As a young, regional association - focussed on the advancement of audiovisual archiving in the South East Asia/Pacific region - SEAPAVAA looks forward to its first global "joint venture" with IASA. This conference has been long anticipated, thorough in preparation, and great in expectation! We believe it will be a timely and strategic occasion, and one to be savoured and long remembered.

The audiovisual environment is developing at breathtaking speed, and the challenges of preservation and access are enormous. The diversity and range of formats, and the sheer quantity of production, grows exponentially - while the archiving resources, both human and financial, do not. What do we keep? How do we select it? Does technology offer new solutions - or bigger problems? How do we increase our skills - and our support? These are among the questions we face.

That's why audiovisual archiving is changing, too. The global and regional associations are discovering the value of complementation and cooperation. By meeting jointly we share our experiences and knowledge - and by meeting face to face we build friendships, understanding - and networks.