The aim of this newly established conference is to bring together scientists working in the highly complementary fields of megakaryocytopoiesis and molecular mechanisms of platelet activation. The need for such a meeting is accentuated by the fact that many "platelet" scientists have approached their work through biochemical means because of the absence of a nucleus within this cell, while a major emphasis of "megakaryocyte" scientists is on the regulatory mechanisms controlling development and maturation. Bringing these two groups together will allow them to share their expertise and common interests and enable considerable advances to be made in our understanding of the events that underlie platelet formation and function in health and disease.