2025 FPM Symposium

Save the date for the Faculty of Pain Medicine (FPM) Symposium to be held at the Pullman Cairns International hotel, on Friday 2 May 2025.

The symposium will be held prior to the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM), from 2-6 May 2025 at the Cairns Convention Centre (CCC). 

We can't wait to welcome you to Cairns, the beating heart of Tropical North Queensland. A unique location where nature is at its finest with two World Heritage areas, the ancient Daintree Rainforest meeting the majestic of the Great Barrier Reef, providing a fitting backdrop for our symposium. Cairns is recognised as one of Australia’s premier holiday destinations with a multitude of accommodation and dining options within walking distance of the Pullman Cairns International hotel. The city is well served boasting both domestic and international airports with frequent and extensive links to major cities across Australia as well as several overseas destinations.   

Our theme for the 2025 FPM Symposium is “Diving deep”. We consider this event as an opportunity for an in-depth examination into many important aspects of pain management as well as highlighting the importance of equitable access to high quality, evidence-based pain management solutions regardless of gender, ethnicity or geographical location to support a brighter future for our patients.  

We’re so fortunate to welcome two renowned international speakers, Professor Nadine Attal and Professor G Allen Finley. Professor Attal is a neurologist, pain specialist and clinical researcher and is the current director for the Centre of Evaluation and Treatment of Pain in Ambroise Parѐ Hospital, France. She has published more than 128 peer reviewed papers on pain and is an internationally reputed speaker in the field of neuropathic pain. Professor G Allen Finley is a paediatric anaesthetist, professor of anaesthesia and psychology at Dalhousie University and Medical director of paediatric pain management at IWK Health Centre in Halifax. With clinical and research interests that span neuropathic pain including the latest treatment modalities for neuropathic pain, paediatric pain management, acute procedural pain management, pain management in first nations populations and resource-limited settings, our international keynote speakers have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with our delegates. 

Other exciting topics that we will explore include newer horizons in pain management including the use of virtual reality and artificial intelligence, advances in acute pain management, novel approaches to visceral pain and pain in culturally diverse and underserved communities. 

The program will be available mid-November, and registration will open early December. Check back and stay tuned for more information! 

Sincerely,  

Dr Hannah Bennett and Dr Anju Tessa James
FPM ASM Scientific Co-convenors   

Exhibitors:

          
           

Location and venue

The FPM Symposium will be held at Pullman Cairns International hotel. 

17 Abott St, Cairns City Qld 4870

Social media

Join the conversation on X (formerly Twitter) by using #FPM25CNS. 

Sponsorship

For more information regarding sponsoring and exhibiting at the FPM Symposium, please view the HCI prospectus here.

Accommodation

Once you have registered for the symposium you will receive a confirmation email with a link to book accommodation. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact the FPM Symposium registration secretariat.

Keynote speakers

Social function

FPMSA01 FPM Symposium reception 
Date: Friday 2 May  
Time: 7-10pm   
Location: Ollie’s Italian, 1 Marlin Parade, Cairns Waterfront Dining, Cairns 
Cost: $A135pp 
Dress code: Cocktail attire 

Escape to the waterfront for a delightful evening at Ollie’s Italian! Just a short 5-minute walk from the Pullman Cairns International. You will be forgiven for thinking you are in Positano sipping on your vino overlooking the Trinity Inlet, gateway to the Great Barrier reef. Famous among locals for their pizza and pasta, this Italian inspired menu will be sure to get your tastebuds tingling. It’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy great food and lively conversation in a relaxed atmosphere.  

Workshop

FPMS01: Management of acute severe behavioural disturbance (ASBD)  
Facilitated by Dr Helen Newman and Dr Kiran Sharma 

Date: Friday 2 May  
Time: 7-8.30am  
Location: Pullman Cairns International hotel 
Cost: $70pp  
 
This 90-minute workshop, an ANZCA/FPM CPD emergency response activity, will focus on assessment and management of acute severe behavioural disturbance, including interventions to de-escalate aggression and the safe care of patients who require sedation. The workshop is recognised by the ANZCA and FPM Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program for “Emergency response – acute severe behavioural disturbance (ASBD)”. 
 
Please note that places are limited.

