Mekong Business Connect 2026: Navigating Volatility Through Stronger Capabilities and Connections

Costs, human resources and orders are emerging as three major tests for businesses in a market where standards are constantly evolving. Against this backdrop, Mekong Business Connect 2026, organized by the Mekong Business Club in Ho Chi Minh City (MBC) on September 11, approached the idea of “navigating volatility” from a broader perspective: strengthening internal capabilities, raising business standards and turning connections into tangible resources for growth.

In the first eight months of 2026, Ho Chi Minh City recorded 38,253 newly established businesses and 13,582 companies resuming operations, while 33,390 businesses temporarily suspended their activities. These contrasting figures reflect the underlying vitality of the market, while also highlighting the persistent pressure on a significant number of enterprises to adapt.

Against this backdrop, more than 100 business leaders, experts, speakers and guests gathered at the 272 Convention Center in Ho Chi Minh City for Mekong Business Connect 2026 - the MBC Members’ Gathering. The panel discussion, themed “Navigating Volatility,” became a focal point of the program, examining familiar business challenges through the lenses of supply chains, technology, human resources, branding and long-term competitiveness.

Leaders presented flowers in celebration of MBC’s achievements.

Business leaders, speakers and guests attending Mekong Business Connect 2026 - MBC Members’ Gathering

The panel featured Ms. Le Nguyen Duy Oanh, Deputy Director of the Center for Technical Support and Sustainable Development under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade; Dr. Huynh Thanh Dien, macroeconomic expert and lecturer at Nguyen Tat Thanh University; Dr. Nguyen Hai Minh, CEO of Wisdom Agency; and Mr. Bui Van Be Sau, Member of the MBC Standing Committee and General Director of Lamberet Vietnam Co., Ltd. The discussion was moderated by Ms. Lam Thuy Ai, Chairwoman of MBC and General Director of Mebi Farm Joint Stock Company.

While cost pressure can be seen immediately in financial statements, capability gaps can become less visible barriers that prevent businesses from even gaining entry into supply chains.

Ms. Lam Thuy Ai - MBC's Chairwoman moderated the panel discussion.

Ms. Le Nguyen Duy Oanh highlighted the gap between the current capabilities of many small and medium-sized enterprises and the increasingly demanding standards set by the market and lead firms in supply chains. To deepen their participation in supply networks, she said, businesses need to proactively invest in technical capabilities, quality improvement, digital transformation and sustainable development.

Taking a broader macroeconomic view, Dr. Huynh Thanh Dien argued that Vietnamese businesses need to shift their mindset from simply “being able to sell products” to “being capable of participating in value chains.” As global supply chains are restructured, advantages based on price or production volume are becoming increasingly insufficient to create sustainable differentiation.

Market access is now tied to a new set of standards covering the origin of raw materials, carbon emissions, labor conditions, data, traceability, governance and financial transparency. Green transformation, digital transformation and brand building therefore create meaningful value only when they are grounded in genuine business capabilities.

According to Dr. Huynh Thanh Dien, companies should prioritize value rather than merely pursuing volume. A repositioning process can begin within 90 days: identify target markets and required standards, select priority projects, conduct pilots on an appropriate scale, and then standardize and expand the models that prove effective. He explored this approach further in his presentation, “Repositioning in a World of Changing Standards.”

Dr. Huynh Thanh Dien shared valuable insights in his presentation, “Repositioning in a World of Changing Standards.”

If new supply-chain requirements create pressure to “raise standards,” businesses are also facing equally concrete internal challenges around costs, workforce and the ability to sustain orders.

Dr. Nguyen Hai Minh focused on two resources that businesses cannot easily cut through short-term decisions: people and brand. During periods when cost optimization becomes essential, the key challenge is not simply to downsize at all costs, but to streamline operations while retaining people who play critical roles in the organization.

For B2B companies, brand should be regarded as a business asset. Trust, customer experience and reputation accumulated over time need to be gradually converted into business relationships, customer access and tangible orders. Dr. Nguyen Hai Minh further developed this theme in his presentation, “Brand Building for Manufacturing and Trading Enterprises.”

