BUILDERS FORUM 2026

Building Through the Reset – Capital, Infrastructure, and the Next Model of Real Estate Development

Half-Day Executive Forum | By Invitation

April 23, 2026 | 13:30 - 18:30
Ho Chi Minh City

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Vietnam’s real estate and infrastructure sector is entering its most difficult transition in two decades.

The old model, acquire land, build fast, sell units, recycle capital, is under pressure. Today developers face a different reality:

  • Legal approvals are slower and more complex

  • Capital is expensive and selective

  • Infrastructure investment is reshaping project value

  • Buyers are more cautious

  • And projects must increasingly generate long-term operating income

Vietnam’s property market is shifting from a development economy to an operating economy.

This transition is forcing developers, contractors, investors, and policymakers to rethink how projects are conceived, financed, and executed.

Vanguard BUILDERS Forum is an annual, execution-focused gathering for the senior leaders who develop, finance, build, and operate Vietnam's physical economy.

Convened at a moment of market correction and structural reset, the Forum brings together decision-makers across real estate, industrial development, infrastructure, construction, materials, capital, and policy to confront one defining question:

In a post-speculation environment, what can still be built — and under what conditions?

This is not a real estate sales event. It is not a policy showcase. Vanguard Builders Forum is a professional platform where developers, industrial zone operators, construction companies, materials suppliers, financial institutions, investors, and advisors come together around the issues that actually matter:

  • How to structure projects when capital is constrained

  • How infrastructure investment will reshape development strategy

  • How to create assets that generate durable, sustainable cash flow

  • How to control cost and maintain execution discipline in an uncertain environment

The standard is viability. The measure is bankability. The focus is delivery — under real market constraints, with no room for abstraction.

AGENDA

1:30PM

REGISTRATION & NETWORKING
Arrival, check-in, and informal networking.

2:00PM

WELCOME REMARKS — The End of the Old Playbook

  • Cuong Dang, Founder & Chair, Vietnam Vanguard

2:10PM — 2:40PM

KEYNOTE — After the Peak
Post-correction realities, shifting development models, infrastructure dependencies, and international lessons relevant to Vietnam’s next build cycle.

2:40PM — 3:30PM

When Infrastructure Determines Project Survival
How infrastructure timing now dictates project viability across residential, commercial, and industrial development.

3:30PM — 4:00PM

The New Financing Reality
A candid capital conversation on bankability, risk, delays, and the real conditions behind financing decisions today.

4:00PM — 4:20PM

TEA BREAK & NETWORKING

4:20PM — 5:10PM

Rebuilding Trust — What Buyers, Tenants, and Capital Still Believe
Credibility, buyer confidence, placemaking, and recurring income models in the current market.

5:10PM — 6:00PM

Execution Under Pressure — Cost, Risk, and Control
Builder-led discussion on cost volatility, construction risk, and operational discipline under constrained conditions.

6:00PM — 8:00PM

CLOSING
Key execution insights, misconceptions to abandon, and priorities for the next phase.

PRIVATE COCKTAIL RECEPTION & NETWORKING
Hosted gathering with all attendees, speakers, Vanguard members, and regional guests. Opportunity for informal peer learning and cross-border introductions

Forum Partners

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Past Speakers

  • Portrait of a man in a dark suit, white shirt, and red patterned tie, standing against a dark blue background with a blurred American flag in the background.

    His Excellency Marc E. Knapper

    U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam

  • Dr. Melvin Heng

    Group CEO, Thomson Medical Group

  • A man wearing glasses in a dark suit with arms crossed, standing in front of a dark background.

    Doan Viet Dai Tu

    Co-Founder, Chairman — OpenAsia

  • Amb. Ted Osius

    Former US Ambassador to Vietnam

  • Marc Woo

    Marc Woo

    Managing Director — Google (Vietnam & APAC)

  • A man in a suit and tie speaking at a podium decorated with a colorful flower arrangement.

    Mai Huu Tin

    Chairman, CEO — U&I Investment Corporation

  • A smiling man in a white dress shirt stands in front of a wall with a framed black and white portrait of a historical figure. The room features elegant decor, including silver candleholders on the wall.

    Prof. Markus Baer

    Vice Dean of Executive Education — Washington University in St. Louis, Olin Business School

  • A man wearing glasses and a dark blue, speckled polo shirt is sitting on a couch in a room with light-colored walls and a window with curtains in the background. He has short, gray hair and is looking at the camera with his hands clasped.

    Trong Kien Tran

    Chairman, CEO — Thien Minh Group (TMG)

  • A man wearing glasses and a suit stands at a wooden podium labeled 'Furama Resort Da Nang' giving a presentation. The background shows a large screen with graphs and statistics, including a green upward arrow.

    Il-Dong Kwon

    Managing Director & Partner — BCG Vietnam

  • Man laughing in a formal setting with blurred foreground

    Cuong Dang (host)

    Founder, Chairman — Vietnam Vanguard

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Vanguard LIVE Media
by the Numbers

120+

total attendees

100+

C-level executives and founders

90+

leading companies

sectors including FMCG, real estate, manufacturing, tech, logistics, and capital markets

Attendees included:

  • Founders of $10M–$200M businesses

  • Next-gen successors from Vietnam’s top family enterprises

  • Senior execs from MNCs and high-growth startups

  • Institutional advisors, investors, and board-level mentors

What to Expect

Vanguard Connect is a closed-door forum where Vietnam’s most serious leaders confront what most avoid:

  • Governance that enables growth

  • Succession that empowers, not confuses

  • Teams that function without the founder

This is not theory.

This is strategy, structure, and unfiltered leadership insight — from those who’ve done it.

“Marco Breu’s session completely reframed how I think about growth. Instead of chasing one big bet, I walked away with a practical framework to manage multiple initiatives with clarity and discipline. ‘Portfolio of initiatives’ concept was one of the most useful things I’ve heard all year.”

TICKETS

Members

COMPLIMENTARY

Non-Members

$195

(~4.95mil vnd)
(early bird 25% off, ends March 11, 2026)

Request Tickets

NOTE: Vanguard Connect is a member and invite-only event, please send us email to request for tickets and indicate whether you’re a member or non member, our team will connect further.

Please contact us if you have further questions.

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