The Vietnam Motor Show (VMS) organizers announced on 11/8 that the 2025 event has been canceled. The show is expected to return in 2026, though the location is yet to be determined. For many years, the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) has hosted the event.
Citing economic challenges and weak market demand in 2025, participating brands mutually agreed to forgo VMS this year. Many members reported they are not ready and lack new products to showcase to attendees.
Before 2020, the auto show, featuring most members of the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers' Association (VAMA) and imported brands (VIVA), took place annually. The motorcycle exhibition had been discontinued for several years before merging with the auto show in 2024.
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Visitors at the Toyota booth during VMS 2024. Photo: Thanh Nhan |
Visitors at the Toyota booth during VMS 2024. Photo: Thanh Nhan
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, many brands adjusted their business strategies, opting for smaller, targeted events to optimize costs and sales effectiveness. The rise of online marketing has also shifted budgets away from large-scale events like VMS, which typically cost billions of Vietnamese dong.
In recent years, the annual Vietnam Sustainable Mobility Show, organized by VnExpress in Hanoi, has become a popular alternative for brands. Its fresh approach to venue, organization, and activities, particularly the opportunity for attendees to test drive vehicles on public roads, has proven attractive. The SECC venue for VMS does not allow for this.
In 2025, brands like VinFast, Hyundai, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Volkswagen, Mercedes, and Ford are holding their own exhibitions and test-drive events across various provinces and cities. These independent events offer enhanced brand visibility compared to participating in a larger, multi-brand show like VMS, although VMS still holds the advantage of generating significant industry-wide publicity.
A senior manager at a regular VMS participant argued that canceling the show based on the auto industry's recent performance is unconvincing, given the 42% sales increase in the first half of the year. However, he acknowledged the market is facing challenges due to the economic downturn that began last year, which has dampened car buying.
"Many brands and dealers are aggressively promoting discounts, accepting lower profit margins per vehicle to drive sales," the manager said. "Profit expectations from new car sales are currently low, with the focus shifting towards after-sales services."
For car manufacturers, the cost of participating in each exhibition runs into tens of billions of Vietnamese dong. For a small booth of around 500 m2, the rental fee alone is nearly 1 billion Vietnamese dong. Additional expenses for setup, management, and marketing over the 4-day event usually approach tens of billions of Vietnamese dong. The total cost varies depending on booth size and the brand's message.
A VnExpress source revealed that in recent exhibitions, several participating brands have noted shortcomings in the organization, particularly regarding the exhibition space, sound, and lighting arrangements. These issues have impacted the experience for both media and attendees. Finding new ideas and staging methods to create a better impact is a key consideration for brands participating in Vietnam's largest auto market event.
Thanh Nhan
