Organizing online conferences – Fast connection, efficient operation

Fast connection, time saving

At the end of February 2026 in Hanoi, the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee organized a nationwide conference to study, disseminate and implement Resolution No. 79 of the Politburo on developing the state economy and Resolution No. 80 on developing Vietnamese culture. The conference was held in a hybrid format, with a central venue at Dien Hong Hall connected online to 27,284 sites across central and local levels, communes, wards, special administrative zones, Party organizations in the military, police and enterprises, with more than 2 million participants.

According to Mr. Lanh Duy Tien, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Committee of Nhi Chieu Ward, online meetings allow delegates at the commune, ward and special-zone levels to listen directly to senior leaders and central-level speakers without traveling long distances. With a broad and diverse participation, the meetings help save significant time and costs.

At the end of February, the city’s Election Commission organized a training conference on preparations for the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term. The event was held in both in-person and online formats, connecting to 114 communes, wards and special zones. In Cat Hai Special Zone, officials and civil servants were still able to participate fully without traveling far. “If meetings were held in person, each trip to the city would take a whole day, not to mention travel expenses. Now, with just a few simple steps, we can access all the information,” said Mr. Pham Tri Tuyen, Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Cat Hai Special Zone.

In practice, many localities have found that not having to organize large in-person meetings helps reduce travel, accommodation and logistical costs while minimizing potential risks. Meanwhile, the conference content is still delivered fully and promptly.

According to Mr. Nguyen Dong Huy, Deputy Director of the Information Technology and Communications Center under the Department of Science and Technology, online conferences not only save time but also significantly reduce organizational costs. More importantly, meetings can be convened more flexibly, meeting the demand for rapid direction and coordination. As a result, the city and localities save billions of Vietnamese dong in meeting expenses each year.

In Vinh Bao Commune, the local government has invested hundreds of millions of dong to upgrade equipment and network infrastructure to support online conferences. Holding meetings at local connection points helps save time and costs while ensuring that information is delivered directly and promptly. The number of participants in many conferences has also been expanded, eliminating the need for local authorities to organize additional briefings and reducing the risk of information distortion through multiple layers of communication.

Synchronized infrastructure, stable operation

To ensure effective operation, as soon as the new administrative system came into operation, the city completed the installation of a video conferencing system at all 114 communes, wards and special administrative zones. Each unit is equipped with two dedicated data transmission lines as backup to minimize disruptions.

Assessing the effectiveness of the system, Mr. Dao Van Thang, Deputy Director of the Information Technology and Communications Center, said that organizing online conferences not only shortens geographical distances but also enhances the timeliness of direction and administration. More importantly, the system has been invested in synchronously from infrastructure to platforms, ensuring stable operation and information security.

In particular, technical support has been implemented in a systematic manner. The center has organized 20 training courses for commune-level officials and established 114 Zalo groups to provide 24/7 technical support. As a result, issues arising during operation can be resolved quickly without interrupting conferences.

Mr. Hoang Xuan Thuong, Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Lai Khe Commune, said that the synchronized investment in the online conferencing system has enabled the locality to be far more proactive in administration. Previously, whenever there were higher-level meetings, officials had to travel long distances, depending on weather and traffic conditions, which sometimes affected work progress.

Despite its advantages, during the operation of online conferences at some connection points, the quality of audio and video has occasionally been unstable, and the equipment operation skills of some officials remain limited. Therefore, to ensure that online conferences are not only about “fast connection” but also “effective and practical operation,” in the coming time the Department of Science and Technology will continue to review and improve technical infrastructure, ensuring stable connections and clear audio and visual quality.

At the same time, equipment at connection points will be standardized. The department will also continue organizing training to improve officials’ capacity, particularly in using online meeting systems and in presentation and interaction skills in the online environment, while maintaining 24/7 technical support channels for localities.

Ha Vy