Australian Society for Antimicrobials
9^th Annual Scientific Meeting
(Antimicrobials 2008)

Invitation
On behalf of the Australian Society for Antimicrobials I would like to invite you to the Society's 9^th Annual Scientific Meeting "Antimicrobials 2008" to be held at the Stamford Plaza Double Bay, Sydney on Thursday 21^st - Saturday 23^rd February 2008.

I am please to announce David Hooper from Massachusetts General Hospital in the USA, and Peter Hawkey from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom will be participating at the meeting. David will be presenting the plenary "Efflux Pumps and Nosocomial Antibiotic Resistance " while Peter will be presenting the plenary "ESBL - not just a Hospital Problem? ". Both speakers will also be participating in the symposium sessions.

The Australian plenary speaker for Antimicrobials 2008 is David Paterson from the Queensland Health Pathology Service and the Department of Infectious Diseases at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. David will be presenting the plenary "Clinical Significance of ESBLs" and will also be participating in the symposium and workshop sessions.

The programme's symposia although covering many different aspects on antimicrobials will focus primarily on Gram-negative bacteria. Sessions include "ESBL/AmpC Update", Multi-Resistant Gram-negative Bacteria", "Treatment Controversies", "W(h)ither Glycopeptides" and "Fungal Therapy". In addition we have two workshops on Saturday afternoon titled "Fungal Susceptibility Testing" and "Pharmacy Workshop" which will discuss "Antibiotic Stewardship - No Longer the Drug Police" and "The Bugs and Drugs".

Three proffered paper and two poster sessions are also planned for the meeting. Once again ASA is offering travel awards to financial members of the Society who are submitting abstracts for the meeting. These awards include return economy airfare, registration and accommodation. In addition the ASA/bioMérieux travel award will be awarded during the meeting to an abstract dealing with the identification of bacterial resistance to antimicrobials in a routine clinical setting.

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 a conference dinner is planned on the Friday evening.

I am confident that you will find the meeting's programme both scientifically stimulating and informative and we look forward to meeting you in Sydney.

Keryn Christiansen
President ASA