The Vietnamese Interacting as One Conference was founded at the University of Cincinnati in 2003 to create a collaborative network among organizations and individuals. Through speakers, workshops, and cultural festivities, VIA-1 aims to unite participants, promote leadership, and resourcefulness to the coordinators and volunteers in preparing the conference, and most importantly, foster awareness and appreciation of Vietnamese culture. The conference is hosted by different student organizations each year in order to bring the Midwest together and to promote a unique experience every year. This year, VIA-1 will be held at Indiana University, located in Bloomington, Indiana, for the first time since the creation of the conference!
To maintain the original purpose of the conference and consistency of quality, the VIA-1 Conference is collaborated with UVSA-Midwest. While the conference is hosted by the organization, the planning process is a joined effort of staff members from the entire Midwest Region.
Organizations and/or individuals who are interested in hosting the conference generally begin organizing at least seven months before the conference they wish to host. There is no official rotation process throughout the Midwest, although geographic location within the region in relation to immediate past conferences will be one consideration used when evaluating a conference bid.