Dear Colleagues, dear Friends,

On behalf of the Austrian Society for Clinical Nutrition (AKE) it is a pleasure and a privilege to invite you to the 31st ESPEN Congress on Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism to be held at Vienna from Saturday 29 August - Tuesday 1 September 2009.
Located in the heart of a Europe melting more and more together, lying at the banks of the Danube, an European artery connecting West and East, Vienna with its great scientific and cultural heritage and a centuries old tradition of hosting people of
various cultures certainly is predestined for organizing this ESPEN Congress 2009 (actually the ESPEN congresses in 1982 and 1992 have already been in Vienna).
The modern Messe Congress Center is situated at the Vienna Prater, a large recreational area and is easily accessible from all parts of the city by underground.
Our motto “Nutrition Networking – From the Cell to Europe” suggests a holistic view of metabolism and nutrition from isolated cellular events to a patient as a whole, from an isolated metabolic intervention to a therapy which is an essential component in the global therapeutic approach of the patient, from a single individual to society. “Networking” also indicates an interdisciplinary and interprofessional cooperation of physicians, nutritionists, dieticians, pharmacists, an integration of basic science, clinical medicine and education and last but not least also a promotion of an international exchange and cooperation.
Present day Vienna is a cosmopolitan, dynamic city with a booming cultural and economic life. With its rich architecture, the sound of music in the air, the “Kaffee-Haus” and wine at the “Heuriger” an acclaimed Central European “fusion cuisine”,
certainly we can offer you in Vienna not only a high pitched scientific programme but also an ambiance where you can relax, meet friends, exchange ideas.
Networking also means meeting people, see old and make new friends. This will be ideally possible at a Vienna ball, the Nutrition Ball 2009 at the Vienna City Hall.
We are inviting all of you warmly to the 31st ESPEN Congress and hope to welcome you in Vienna 2009. Come to Vienna next year.