The Vientiane Design Centre is a non-profit institution of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) which promotes and provides training for handicrafts and small- and medium-sized enterprises in Laos. It was established within the framework of the partnership project between LNCCI and the Chamber of Skilled Crafts Koblenz (Handwerkskammer Koblenz) and opened its doors in July 1997. The project is financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) of Germany and supervised by the Foundation for Economic Development and Vocational Qualifications (SEQUA). Since opening in July 1997 the Design Centre has focused particularly on providing training and qualifications to Lao people working in handicrafts and the small enterprise sector. During several workshops held by jewelry designer Martina Dempf from Berlin, Lao silversmiths acquired new ideas, leading to the development of new collections of silver jewelry. Since 2001 the Design Centre has provided basic vocational training courses for silversmiths. Workshops in the fields of pottery/ceramics, wickerware, upholstry and textile processing provided essential help for Lao craftspersons in order to develop new products and to upgrade the quality of existing goods. During the summer school holidays the Design Centre has also organised special training courses for children and young people. In addition to technical skills development the Design Centre offers training and qualifications in the field of business management for small and micro enterprises. Cost calculation and simple bookkeeping are taught, as well as quality improvement, work safety and marketing. The Design Centre offers a range of first class Lao crafts products for sale. In addition Lao crafts have been able to participate in international trade fairs such as Ambiente in Frankfurt, ImportShop in Berlin and EXPO 2000 in Hanover. Other important achievements of the project include the opening of The Blue House in Luang Prabang and the establishment of the Lao Handicraft Group (now the Lao Handicraft Association) as a branch organisation of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI). Thanks to the regional approach of HwK Koblenz, experiences of and synergy between this project and similar projects in Việt Nam and Cambodia have been used to further increase their efficiancy. This is also demonstrated by the Regional Design Forum, which is held regularly and draws participants from Việt Nam, Laos and Cambodia as well as representatives from Thailand, Myanmar and Nepal.