About Us

The British Business Group Vietnam (BBGV) has grown from its humble beginning of a few “Brits” meeting for lunch, to become the first licensed foreign business group in Vietnam in 1998. The BBGV now boasts more than 250 members and their partners and aims to promote the interests of those members in particular and British business in Vietnam in general. Along with the British Embassy and British Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, the BBGV fulfils its objectives through close liaison with Vietnamese Government officials, provision of a comprehensive discount scheme within Vietnam for its members, and the organization of business, social and charitable events to introduce members to life in Vietnam.

The BBGV is organised into two chapters. The Hanoi chapter has an affiliation agreement with the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) and has an elected committee. Members of the BBGV in Hanoi are automatically members of Eurocham as well. In Ho Chi Minh City the BBGV has no affiliation agreement and operates with an elected committee made up of volunteers from the British business community. The day-to-day operations and management of each group are carried out by the EuroCham Secretariat in Hanoi and by a BBGV Secretariat in Ho Chi Minh City. Each chapter has a number of specialist sub-committees to serve the specific interests of Members. These include: Business Events, Communications & Marketing, Social & Charity and the Vietnamese Sub Group. The BBGV is also very actively involved in the Vietnam Business Forum.

One of the highlights of the year 2003 was the ever popular annual Fun Run for Charity which wound through the streets of Ho Chi Minh City and attracted around 3000 participants and raised around USD 20,000 which will be used for charitable projects including a Medical Assistance Programme administered through the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation and medical procedures to repair upper cleft and lip palate in children administered through the organisation Operation Smile.

Other highlights of the year 2004 included several luncheons with speakers including HMA Robert Gordon, Dr Nguyen Thien Nhan HCMC people’s Committee, Mike O’Brien MP - Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), Digby Jones CBI. There were also a host of social events including the ever popular garden suppers, drinks nights, and the Annual Christmas Dinner.

We have a list of objectives defined by our constitution as follows:

The objects of the Group are to promote British business and cultural interests in Vietnam in line with the opinions of Members regarding issues of common concern, including:

1. to assist and co-operate with the local and national authorities in establishing a clear and fair framework of laws and regulations conducive to business development in Vietnam;

2. to gather, exchange and collate business and other relevant information for the benefit of Members;

3. to confer and co-operate with relevant organisations to promote improvements to the infrastructure in order to create suitable conditions for Members and their families living and working in Vietnam;

4. to promote business ties between Vietnam, the United Kingdom, Eire and other countries for the mutual benefit of Members and their Vietnamese counterparts;

5. to compile, collate and distribute to Members useful and relevant social and welfare information about living in Vietnam;

6. to organise events for Members and others, in order to promote social and business contacts with each other and with the people of Vietnam; and

7. to undertake any other activities which are consistent with the Group's objectives, within the laws of Vietnam.

We have a mandate from our members to meet these objectives.