Exhibition «VietRF 2026»

   The hardest part of opening a franchise outlet is not choosing a brand — it is finding someone who will answer the awkward questions. Three days at the end of October in Ho Chi Minh City put those answers in one room: 250 brands across 350 stands, from F&B chains to store management software vendors, and you can ask about capital, fees and contract terms face to face.

   VietRF — its full name is the Vietnam International Franchise Show — is the country's only trade exhibition built on two pillars at once: retail technology and franchising. This is the 16th edition, run by Korea's COEX with its Vietnamese partner and backed by international bodies including the International Franchise Association (IFA). The organisers expect 150 exhibiting companies and around 20,000 visitors.

   The floor splits in two. The RetailTech half covers:

• — retail technology and equipment — POS and barcode systems, smart cards, self-service kiosks, electronic payment, cash management, security and digital signage;
• — store interiors and fittings: display shelving, cold and hot cabinets, packaging machines, mannequins, lighting and signage;
• — retail services — store design and remodelling, property legal and tax consulting, distribution logistics;
• — internet retailing: e-commerce platforms, online payment chains, CRM and digital marketing solutions.

   The Franchise half is where brands look for partners: food and beverage, beauty and healthcare, clothing and fashion, retail and wholesale, start-up concepts, and education, training and consulting. Across the three days there is also a seminar programme with industry experts and brand leaders on franchising strategy, retail trends and market entry experience in Vietnam.

   The market picture the organisers publish: Vietnam's franchise market was estimated at US$4.5–5 billion in 2025, growing 7–10% a year and led by F&B, education and beauty; more than 500 foreign franchise brands now operate in the country, and investors are willing to put US$50,000–200,000 into a single outlet of a proven model. On the technology side, spending on retail solutions — POS, CRM, AI, payments, data analytics — is projected at US$250–300 million with 15–20% annual growth.

   Practical notes. Admission is free; pre-registration closes at 23:59 on 28 October 2026 and the QR code arrives by email the day before opening, while anyone who misses it can scan a code at the registration desk. The organisers say last admission is 30 minutes before closing, and their visitor guide lists an earlier close on the final day — so if 31 October is your day, come early. Coffee Expo Vietnam 2026, marking its tenth anniversary, runs alongside it in the same part of the complex.

   The venue is in the Phu My Hung area in the south of the city, about 25 minutes by taxi from District 1. Organiser contact: [email protected], Ms Khue, +84 901 534 565.

   If you have been reading franchise decks all year without meeting anyone behind them, this is the week that changes.