VIATT 2026 opens in Ho Chi Minh City, spotlighting sustainable textile innovation

Stephan Buurma came to Ho Chi Minh City with a plan: turn VIATT 2026 into a trade bridge. At the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre, that ambition reads in numbers, Vietnamplus reports nearly 1,000 booths from more than 450 companies representing 21 countries and territories, while Textilefocus maps the footprint as 18,000 sqm across Halls A and B with nearly 460 exhibitors from 21 countries and regions. Buurma’s pitch is plain: “VIATT 2026 offers businesses the opportunity to seek reliable partners and suppliers, strengthen trade ties, integrate more deeply into the global value chain, and proactively meet diverse domestic and international demand.”

Walk the aisles and the fair’s sustainability and tech agenda is stamped on the layout. Vietnamnews calls out dedicated exhibition zones for environmentally friendly materials and sustainable production processes, and the Innovation and Digital Solutions Zone is full of AI-based sample simulation and modern automation systems. The show even includes an AI Design Laboratory described as “equipped with advanced fabric inspection technology capable of automatically detecting, classifying and assessing textile material defects,” which means quality control is no longer just a human eye on the line.

The programming leans hard into translation from material to market. Textilefocus is billing an inaugural Trend Forum that promises “Integrated LIFESTYLE TRENDS across the apparel, home, and technical sectors - a first for a textile trade fair.” The Econogy Hub returns to spotlight low-impact materials and certification standards, while a Garment Display Zone and interactive workshops give buyers tactile proof points for claims about circular materials and low-impact processing.

On the runway, VIATT stages three shows that balance local makers and imported craft. Phan Dang Hoang’s Local Booming Designer slot fuses Vietnam’s cultural heritage with modern silhouettes; KHAAR fronts the Sustainable, Zero-Waste Fashion Show with circular materials and digital design in luxury knit and tailored pieces; and the Essence of French Fashion brings Royal Mer and Fantaisie Militaire, houses known respectively for sea-inspired durable knitwear and military-rooted functionality and “Made in France” provenance.

The fair plugs straight into Vietnam’s economy pitch. Vietnamnews notes textile and garment exports were estimated at US$46 billion, up 5 per cent compared with 2024, and that the sector still accounts for 12–16 per cent of total export turnover. Organisers from Vietrade, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and Messe Frankfurt are positioning VIATT to help the industry shift “from contract manufacturing to higher value-added production, and from traditional models to green and smart manufacturing,” while encouraging global brands to transfer technology and build domestic raw material supply chains.

A new VTGIS summit runs this afternoon, day 2, with pre-registered Business Matching sessions and sponsorship tiers laid out by Messe Frankfurt, Title Sponsor at USD 30,000, Gold at USD 12,000, Silver at USD 9,000, Bronze at USD 5,000. If the goal is integration and speed-to-tech, VIATT is operating like a marketplace and a classroom at once: booths, pavilions, AI labs, fashion shows, and a summit all aimed at turning Vietnam’s $46 billion export story into higher-margin, greener product. For a third-edition fair that opened on February 26 and runs through February 28, VIATT 2026 is making its bet loud and visible on sustainability and industrial upgrade.