It gives me great pleasure to invite you to the 9th Joint Meeting of Paediatric Endocrinology in Milan, Italy in September 2013. This prestigious occasion will reunite the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) with the Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES), Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group (APEG), Asia Pacific Paediatric Endocrine Society (APPES), African Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology (ASPAE), Japanese Society for Pediatric Endocrinology (JSPE), and the Sociedad Latinoamericana de Endocrinologia Pediotrica (SLEP). This meeting continues a tradition of Joint Meetings between ESPE, LWPES (Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society, now PES) and the sister societies, initiated in 1981 with the first Joint Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, presided over by Pierre Sizonenko. The theme of this Joint Meeting, to be held in the newly built Fiera Milano Conference Centre, is 'Predictive Medicine to Improve the Care of Children'. This increasingly relevant topic will be explored through a stimulating variety of plenary lectures, symposia, and meet-the-expert sessions currently being prepared by the Joint Programme Organising Committee (JPOC). You are all invited to submit your best abstracts. My colleagues and I keenly anticipate the opportunity to welcome you to Milan; home to the internationally renowned La Scala opera house and Italy's largest cathedral, the Gothic Duomo di Milano; a charismatic city whose dynamic culture, design and gastronomy represent its position as the historic gateway to Italy from Europe. Today, high-speed rail connections place Venice, Florence and Rome just over two hours away should you wish to further explore the Italian peninsula before or after the Congress. Come to the 9th Joint Meeting of Paediatric Endocrinology, where an inspiring scientific programme and Milan's evocative architecture, together with a warm Italian reception, await you!