AHEC's booth featured a red oak floor, high-grade wood displays, and AHEC publications translated into Vietnamese. Several Vietnamese nationals were hired to help run the booth, and the publications provided were so in demand that more had to be sent for after just two days. Concurrent with the Expo was the Ho Mai furniture design competition; the winners' work was displayed at the Expo, helping integrate up and coming designers into the existing production infrastructure.

AHEC helped sponsor the competition by donating red oak generously provided to us by the New Oak Partnership.

The primary purpose of the contest was to encourage cooperation between industry professionals and young designers. Vietnam's furniture exports are currently being hindered by a lack of imaginative and diverse designs, and local trade organizations are active in trying to remove this obstacle. AHEC also promoted a seminar, attended by over 170 designers. Topics included NHLA grading rules, an introduction to various species and their applications, and the importance to quality detail and sustainable material in design.