Tennis Europe, the Oceania Tennis Federation (OTF), the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT), the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF), the South America Tennis Federation (COSAT) and the Central American and Caribbean Tennis Confederation (COTECC) were all represented in Ho Chi Minh City.

They were given the chance to meet with ITF bosses, including President David Haggerty, before the governing body's Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) officially opens tomorrow.

Presidents from all six organisations were able to raise issues on behalf of their members while the ITF explained their ITF 2024 strategy.

"To have a meeting with the ITF Board is extremely useful," said Tennis Europe President Vladimir Dmitriev.

"We have a lot of common challenges and it was extremely important to report and to inform about what we are doing."

Delegates from 116 countries are expected in Ho Chi Minh City in all, a record number.

A series of proposals to reform the Davis Cup and Fed Cup will top the agenda, as well as constitutional amendments and candidates for the ITF Services to the Game Awards.

The first International Tennis Hall of Fame Global Organisation of Distinction Award will be presented and the location for the 2018 Conference and AGM will be confirmed.

The ITF claim that nations will hear how ITF 2024 will bring "substantive ideas and programmes to help develop the next generation of players, fans and spectators".

"I am extremely pleased that we are able to invite a large number of participants here," said ATF President Anil Khanna, who also challenged for the ITF Presidency when Haggerty was elected to replace Italy's Francesco Ricci Bitti in September 2015, receiving just eight fewer votes.

"This has partly been because of the policy of the ITF to subsidise the travel costs and the host costs which is encouraging for nations who do not necessarily have a vote in the ITF. 

"I think this is the kind of encouragement that we require, and it will be the duty of the ITF management to try and engage all the members to come here. 

"It's a very positive step."

OTF President Cyrille Mainguy, COTECC President Persio Maldonado, CAT President Tarak Cherif and COSAT President Camilo Perez Lopez Moreira also all spoke positively about the meeting today and the discussions ahead.

"It's a record this time for all countries," said Cherif.

"For African countries it's an amazing presence of 23 or 24 nations. 

"Last year we had 11 African nations in Croatia. 

"I don’t remember seeing so many African nations at an AGM, which is a good thing. 

"We need the presence of everyone. 

"It's the presence of all the nations that leads to more consensus and more substance in decisions."

Under proposals already approved by the ITF Board, all singles matches in the men's Davis Cup team event will be played as best-of-three tiebreak sets rather than the current format of five.

No dead rubbers will be played if the tie is won in a fourth match lasting three sets and at least 90 minutes.

A match tiebreak will also replace the third set in all Davis Cup dead rubbers.

Hosting costs for national associations and player commitments will each be reduced.

A new World Cup of Tennis is due to be established, featuring both the Davis Cup final and the women's Fed Cup final.

However, a decision to announce Swiss city Geneva as the first host in November 2018 has been deferred until next year following feedback from players and fans.

"This week is going to be very relevant because of the changes that the ITF is proposing to implement in Davis Cup," said Moreira.

"It is very important to improve the Davis Cup all around the world. 

"For us it's important to talk about budgets and tennis development. 

"It is important to work to develop tennis and that the ITF has more presence in the world."

Haggerty said that every nation must have a voice at the ITF.

"Over the last year, I travelled and met with many national and regional associations to help their development efforts and relations with Governments, National Olympic Committees and sponsors," the American said.

"I have visited 43 nations and all six regions to better understand their concerns and ideas."