We Participated in a Beauty Exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

We traveled to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from July 23 to 28, 2024. During this trip, we attended ALAISEVIRTU’s 10th anniversary party and business meeting, and also exhibited at the beauty exhibition “Vietbeauty,” held from July 25 to 27. We had been looking forward to this trip because it gave us an opportunity to introduce our products directly to people in the local market and see how they would respond.

This time, KOCHAB, Theory, and Little Scientist exhibited together. The theme of our booth was “Japanese Beauty.” As we introduced each company’s products, we focused on sparking interest in Japanese beauty products and giving visitors the opportunity to pick them up and experience them for themselves.

Visitors picked up our products, allowing us to see their reactions firsthand. It was a valuable opportunity to learn what kind of interest Japanese products could attract.

[Photo: Exhibition venue in Ho Chi Minh City]

A Joint Booth by Three Companies

This time, KOCHAB, Theory, and Little Scientist exhibited together.

Our aim was to introduce each company’s products and help people in the local market learn about Japanese beauty products.

Some aspects of beauty products can be difficult to understand from explanations alone. So, this time, we focused not only on explaining the features of our products but also on letting visitors pick them up and experience their texture and feel. We felt that letting people touch the products directly helped communicate things that words alone could not fully convey.

[Photo: Joint booth of the three companies]

Visitors’ Reactions to Handling the Products

Many people visited the exhibition and stopped by our booth. As we introduced our products, we were able to observe firsthand what caught visitors’ interest and how they responded.

One reaction that particularly stayed with me was the response to the ReKERA Emulsion when visitors picked it up.

Many visitors showed an interest in its texture when they tried it for themselves. The features of a product are not always easy to convey through words alone, but seeing people touch it firsthand reminded us that this can help spark their interest. It was an encouraging moment as we considered how to introduce ReKERA Emulsion to customers overseas.

Being able to let people try products and see their reactions on the spot is something unique to exhibitions. What are they curious about? What questions do they ask? Direct interaction with local customers reveals things that cannot be learned from materials alone.

Interest in Products Made in Japan

One thing we noticed at this exhibition was the interest in products made in Japan. When talking with visitors at our booth, we met many people who were interested in Japanese beauty products, and the level of interest left a strong impression on us.

When explaining our products, the fact that they were “Made in Japan” sometimes served as a starting point for conversation. Of course, it is ultimately important for customers to learn about the products themselves and how they feel to use, but it is reassuring to see that people are interested in products made in Japan.

We were able to learn directly how our products are received in overseas markets, which differs from the feedback we usually hear from customers and hairdressers in Japan. Hearing these reactions was one of the major benefits of this trip.

How can we communicate the strengths of products and technologies developed in Japan to customers overseas? Talking with people locally gave us an opportunity to think about how best to convey that value.

To expand our products overseas, we need not only products with real strengths but also ways to explain those strengths clearly to others. We hope to apply what we learned from this experience to our future efforts.

We Also Distributed Samples

We also distributed samples at the venue. Our hope was that visitors would not only learn about the products at the exhibition but also take samples home and try them, allowing them to get a more concrete sense of how the products feel to use.

Samples can be the first step toward getting to know a product. We want people to try the products for themselves and experience their features. Creating this kind of opportunity was another positive aspect of exhibiting.

With hair-care products, it can sometimes be difficult to imagine how they feel to use from an explanation alone. That is why we believe it is important to let people try them for themselves through samples and similar opportunities.

As we spoke with visitors, we found that their questions about the products and the points that interested them varied widely. Through direct interaction, we gradually gained a better understanding of what customers overseas wanted to know.

The feedback and reactions we heard locally are useful information to refer to when considering how to introduce our products in the future.

Business Discussions at the Exhibition

At the exhibition, we had opportunities not only to introduce our products to visitors but also to speak with overseas retailers. Being able to explain our products directly and discuss the potential for sales in different countries was one of the reasons exhibiting was worthwhile.

Because we could talk after visitors had seen and touched the products, the conversations were more concrete than exchanges conducted only online or by email. We hope to build on these encounters and turn them into future business discussions rather than letting them end there.

Through direct conversations with people locally, we also sensed potential for future overseas sales. We hope to stay in touch with the people we met at the exhibition and develop those connections into concrete business opportunities.

The encounters made at an exhibition should not end when the event is over. We want to value the relationships we began building this time and use them to support future overseas sales.

[Photo: Group photo taken after the exhibition]

ALAISEVIRTU’s 10th Anniversary Party and Business Meeting

Before the exhibition, we also attended ALAISEVIRTU’s 10th anniversary party and business meeting.

By speaking directly with local beauty-industry professionals and companies, we were also able to learn more about Vietnam’s beauty market. These exchanges offered a different kind of learning from introducing products at the exhibition venue.

In addition to exhibitions where we introduce products, interacting and holding business discussions with people locally is essential to understanding a market. We were glad that this trip gave us both kinds of opportunities.

[Photo: ALAISEVIRTU 10th anniversary party and business meeting]

What You Learn by Visiting the Market in Person

One thing this trip to Ho Chi Minh City reminded us of was the importance of visiting a market in person, meeting people face to face, and talking directly with them.

Today, it is possible to gather information about overseas markets through the internet and other sources while staying in Japan. Even so, visiting a market in person reveals many things that cannot be understood simply by reading information.

Observing the reactions of people who pick up a product,

directly asking what interests them,

and speaking directly with local companies and retailers

all provide information that documents and data alone cannot offer. Visiting in person also gave us more insight to help us decide what to do next.

We hope to make use of the information and connections gained on this trip in future product introductions and overseas business discussions.

[Photo: Exhibition venue]

Looking Ahead to Further Overseas Expansion

At the exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City, we were able to speak directly with people who were interested in products made in Japan.

What particularly stayed with us was the interest shown in the texture of ReKERA Emulsion, the opportunity visitors had to try our products through samples, and the conversations we were able to have with overseas retailers.

However, exhibiting at a trade show does not necessarily lead to sales immediately.

It is important to listen to people locally, help them learn about our products, and gradually build relationships of trust.

Rather than letting this one exhibition be the end, we want to carry the reactions and connections we gained into our next activities. By valuing these ongoing efforts, we hope to develop our overseas sales.

We will continue to value our connections with overseas business partners and beauty-industry professionals, and hope to introduce products developed in Japan to as many countries and regions as possible.