The latest in this well-established series of conferernces on the chemistry of the platinum group metals, orgarnised by the Dalton Division of the Royal Society of Chemistry was held at the University of Nottingham, U.K. , from 25th to 30th July, 1999. Approximately 250 delegates,from around the world heard 46 plenary and invited lectures and viewed 120 posters illustrating a few of the many topics being researched in the platinum metals.