namelogo.jpg (9725 bytes)The format of The VBJ was structured to be familiar and accessible to the target audience: Decision-makers in business, government and academia.  The goal was to produce an interesting, high-integrity brand with a distinct voice. By attracting 70,000 loyal readers, top advertisers such as the Economist Group, PWC and Citibank, and praise from The Financial Times, that goal was met.
SectionFunction
Editor's Note/
Letters to Editor		My take on issues of the day, and readers' comments and responses to previously published content.
News UpdatesForty to fifty short, timely paragraphs (four pages, two or three photos on each page) about deals and government decisions relevant to the business community.
FYILeading economic indicators: Investments by sector, country, province; FDI; commodities; leading exports/imports, trade balance. Featuring original data, widely used by multi-lateral and U.S. officials. Most data compiled from various sources including exclusive content arrangements with The World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Nomura Research and the Ministry of Trade.
Business BriefsSix or eight short articles. Topics: Economic-related, business and personality profiles, U.S.-Vietnam relations, breaking news and follow-ups.
Street TalkInsider anecdotes, funny stories, company gossip and business "comings and goings" within the investment community in Vietnam/Bangkok/Singapore/HK and elsewhere.
Cover StoryMost written by me: Two or three primary pages on a particular topical subject or trend, plus two or three sidebars and two to four statistic-based tables/charts/graphics derived from primary or secondary sources such as financial institutions, marketing firms, multi-lateral financial institutions and/or ministries. Examples:
  • Fund Management: Attracting $400 million from international investors was child's play. Spending it on choice equity is not as simple, managers have discovered. Then how have a few funds spent their cash? The VBJ reviews the funds.
  • Hello, Tomorrow: Vietnam's telecom authority will spend $3 billion in the next four years to meet its objective. Here are the players, deals and surprises ahead. Includes inside story of a secret deal.
  • With Vietnam pegged to be the fastest growing air-travel market in Asia, Vietnam Airlines will expand its fleet of western-made jets. Which companies will supply the jets? Who will fly and maintain them? The VBJ takes an inside look at how to sell or lease a plane in Vietnam.
Regular FeaturesTopical articles prepared by staff, assigned freelancers or myself, usually two to four pieces per issue, one or two pages each, including photos.  Examples:
  • An American in Hanoi: Diplomat, Asia-hand, artist. Not a bad resume for a guy who, after college, blew it all in Vegas. A profile of US Charge d'Affaires Desaix Anderson.
  • The Changing Face of SaigonTourist: Vietnam's most well-connected tour company is changing its corporate strategy -- and its culture.
  • Bust or Boom?: Having hyped the economy's explosive potential, the media has now turned critical of Vietnam for failing to live up to expectations," writes Nick J. Freedman, head of Indochina research for ING-Barings.
Regular SectionsTopical pieces of expert insight and analysis produced by attorneys, tax specialists, manufacturers, government officials, advisors, bankers, etc. on their areas of expertise. Usually assigned. Edited by me. Examples:
  • Avoiding Double-Taxation: When structuring a U.S. business in Vietnam, consider this, writes Colette Goodman, a tax partner at Washington, D.C. law firm Shea and Gardner.
  • An Investor's First Impression: Brad Dockser, director of a private U.S.-based Asia fund, recently paid Vietnam his first visit. Will he return?" By Brad Dockser.
  • M&A, Vietnam Style: Mergers and acquisitions are becoming increasingly common, but in a sense that is uniquely Vietnamese, writes attorney Fred Burke, managing partner of Baker & McKenzie's Saigon office.
Special SectionsAdvertising or sponsored industry-specific sections (tourism, telecommunications, etc.). Editorial often assigned to freelancers, with advertising handled by publisher and staff.
Comment PageOne-page piece by invitation. Contributors included key players such as Sen. John Kerry; Sen. John McCain; Anthony Salzman, Caterpillar's exclusive distributor in Vietnam; Mr. Nguyen Nhu Kim, Communist Party official, on his impressions of three months in New York City.
Calls for TenderComplete descriptions and contact info of relevant business opportunities and projects available through multi-lateral banks (through exclusive content arrangements with The World Bank and ADB).
Regional ReporterCovering Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Southern China (through exclusive content arrangement with prominent business groups).
Events CalendarNew York, Washington D.C., L.A., Boston, Singapore, Bangkok, HK and Vietnam (magazines also present at these events).

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