This paper summarizes the discussion which has taken place up to December 1988 in preparation for the Vowel group at the Association's Convention to be held in Kiel in August 1989. As coordinator of the Vowel group I sent out a questionnaire to those prospective participants who, on their pre-registration form, had listed vowel classification as being among their first five interests. Thirty-eight questionnaires were dispatched, and 24 responses were received by shortly after the deadline specified. Allowing for one case where the participant was ‘not known’ at the address listed, and possibly a couple of other questionnaires going variously astray, this relatively high rate of return within the short time-span available must reflect the importance with which this topic is viewed.