr. Lenh proposed to expand the content of the "connection" activity. Instead of just stopping at conferences to solve capital difficulties, the program should become a multi-dimensional exchange space, where businesses and banks introduce, connect and develop products and services. Thereby, expanding credit is associated with developing banking services, especially non-cash payments, an inevitable trend in the digital economy. From this expansion, future connection conferences can have more creative, flexible and practical topics.

*Bank-enterprise connection conference at State Bank, Region 2 branch: Photo: Le Anh*

Promoting the role of credit institutions

According to the Deputy Director of the State Bank of Vietnam, Region 2 Branch, one of the important suggestions drawn is to innovate the organizational method. Accordingly, instead of an administrative model that is heavy on procedures, it is necessary to promote the proactive role of credit institutions, so that they become the main "organizational subjects". State management agencies play a guiding role, coordinating with departments, branches and local authorities to ensure that the program is closer to reality, has a more open policy communication and dialogue nature.

This approach is considered a shift from “administrative connection” to “substantive connection”, which is both flexible and effective. Signing activities, product introductions, business exchanges, etc. will be organized on a scale and with specific topics, suitable for each industry group or locality. Local authorities and departments and branches play the role of “conductors” in coordination, facilitation and support, ensuring the program goes into depth.

According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Lenh, the lessons from the connection program at the district and now regional levels in Ho Chi Minh City over the past 5 years clearly show the effectiveness of this model. Here, connecting banks and businesses has become an annual task and plan of the local government, demonstrating the concern and high responsibility towards the business community. This is a different way of doing things, reflecting a deep awareness of the position and role of businesses in economic and social development, while affirming that the government is truly a companion in removing difficulties for production.

From that experience, Mr. Lenh suggested that in the coming time, it is necessary to promote and flexibly apply this model, ensuring efficiency and suitability with the two-level government model, especially in the context of a strong economic transformation towards green, digital and deep integration.

It can be seen that, from a trade and investment promotion event, the 2025 Autumn Fair has brought many values beyond the mere promotion framework. It is a place where creativity, cooperation and multi-level connection converge, inspiring new visions for industries, especially the Banking industry, where connection lies not only in capital, but also in trust, companionship and innovation in service methods.

When the bank-business connection program is “renewed” with the spirit of the open, multi-dimensional and long-term value-oriented Autumn Fair, it will not only be a financial support channel, but also become a dynamic cooperation ecosystem between banks, businesses and the government. There, each side is a “subject” that creates development together.

With the achieved results, along with valuable lessons from practice, it is hoped that the bank-business connection program in the coming period will continue to promote its practical and effective role, be highly appreciated by the business community, and contribute positively to the development of the local and national economy.

According to the State Bank Branch Region 2, in the first 6 months of 2025, the Bank - Enterprise Connection Program in the area had 76,664 customers borrowing capital, signing loans and disbursing from this credit package with a total amount of VND 342,000 billion, equal to 66.1% of the package scale (the credit package was registered by 18 banking brands since the beginning of the year, with a total amount of VND 517,065 billion).

Source: https://congthuong.vn/goi-mo-mo-hinh-ket-noi-ngan-hang-doanh-nghiep-qua-cac-hoi-cho-trien-lam-429292.html