This activity is part of a three-year capacity-building programme on festival management launched by the British Council in Hanoi in cooperation with the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

As well as helping to promote the arts, the British Council also put British festival organisers in touch with their Vietnamese counterparts.

The first training workshop is held by UK festival director Nick Dodds.

Arts promoters and festival organisers from Hanoi, HCM City, Quang Ninh, Khanh Hoa, Hue and Binh Thuan are in attendance.

The programme, which is part of the British Council’s global project entitled “New Work New Audience”, includes a series of training workshops on arts festival organisation led by UK directors and a series of wraparound events to showcase UK and Vietnamese arts to audience in the two countries. “The British Council hopes through this project, festival organisers will be better able to contribute to the development of the country’s cultural infrastructure,” said Simon Beardow, deputy director of the British Council Vietnam.

Nick Dodds was chief executive of the Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival from 2000 to 2008, where he was responsible for artistic and commercial operations.

Dodds oversaw the relaunch in 2002 of the Brighton Festival Fringe- England’s largest arts festival. He was also responsible for the capital refurbishment of the Brighton Dome and Museum.

Dodds was formerly chairman of the British Arts Festival Associations and the International Festival and Events Association- Europe.

Dodds has been organizing arts events for nearly 30 years.

“I have been waiting for this kind of event for a long time,” said Huynh Tien Dat, Deputy Director of the Hue Festival Centre.

“Vietnam has no school or centre offering training in festival organization. I attended a course for cultural officers but it was a general workshop and did not focus on festival organization,” Dat said.

The programme will be held every three months in different locations. The next workshop is scheduled to be held in Hue in June.

According to former Japanese senator Iwao Matsuda, Co-Chairman of the festival’s organising board, the board set up a club of fans of the Vietnam Festival to attract participants in the event. People want to join the club can register at www.vietnamfes.jp . The club now has about 1,000 members.

Vietnamese ambassador to Japan Nguyen Phu Binh said following the success of the first Hello! Vietnam in September 2008, which drew the participation of more than 150,000 people, including Crown Prince Naruhito, the festival was made an annual event.

The Hello! Vietnam festival this year will include performances by popular artists from both countries, including singers Ho Quynh Huong and Nam Cuong from Vietnam , artists from Japanese Idoling, Gypsy Queen and Rap DG Samurai groups.

There will be 40 food stalls and 20 booths displaying Vietnamese special fine arts and handicraft products during the two-day event.

Other member countries of the ASEAN have also registered to showcase their products at 15 stalls at the festival.

The organising board expected that the Hello! Vietnam 2010 will attract about 100,000 people.

Founded in 1997, the World’s Most Beautiful Bays Club at present has 30 official members. Vietnam alone has three bays in the club, including the Halong Bay of Quang Ninh Province, Nha Trang Bay in the central province of Khanh Hoa and Lang Co Bay in central province of Thua Thien Hue. The club plans to admit 4 new members at the upcoming conference.

According to Halong Bay management board, the hosting of the event, which coincides with the 2010 Halong Tourism Festival will be an opportunity to promote the voting campaign of Halong Bay as one of the new seven natural wonders of the world.

The participants cited cultural identities, natural conditions and agricultural cultivation methods, as well as the State management as major factors in efforts to promote the trademark.

They agreed that it is necessary to define unique souvenir products of Sa Pa.

Sa Pa is one of Vietnam ’s top holiday and relaxation destinations a t the height of 1,600m above sea level, the average temperature of the area is 15-18°C. It is cool in summer and cold in winter.

Visitors to Sa Pa in summer can feel the climate of four seasons in one day.

The best time to witness the scenic beauty of Sa Pa travel is in April and May. Before that period, the weather might be cold and foggy; after that period is the rainy season.

In April and May, Sa Pa is blooming with flowers and green pastures. The clouds that settle in the valley in early morning quickly disappear into thin air.

Sa Pa has many natural sites such as Ham Rong Mountain , Silver Waterfall, Rattan Bridge , Bamboo Forest and Ta Phin Cave.

Sa Pa is also the starting point for many climbers and scientists who want to reach the top of Fansipan Mountain , the highest mountain in Vietnam at 3,143m. Hoang Lien Mountain Range is also called the Alps of the North Sea area since Fansipan Mountain is not only the highest peak in Vietnam , but also in the Indochina Peninsula . The pyramid-shaped mountain is covered with clouds all year round and temperatures often drop below zero, especially at high elevations.

Sa Pa is home to various families of flowers of captivating colours, which can be found nowhere else in the country.

Sa Pa is most beautiful in spring. Apricot, plum and cherry flowers are splendidly beautiful. Markets are crowded and merry, and are especially attractive to visitors. Minority groups come here to exchange and trade goods and products.

Visitors to Sa Pa will have opportunities to discover the unique customs of the local residents.