U.S. Commercial Service Virtual Partner Fairs are designed to link U.S. educational institutions with valuable partners, such as high school counselors and agents, live over the Internet. 

Overview

Some of Vietnam's best agents will be invited to the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to learn more about Community Colleges and Intensive English Programs in the U.S. Using our web conferencing technology, your school would be able to give a 5 minute presentation via PowerPoint to an audience of 8-10 top Vietnamese agents invited to the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where approximately 80% of the international student visas are processed in the country.

Primary Objectives

• To provide U.S. educational institutions with an opportunity to promote their programs to high   school counselors, schools abroad, agents and other partners
• To educate these overseas partners on the breadth of educational opportunities in the U.S. 

Virtual Agent Fairs

Community College Virtual Agent Fair
Date: Monday, May 12, 2008
Time: 7:00 PM EDT (6:00 PM CDT, 5:00 PM MDT, 4:00 PM PDT)
Location: Web Based (your home or office)
Participant Fee: $500.00
*Limited to the first 10 U.S. Community Colleges who express intent to participate by sending an email to Koreen Grube - see below


Intensive English Program Virtual Agent Fair
Date: Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Time: 7:00 PM EDT (6:00 PM CDT, 5:00 PM MDT, 4:00 PM PDT)
Location: Web Based (your home or office)
Participant Fee: $500.00
*Limited to first 10 Intensive English Programs who express intent to participate by sending an email to Koreen Grube - see below

Participation Requirements

• Must represent a U.S. Community College or Intensive English program
• You can connect to the virtual fair from your home or office, but you need to have a high-speed Internet connection to participate in this event
• You will need a touch-tone telephone to deliver the audio portion of your presentation
• We suggest you participate in a WebEx training session (15-20 minutes) with our team 

Guidelines

Presentations:   

• Presentations are 5 minutes and can be a combination of PowerPoint and testimonial from a current student you have at your educational institution from Vietnam
• Market Your Niche / What makes your school unique (see below suggestions)
• Talk about Partnerships, such as with 4-year colleges and universities
• Mention international student housing and if it’s year-round
• Provide details on how students, from Vietnam, have done at your school
• Discuss international student clubs / programs
• Illustrate value of studying in your geographic environment, such as suburb of major city

School Materials:  

In advance of the virtual agent fair, please express courier 20 sets of your schools brochures, introductory letters to the partners, business cards, CDs or DVDs, and other materials to our below office that will provide packets to the prospective partners:  

Attention:  Mr. Dao Le, Commercial Officer
U.S. Consulate General
Saigon Centre, 65 Le Loi Boulevard, 9th floor
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 
Tel: +84-8-825-0490 

Additional Information

Cost of Virtual Partner Fair:  $500 per educational institution

*U.S. Commercial Service is mandated by Congress to have cost recovery for its programs

If you have any questions or would like to participate, please contact:

Ms. Koreen Grube
Deputy Education Team Leader
U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce
Tel:  (414) 297-1853
Fax: (414) 297-3470
Email:  Koreen.Grube@N0SPAM.mail.doc.gov

Note: Please also include the name of your local trade specialist that you are currently working within your email.