The new website of the Nordic Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam as an integrated part of the new ScandAsia.com concept was officially launched on Friday 14 February at a reception and buffet dinner at Le Restaurant D’Arthur on Han Thuyen Street in Hanoi.
More than 60 people participated in the event, including the Ambassadors from all four Nordic countries – the last one being Danish Ambassador Bjarne Sorensen, who had just returned from a trip to the South.
The speaker of the evening, Gregers Moller from ScandAsia’s headoffice in Bangkok, was introduced by Nordcham Hanoi Chairman Preben Hjortlund. The two had some years ago tried to establish a Nordic magazine only for Vietnam, but the attempt was then aborted – now resumed.
Preben Hjortlund explained that the three newsletters for Swedes, Danes and Norwegian in all of South East Asia including Vietnam would later this year be augmented with a Finnish newsletter – thereby serving also the Finnish members of Nordcham. The first issue of the three existing newsletters had just been distributed and copies were also available for members at the reception.
Gregers Moller gave a guided tour of the new integrated website for Vietnam. In his opinion, the main benefit of both the website and the magazines was the enhanced visibility of Vietnam within the Nordic communities around the region as well as an opportunity for members to keep themselves better in formed of what was going on in the other countries in the region.
Internally within the Nordic community in Vietnam, the most dramatic change was however likely to be the introduction of a Scandinavian egroup for Vietnam, he said. This feature allows all members and non-members direct free access to email announcements to all other Nordic residents in Vietnam.
“I could speak for hours about this concept,” Gregers Moller admitted, when Preben Hjortlund concluded the presentation, adding that nothing was of course permanent or irreversible but for the time being the board enjoyed the integration of its website into the ScandAsia.com concept.
Both Preben Hjortlund and Gregers Moller stressed the importance of input from all present and non-present Nordic residents in Vietnam. The new window to the region would obviously keep members better informed regionally but it was also an opportunity for the embassies and companies in Vietnam to give the other Nordic communities in the region as well as readers back home an updated insight into the many Nordic activities and the rapidly developing positive business climate in Vietnam at present.
Enjoying the delicious buffet of Le Restaurant D’Arthur, many members commented informally on the new website. A general perception was that the new media initiative was likely help wipe out the still prevailing old misconception of Vietnam as a uncomfortable back packer tourist destination with a business environment hopelessly entangled in red tape.
Present at the launch was also resident Swedish foreign correspondent Bo Johansson who agreed with Gregers Moller in the future to be a regular contributor of news and features to the ScandAsia websites and magazines.
A similar launch event was planned for Ho Chi Minh City on Monday 17 February but cancelled in the last minute as many members were expected to have not yet returned from New Year vacations.
