On behalf of the Organising Committee we invite you to attend the 13^th International Symposium on Staphylococci and Staphylococcal Infections (ISSSI) to be held at the Cairns Convention Centre, Australia from Sunday 7^th to Wednesday 10^th September 2008.

Hosted by the Australian Society for Antimicrobials (ASA), this will be the first International Symposium on Staphylococci and Staphylococcal Infections to be held in the southern hemisphere and will be based on the highly successful meetings recently held in Europe, Japan and the USA.

The meeting's programme will cover a diverse range of subjects on staphylococcal research including pathogenesis, genome and gene regulation, drug resistance, molecular epidemiology, clinical and infection control issues, and therapeutics. The plenary and symposium sessions will be presented by the world's leading experts in each of these fields. In addition, proffered oral and poster sessions will be an integral part of the programme and all delegates are invited to submit abstracts. Workshops and Industry breakfast and lunch symposia are also planned.

Cairns, in Australia's tropical north, is one of the world's most stunning locations, home to the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforest, and the award winning Cairns Convention Centre. With an international airport only minutes from the city centre, Cairns is easily accessible from all major Australian cities, the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the world. Warm and welcoming, Cairns is a vibrant tropical city with a wealth of luxury and budget accommodation all within walking distance of the convention centre. Known the world over for its unique environmental treasures, the city has an abundance of reef cruises, adventure tours and cultural attractions for delegates to experience and explore which are complemented by alfresco dining and exciting shopping in a lovely cosmopolitan atmosphere.

To promote discussion and interaction between delegates and the invited speakers the meeting's registration includes lunches, morning and afternoon teas and admission to the Welcome Reception. In addition to experience the Australian tropics a conference dinner is planned on the Tuesday evening at the Rainforest Station Nature Park.

We are confident that you will find the meeting's programme both scientifically stimulating and informative and look forward to meeting you in Cairns in 2008.

Keryn Christiansen
ASA President

Graeme Nimmo
Chair ISSSI Organising Committee