Axi Plaza – a four-storey building with F&B, shopping, and business events facilities built by Ho Chi Minh City-headquartered The Anam Group – opened yesterday in Cam Ranh, a city in Khanh Hoa Province, on the south central coast of Vietnam.
“Axi Plaza is a gamechanger for Cam Ranh, where the (multipurpose space) will help support local tourism through MICE. Moreover, MICE business is not limited to The Anam Cam Ranh, and instead, serves the wider community and other five-star hotels nearby that do not have facilities to host large corporate groups,” said Pham Van Hien, chairman of The Anam Group.
Sporting a design inspired by the country’s ubiquitous coracle boat, Axi Plaza’s indoor space is a 1,197m2 conference hall on the third floor good for 1,000 pax in theatre-setting, or 500 pax for gala dinners. The hall features a high ceiling with timber beams fashioned in a fan formation, a cutting-edge 75m2 LED screen, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows that let in an abundance of natural light and offer a 180-degree view of the ocean.
The 1,077m2 rooftop on the fifth floor – with an unblocked 360-degree view – will also work as an event space in the late afternoons to evenings, added Martin Koerner, group commercial director, The Anam Group. Other outdoor spaces include a grass lawn on the beachfront, accompanied by three swimming pools.
“We want to bring MICE groups as close as possible to the ocean. The beach is our biggest draw here in Cam Ranh,” Koerner added.
Various company events and a forum in cooperation with the local tourism department have already been planned at Axi Plaza this year. The Anam Group will also attend IMEX Frankfurt next month to market Axi Plaza to more international business events groups.
Aside from its event offerings, Koerner shared that Axi Plaza will also boast a 200m2 Axi Plaza Lounge, as well as dedicate 10,000m2 to more than 40 shopping and dining outlets. “The lounge will be helpful for travellers who need to check out of their hotels at noon and have hours (to kill before their) evening flights. The airport is only 15 minutes away (from Axi Plaza).”
When asked why the building held its opening ceremony without any tenants yet present,
Laurent Myter, group general manager, The Anam Group, explained: “We’ve had 51 international and local brands come this week to look into the feasibility of setting up shop. The event space is already open, and the plan is to launch the shopping and F&B over the next three to six months.
“This is because we need to have the pull factor of international brands, and the right tenant mix, which is why we did not want to commit earlier even though we’ve had several interested parties.”
Most importantly, Myter pointed out that the services offered at Axi Plaza need to serve tourists, including a money exchange, pharmacy, grocery shop, and an entertainment zone for children. The Anam Group is also toying with the idea of an overnight tailoring shop, as it is very popular in Vietnam.
The largest multipurpose convention centre in the region, Axi Plaza marks The Anam Group’s third major development, following the launch of resorts The Anam Cam Ranh and The Anam Mui Ne in 2017 and 2023 respectively. Although the parent company is the same, Axi Plaza will have its own team, kitchen, and management.
