To prevent the cultural industry from being a case of "applauding the night before and then dismantling the stage the next morning," what needs to be done?

Mr. Bac stated this at the Da Nang Cultural Industries Development Promotion Conference on October 2nd, and shared that this applies not only to Da Nang specifically.

According to him, one of the core reasons why many cultural potentials in our country have not been able to break through is the inability to transform that potential into competitive strength, combining art with economics , technology, and management.

"It was a great show, the audience applauded loudly in the evening, but when the stage was dismantled the next morning, from a cultural industry perspective, we still haven't achieved anything significant," he remarked.

In its Strategy for the Development of Cultural Industries to 2030, with a vision to 2045, Vietnam aims for cultural industries to contribute approximately 7% of GDP by 2030. How can this KPI be achieved?

Are you currently involved in the cultural industry or just organizing cultural events?

In an interview with Tuoi Tre newspaper , Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Thang Long - Deputy Head of the Professional Communication Department, RMIT University Vietnam - stated that the cultural industry does not form spontaneously but is the result of a development process. Events, including small-scale music events, are the starting point of that process.

This expert calls this period the "audience nursery" - where the market is nurtured by moderately sized performances, seasonal shows, or concerts by local artists.

"The issue isn't about holding many events, but whether those events can progress to higher levels," he questioned.

Mr. Long pointed out three corresponding milestones. Firstly, in addition to commercial value, these events help to shape the consumption habits of domestic cultural products. Secondly, when demand is sufficiently stable, the market will facilitate the gradual professionalization of each stage, while simultaneously forming a network of partners including investors, digital platforms, and the accommodation, food, and transportation sectors.

Thirdly, when artists have a sustainable income, they are also in a position to invest more deeply in their creative work, and producers dare to experiment with more challenging traditional materials.

Citing events like Glastonbury (UK), Coachella (USA), or KCON ( South Korea ), Mr. Long believes that the world's leading music brands all follow this path of patience.

"However, for this process to not remain purely commercial, the long-term guiding role of the State is necessary," he expressed.

He added that the focus should not be on interfering with creativity, but rather on establishing clear cultural criteria so that music events are both market-attracting and contribute to national identity and image promotion.

In parallel, supporting policies such as simplified licensing, performance space planning, tax incentives, and transparent public-private partnership mechanisms are needed to make the event more frequent instead of starting from scratch every year.

We are in a transitional phase, where the foundation is in place but the bridge from events to products is still missing. Events are where habits are sown, policies are where the rhythm is maintained, and only when audiences willingly return to buy tickets again does culture truly become an industry.

For sustainable cultural brands

Over the years, Vietnam has had several notable cultural brands: the Monsoon International Music Festival, the Ho Chi Minh City International Music Festival, the Da Nang Asian Film Festival… In recent years, there have been "Brother Overcoming a Thousand Thorns," "Brother Says Hi…"

But not every brand can transition from seasonal growth to systemic growth. Some events last for a few seasons before being suspended or discontinued.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Thang Long emphasized that for a cultural brand to be sustainable, it needs to shift from an event-oriented mindset to a mindset of building IP (Intellectual Property).

This includes a name, identity, consistent quality standards, a program structure that can be repeated over many seasons, the exploitation of copyrights, and independence from any other artist, so that the public knows for sure that the show will be on schedule and proactively returns.

He further cited the example of the " Homeland in My Heart" concert , which can be seen as a national ceremonial IP associated with National Day. The "Musique de Salon" concert, produced by musician Duc Tri, after 21 editions, shows that an IP doesn't need tens of thousands of people to last, as long as the identity is clear enough and the schedule is consistent.

Or concerts derived from television broadcasts like "Brother Overcoming a Thousand Obstacles" or "Brother Says Hi" have huge ticket sales, but they need to create reasons for audiences to return once the broadcast effect has worn off.

7% of GDP by 2030

International experience shows that cultural brands are built through deliberate repetition and a vision that extends beyond the domestic market.

South Korea uses KCON as an export springboard, increasing attendance from 10,000 in the US in 2012 to 291,000 in 2019, while also bringing 257 South Korean small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in Los Angeles alone over six years, transforming a music festival into a gateway for cosmetics, food , and lifestyle products.

Edinburgh in Scotland has once again demonstrated how to connect festival seasons, evolving from an international festival in 1947 into a year-round series of events that generated an economic impact of £407 million in 2022.

However, according to him, Vietnam currently faces four main bottlenecks. Firstly, many events are organized as independent productions, with a different team and script each year, or closely associated with a single artist, thus failing to build brand recognition.

Secondly, a successful formula is easily copied with the same artists, stage, and fireworks, while each audience member's budget for the experience is limited, so similar offerings only cause them to shift their priorities rather than spend more.

Thirdly, there is a lack of long-term commitment to the product, along with infrastructure gaps ranging from dedicated performance venues and skilled production personnel to data on ticket revenue and occupancy rates.

Ultimately, many products lack a distinctly Vietnamese character, as their stage models and musical styles are still borrowed from more developed markets, making it difficult to break into the global market . Meanwhile, the cultural industry will remain incomplete without the ability to export.

"The treasure trove of regional music such as Quan Ho, Ca Tru, Chau Van, and Don Ca Tai Tu, if retold in contemporary language, would be an advantage that is difficult to replicate," the expert suggested.

He further expressed that if each event is regularly maintained to become its own IP, then connected into a series with a common schedule and quality standards, with guidance and support from the State, we can absolutely have sustainable cultural brands, avoiding the situation where "the applause last night, and the stage is dismantled the next morning, and the cultural industry is finished."