Dear Colleagues,

I am delighted and honoured to announce the 111th Congress of the Italian Society of Otolaryngology that will be held in Padua from 28 to 31 May 2025. The annual meeting of our Society will take place at the Padova Hall conference centre, a new state-of-the-art facility officially opened in 2022 inside the Padua exhibition area. This venue with over 3,300 seats offers large and fully equipped conference rooms, constantly accessible workstations, as well as recreational areas where one can meet with old and new colleagues.

During the congress, adequate space and visibility will be granted to all the disciplines of our multifaceted speciality and we will confirm our traditional attention to young people, looking forward to their numerous, qualified and enthusiastic participation.

I will have the good fortune and the honour to be joined in this experience by two illustrious honorary presidents: Paolo Castelnuovo and Alessandro Martini, two giants of our discipline who have played a fundamental role at different times in my professional and private life and whom I count among my closest friends.

The slogan I have chosen for the 111th SIO Congress is ‘Unity, Innovation, Updating‘. The constant drive towards innovation and scientific growth is an key feature of a dynamic Society like ours, and it is precisely through such moments of aggregation and scientific debate as our national congress that we can constructively compare our experiences and lay the foundations to successfully face our future challenges. At the basis of all our scientific and social activities, however, there must always be a feeling of unity among all the components of our Society and a strong sense of belonging shared by all Members, which we must strive to support and enhance.

I have no doubt that you will identify with our slogan, and I therefore look forward to numerous contributions from all of you, taking advantage of the various communication formulas proposed, once again, for this 2025 edition, as I am aware that the Members who give their personal contribution to the scientific programme of the congress represent the backbone of our Society.

Padua is a welcoming and fascinating city, rich in history and tradition, halfway between Venice and the Euganean Hills, where you will be welcomed with the traditional hospitality that the city is accustomed to offering to university students from all over Italy and international guests and tourists from all over the world who are attracted by its artistic beauties (the Scrovegni Chapel, Prato della Valle, the Padua Cathedral, the Pontifical Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua and the Abbey of Santa Giustina, the Church of the Eremitani, the Palazzo della Ragione, to mention just a few) and the centuries-old history of our University with its most representative structures (the Bo Palace, the Anatomical Theatre, the Botanical Garden).

Your stay will undoubtedly be brightened up by the wide range of excellent food and wine with which the city and the region have always satisfied the most refined palate.

I and all the people who are working with competence and passion to build the scientific and social programme look forward to seeing you in Padua.

Piero Nicolai