Nguyen Huyen Chau, Founder & CEO, VAN•HOA Creative Ltd.

When Nguyen Huyen Chau was commissioned to develop a recyclable exhibition booth, she was skeptical. As the founder of VAN•HOA Creative Ltd., a local Vietnamese company working on brand identity and cultural experience products, she knew that traditional, single-use exhibition booths are a major cause of waste. So, following circular business design principles she learned through the CIRCO training programme in Viet Nam, she and her team developed a reusable booth system instead.

“CIRCO challenged us to think beyond aesthetics –design should not only look good but also work toward sustainability. With each exhibition, we want to prove that circular design can be both practical and beautiful, inspiring a shift in how events are created.” — Nguyen Huyen Chau, Founder & CEO, VAN•HOA Creative Ltd.

Designed with sustainable materials and flexible assembly, these exhibition booths can be reconfigured and reused for multiple events. This design not only reduces waste, but also lowers costs. The first prototypes have already been successfully tested, with plans to scale up. The CIRCO methodology offers a hands-on, design-focused approach to help companies structure their thinking, identify circular opportunities in their value chains and co-create solutions through peer learning.

Ms Nguyen Huyen Chau joined the CIRCO Training of Trainers in 2024 and is one of the first 10 CIRCO trainers in Viet Nam which were certified in 2024. She has co-delivered 2 trainings since then and continues to be active as trainer. Through the CIRCO Track, Chau and her team explored circular design strategies, continuously asking key questions: How can materials be optimized? Can booths be designed for disassembly and reuse? How can exhibition design inspire businesses toward sustainability? To bring this vision to life, VAN•HOA Creative Ltd. applied the Products That Last – Gap Exploiter Model and the Products That Flow – Reduce & Renew Strategy. They developed a modular booth system with a wooden frame, fabric panels, and flexible connectors – completely free from glue or non-recyclable components. The design allows for easy assembly, disassembly, and multiple reuses across different events. VAN•HOA Creative Ltd. transformed exhibition design into a service-oriented model, where businesses can rent or customize reusable booths instead of building one-time-use structures.

The first prototype was showcased at the RMIT Alumni Green Business Showcase, where it received strong positive feedback from both exhibitors and attendees. The team has since completed a second demonstration, is planning for a third. Beyond prototypes, they are actively seeking investment and considering intellectual property registration to expand the business model.

VAN•HOA Creative Ltd. is now refining the booth design based on user feedback, optimizing logistics, and developing partnerships with event organizers. They are also working on scalability strategies to introduce their sustainable booths into Viet Nam’s wider exhibition industry.

About CIRCO Hub Viet Nam

CIRCO Hub Viet Nam was established as part of the global programme “Go Circular” which is commissioned by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Its objective is to support the transition to a Circular economy at global level and in the three partner countries: Colombia, Ghana, and Viet Nam. Go Circular works in three priority areas: i) Promoting innovation, ii) Scaling up solutions and iii) Action in global alliances. In Viet Nam Go Circular works closely with the Ministry of Finance (formerly Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI)) as the key political partner to disrupt the linear economy with circular business models.