In his presentation, “Brand Building for Manufacturing and Trading Enterprises,” Dr. Nguyen Hai Minh used vivid, practical examples to draw out valuable lessons and real-world insights.

Drawing on his experience managing a manufacturing business, Mr. Bui Van Be Sau raised another question: how far can a company cut costs before it begins to weaken its future competitiveness? Investment in equipment, automation, productivity, quality control and workforce retraining must all be carefully weighed in an environment where resources are limited but expectations for efficiency continue to rise.

Viewed from these different perspectives, the panel ultimately converged on three key words: costs - people - orders. “Navigating volatility” therefore no longer means waiting for difficulties to pass. It means building enough resilience for businesses to keep moving forward even while uncertainty remains.

The Gala Dinner brought Mekong Business Connect 2026 to a close with several important milestones, including recognition of supporting partners, the launch of the MBC WebApp and the welcoming of 50 new members, bringing MBC’s total membership to nearly 200.

MBC welcomed and inducted new members during the Gala Dinner.

Developed by An Duong Company, the MBC WebApp is expected to help members access information, identify potential partners and maintain interactions more conveniently through a digital platform. The initiative forms part of MBC’s development strategy for the 2026 - 2030 term, during which the club aims to expand its community to 300 members.

Since its first-term Congress on March 28, 2026, MBC has broadened its activities across multiple areas rather than focusing on a single form of business networking.

In trade promotion and international cooperation, a business mission to Laos organized in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh City Advertising Association brought MBC members to the Embassy of Vietnam in Laos to learn more about the local investment environment and witness the signing of an MoU between MBC and the Lao Advertising Association. MBC has also strengthened ties with the Mekong - Lancang Business Community through networking, panel discussions and trade connections under the “Connecting Beyond Borders” program.

MBC has also organized company visits and working sessions at Lucky Bread, Lamberet Vietnam, D&A Plastics, HESTIA Vietnam, Wine Color and An Duong Automation Engineering. Cooperation with the Ho Chi Minh City Supporting Industries Association and the Ho Chi Minh City Young Businesspeople Association in business surveys, supply-demand matching and supply-chain development has helped MBC members gain access to more concrete partnership opportunities.

MBC has gradually expanded its presence in forums related to manufacturing innovation and policy. At a consultation conference on the Draft Plan for Promoting Smart Manufacturing in Ho Chi Minh City through 2035, organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (HCMC C4IR), MBC members contributed views on digital transformation, green technology and sustainable manufacturing.

MBC members have also actively participated in the 25th anniversary celebration of the Ho Chi Minh City Advertising Association, the Congress of the Ho Chi Minh City Union of Business Associations (HUBA), and EMA Vietnam 2026 - the 5th Vietnam International Exhibition on Electricity, Energy, Industrial Machinery and Automation. They have explored core technology sectors at CT Group and shared insights on careers, working environments and recruitment needs through the “From Lecture Hall to Enterprise” program at Tien Giang University.

A sustainable business community is also shaped by the way its members share responsibility with society. In Luong Hoa Lac Commune, Dong Thap Province, MBC members visited a Vietnamese Heroic Mother, presented gifts to families of people who rendered meritorious service to the nation, and contributed VND 50 million to social welfare activities. On September 5, 2026, MBC also awarded VND 50 million in scholarships to disadvantaged students at Tien Giang University who have continued to strive for academic success.

MBC’s spirit of sharing was also reflected in a different kind of gathering. The MBC Open Pickleball Tournament 2026 - Green Leaf Vietnam Cup, themed “Moon of Love,” took place on September 9 and brought together nearly 120 businesspeople, artists and guests. Part of the funds raised through the tournament will be used to support disadvantaged children during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival.

Across trade promotion, supply-chain development, technology, knowledge sharing and community-oriented programs, MBC is gradually translating its motto, “Joining Forces for Growth - Creating Prosperity,” into visible and lasting value.

In a market that remains highly volatile, business strength cannot be measured solely by an individual company’s ability to withstand pressure. Internal capabilities help businesses stand firm; connections expand access to resources; and ultimately, the tangible value created through each connection determines how far a business community can move forward together.