VSMCamp and CSMOSummit 2024: Leading the trend of sustainable development

Kicking off the first day, the VSMCamp and CSMOSummit 2024 event series featured more than 60 speakers sharing nearly 40 presentations on sustainable development trends.

The “green consumption” market opens up huge opportunities for Vietnam The 8th Vietnam Sales and Marketing Congress (VSMCamp) and the Sales and Marketing Directors Summit (CSMOSummit) returned on November 22-23, 2024, at VinUni University, Hanoi, with the theme “FORWARD+ Sales and marketing strategy in the era of sustainable development”. On the first day of the event series, more than 60 speakers, experts; media agencies, press; people working and interested in the field of sales and marketing and university students gathered at the biggest sales and marketing event of the year. With nearly 40 speeches, keynotes, fireside chats and panel discussions, VSMCamp 2024 provided a comprehensive picture of sustainable development trends and directions for business, marketing and communication activities in the sustainable development strategies of businesses and the economy in general. The harmonious sharing between academic expertise and practical experience of leading experts and VinUni professors, together with attendees, deciphered sustainable development trends, sales and marketing strategies that closely integrate ESG factors (environment - society - governance), along with the development of green sales and marketing strategies, sustainable advertising and communication.

Panoramic view of the hall of VSMCamp and CSMOSummit 2024 event series.

Taking the role of chairing the opening discussion on the morning of the first day of the event series, Mr. Tran Ngoc Anh - Chairman of the Vietnam Sales and Marketing Directors Club (CSMO), Founder and CEO of MGi PropTech - emphasized: “Sales and marketing are the driving force of the enterprise and the effectiveness of this department determines the sustainable development of the organization. In the context of the constantly fluctuating market, the theme of Sustainability this year was chosen to reflect the biggest challenge of the era: balancing between profit and sustainable development. I believe that the sharing from more than 60 speakers at the conference will bring insight and solid preparation for the vision of 2025”. As the first presenter of the speech entitled “Green Consumption and Export”, Mr. Stephen Kreppel - CEO of The Nation Consultancy - said that the “green consumption” market is opening up huge opportunities for Vietnam, especially in the fields of agriculture , manufacturing and export. He emphasized that to compete in the international market, especially in the US and Europe, Vietnamese businesses need to focus on three key factors: ensuring product quality, demonstrating sustainability, and promoting industry cooperation to build a strong and trustworthy national brand.

Mr. Stephen Kreppel - CEO of The Nation Consultancy

At the same time, Mr. Stephen Kreppel also pointed out that authenticity and transparency are the "keys" to attracting conscious consumers; both promoting environmentally friendly products and meeting human and animal rights standards. Combining sustainable production and authentic tourism experiences is a creative direction, helping to increase the value of traditional Vietnamese products, opening up great potential in the global green consumption market. In his passionate speech with the theme "Sustainability for development or development but sustainability", Mr. Tran Bang Viet - senior consultant, CEO of Dong A Solutions - raised a question of the times: How can businesses both develop strongly and meet the increasingly high demands for sustainability? According to him, sustainable development is no longer an option but has become a mandatory strategy, helping businesses build long-term value and trust from the public. Based on the three main pillars of environment, society and economy, Mr. Viet suggests two suitable directions for Vietnamese enterprises: investing systematically from the beginning with the strategy of "Sustainability for development", or applying innovation step by step with the motto "Development but sustainability". The expert also emphasized the importance of innovation, resource optimization and transparency of responsibility to the community to avoid the risk of "greenwashing". With thorough preparation and strategic cooperation, enterprises not only achieve economic efficiency but also create a strong impression in the hearts of customers and partners.

Dialogue session "The path of sustainable development for Vietnamese agriculture to conquer the world market".

The issue of ethics and user privacy is a big question. Sharing about “The impact of AI on sustainable marketing: The next 5 years”, Professor Marc Kramer - Lecturer of Entrepreneurship, Co-Director of VinUni MBA program emphasized that artificial intelligence (AI) has become extremely important in life and modern tools, helping us personalize customer experiences, develop sustainable ideas and minimize environmental impact. In particular, technologies such as virtual reality (AR), augmented reality (VR) and Metaverse have opened up great opportunities for businesses in marketing strategies to target customers. However, with the development of technology, the issue of ethics and user privacy has become more important than ever. Businesses need to pay special attention to privacy and personalized content, as users always want to have experiences that meet their needs without infringing on their privacy. After clarifying the impact of artificial intelligence on sustainable marketing, the event continued with the dialogue session "The path to sustainable development for Vietnamese agriculture to conquer the world market". In this section, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuc - Founder, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, General Director of Autoagri Software Technology Joint Stock Company and Mr. Le Quoc Vinh - Chairman of Le Bros, Vice Chairman of CSMO Vietnam opened up in-depth perspectives on the potential and challenges of Vietnamese agriculture on the journey of global integration. According to Ms. Thuc, internationalizing Vietnamese cuisine is not only a strategic direction, but also the "key" to building sustainable agriculture, based on core values ​​from farmers and local products. She emphasized that standardizing and upgrading Vietnamese cuisine to international standards will help position the national brand more strongly, while still focusing on factors such as preventing food waste, ensuring nutritional security and exploiting natural advantages for sustainable production. “With the combination of agriculture and tourism, and the application of modern technology, Vietnamese agriculture has every opportunity to develop sustainably and create outstanding value in the global market,” Ms. Thuc affirmed.

Open discussion “Sustainable development - business strategy or ethical choice?”.

If we were to choose one of the outstanding activities at VSMCamp and CSMOSummit 2024 with interesting debates and knowledge sharing, we certainly could not miss the open discussion session "Sustainable development - business strategy or ethical choice?". The discussion session had the participation of 4 speakers and experts: Mr. Tran Bang Viet - Senior Consultant, CEO of Dong A Solutions; Mr. Tran Tuan Viet - CMO, F88; Mr. Stephen Kreppel - CEO, the Nation Consultancy; Ms. Huynh Thi Xuan Lien - President of CAO Fine Jewellery, Vice President of CSMO. The speakers shared profound views on how to apply sustainable principles to business models, and discussed the challenges and opportunities in building sustainable brands in the context of the world increasingly focusing on ethical responsibility. With a dense and in-depth content, the first day of the event series also focused on 10 key discussion topics, opening up new perspectives for businesses to develop in a volatile context: from the importance of ESG and business ethics to the journey of building a sustainable corporate culture. The event also emphasized green transformation strategies, creating outstanding value in sales, marketing, customer experience, along with product development towards the community and the environment. In addition, the discussion sessions also clarified the relationship between green media, social responsibility and the development of sustainable e-commerce. In particular, solutions in building human resources and enhancing strategic relationships between businesses and agencies will provide the "key" to promoting long-term growth.

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