(REPRINT OF PREFACE FROM PROGRAM BOOKLET) The seeds for this meeting began to grow in 1997, the first year of a John Wiley journal entitled Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines (JPP) which was devoted to the publication of papers in both applied and basic research in all areas of porphyrins, phthalocyanines and related macrocycles. A four volume series entitled "Phthalocyanines: Properties and Applications" was edited by Cliff Leznoff and Barry Lever and appeared over the period 1989-1996 but no major reference work devoted to the area of porphyrins had been published since the independently edited works of Kevin Smith and David Dolphin in the mid- to late-1970s. A major meeting on phthalocyanines had been held in 1995 in Hawaii and again in 1998 in Edinburgh but there had been no major worldwide meetings devoted to porphyrins since the New York Academy of Sciences meeting in 1972 nor had there ever been a meeting devoted to a joint coverage of research topics in the combined areas of porphyrins and phthalocyanines. Thus, the time was ripe for new meetings and new publications on the topics of porphyrins and phthalocyanines and it all began to come together in Dijon, long a center of porphyrin research activity under the direction of Roger Guilard, a member of the JPP Editorial Board. The first issue of JPP was published in February 1997 and this was followed several months later by the idea of a Porphyrin Handbook whose concept was outlined by Roger Guilard, Kevin Smith and Karl Kadish over a very nice series of Burgundy wines, some of which seemed good enough to have dated back to the early days of porphyrin and phthalocyanine chemistry. The idea of a major conference on Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines was also discussed in Dijon at this time and it was decided that Roger Guilard and Karl Kadish would serve as primary organizers for this event which would be put together with the help of other members of the porphyrin and phthalocyanine community, including a program committee consisting of Michael Cook, Jonathan Sessler, Kevin M. Smith and Dieter Wöhrle. Three years later we were ready to raise our glasses in Dijon to ICPP-1. That we were able to do so reflects the dedication and efforts of numerous researchers from around the world. participants at the meeting came from 43 different countries support for the meeting has been provided by more than two dozen private, corporate or government agencies 36 experts in various specialized fields of porphyrins & phthalocyanines have put together 31 separate symposia with 157 invited speakers there were also 7 Plenary Lectures and 8 Award Lectures also, in addition to the above 172 presentations, 82 additional oral contributions and about 320 posters have been given during the 5 days of the meeting finally, you may wish to order one of the 1500 pictures, some books or souvenirs of ICPP-1 See you at ICPP-2, to be held in Kyoto, Japan, 30 June - 5 July 2002!