Dear MEW reader Welcome to the first 2012 Medical Writing or MEW issue – another EMWA milestone to start off this stellar year. I hope you enjoy the new design and the thematic focus on oncology. The theme of EMWA's upcoming 34th Spring conference in Cyprus is ‘Paediatrics’ and other vulnerable populations. The full programme can be accessed through our website https://emwa.org. You are hereby gently nudged into speedy registration to ensure a seat in your preferred workshops or any of the other star-studded events that mark this festive 20th jubilee conference. A generous number of workshops are again on offer and professionals from around the globe and from agencies that define the rules and regulations in areas pertinent to the medical writing profession (including the European Medical Agency and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) will share their unique expertise during plenary sessions, lectures and workshops. EMWA's founding veterans will highlight 20 years of EMWA's pioneering achievements. You are always in great company with EMWA, the prime meeting ground for professional medical writers and healthcare communicators. On that note, I would like to plead your continued support to help grow our membership by sharing EMWA with a friend, colleague, or anyone considering medical writing as a career option. Do generously spread the EMWA passion and do freely distribute EMWA's sponsorship package available at https://emwa.org/Sponsor/SPONSORSHIP_OPPORTUNITIES_2012_FINAL.pdf. EMWA welcomes and honours its many volunteers and their invaluable contributions – they are the driving force behind 20 years of EMWA progress and are key to EMWA's future. Welcome to sunny Cyprus! May, 2012