The theme of this conference is '30 Years of palliative medicine: Constructing, challenging, transforming'. There will be four days with international and national plenary speakers, workshops, invited and offered papers and posters, a trainee day, and satellite sessions, all surrounded with fun, fellowship and learning. The conference is a chance to celebrate the Australian and New Zealand components of the Australia New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine and the adult and paediatric challenges of this area of work.