Sustainability

ANZCA is committed to minimising the health impact of climate change and promoting environmental sustainability and has taken measures to reduce its environmental impact. Learn more about ANZCA’s sustainability initiatives here
 
What we're doing to reduce our carbon footprint at the 2025 FPM Symposium: 

  • As part of the college’s commitment to environmental sustainability, we’ve eliminated printed registration brochures, handbooks, and pocket programs.  
  • Promoting the onsite mobile app and our onDemand platform.  
  • In most cases we use digital signage and where possible single use signage has been eliminated. If printed signage is required, we ensure it is printed on recycled material and can be recycled.  
  • Lanyards used onsite are made of bamboo which is a renewable resource and eco-friendly product that will break down over time. We’ll have dedicated recycling stations in key areas at the venue.  


What you can do to reduce your carbon footprint at the FPM Symposium:  

  • Make sure you recycle your lanyard! Look out for the recycling stations.  
  • Pack, take and use your own keep cup and water bottle to the venue.   
  • Where possible, reuse hotel linen, as this will help save water.  
  • Choose to offset the carbon emissions of your flights. Most airlines offer this for a small fee.  
  • At time of registration, choose to offset your in-person conference experience. The FPM Symposium will be offset to Greenfleet. Learn more here.  


How Pullman Cairns International and our suppliers are working for better outcomes: 
The Pullman Cairns International are proud to be officially Sustainable Tourism Certified by Ecotourism Australia. This certification signifies that Pullman Cairns International is a ‘sustainably focused urban hotel that meets international best-practice sustainability standards across environmental, social, cultural, and sustainable management pillars.’  

Carbon offset – why your registration contribution matters 
We’re offering delegates the option to purchase carbon offset credits to help us reduce our carbon footprint and minimise the impact of the FPM Symposium.  
  
Where does my offset go? 

ANZCA has again partnered with Australia’s first carbon offset provider and environmental not-for-profit, Greenfleet to take climate action and reduce the carbon footprint of the FPM Symposium. Greenfleet plant legally protected biodiverse native trees in Australia, that address critical deforestation and biodiversity loss, protect our climate, reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and restore critical habitat for wildlife. 
 
The event offset with Greenfleet covers the average carbon footprint of a person attending an in-person event. It considers the transport to and from the event, the average utility use, food consumption and waste management for a one-day event. When you offset your emissions, your contribution directly enables Greenfleet’s reforestation projects.  
 
At time of registration, you have the option to contribute an extra $A2 to offset your carbon footprint for the day of the meeting. 
 
Greenfleet offsets carbon emissions on behalf of our supporters by planting native, biodiverse forests in Australia and New Zealand. As they grow, these forests remove carbon from the atmosphere, conserve biodiversity and build critical habitat for our wildlife. Greenfleet has been delivering climate action for over 25 years. Since 1997, they have planted more than 10 million native trees across 500 legally protected forests that will remove 4 million tonnes of carbon throughout their lifetime.  
 
You can learn about Greenfleet’s projects and see where they are growing here

CPD

In-person attendance in CPD portfolio in June 2025 
Participants of the ANZCA and FPM CPD program who register for the in-person registration will automatically have their attendance auto-populated to their CPD portfolio in June 2025. ANZCA and FPM CPD participants with full in-person ASM registration will receive 6 hours under knowledge and skills – learning sessions activity for the FPM Symposium program. Additional sessions or workshops will indicate specific CPD values (for example emergency response activities). 

FPM Symposium onDemand package 
ANZCA and FPM CPD participants who purchase an FPM Symposium onDemand package will need to manually record their CPD hours under knowledge and skills – learning sessions activity. Due to security purposes, the onDemand functionalities do not allow for auto population into the CPD portfolio. 

There is no live stream of any FPM Symposium content. The FPM Symposium onDemand package will ensure those unable to attend in person will still gain access to the content available from 13 May 2025. 

How can I claim CPD hours for viewing content post-meeting? 
In-person delegates and participants that have purchased an FPM Symposium onDemand package can claim post-meeting content viewing. This viewing will need to be manually updated to your CPD portfolio. Participants of the ANZCA and FPM CPD program may claim time spent on online learning under knowledge and skills – learning sessions. 

When recording time in your CPD portfolio, suitable evidence could be a certificate of attendance/participation/completion, written confirmation of registration or screen shot of online resources. 

Full coverage of CPD categories 
The FPM Symposium provides more innovative opportunities for your professional development across two CPD categories – knowledge and skills and emergency response. 

Emergency response – ASBD workshop 
The acute severe behavioural disturbance (ASBD) workshop satisfies a CPD emergency response requirement. Upon entry to the workshop room, please ensure you sign in with an ANZCA team member. This will confirm your attendance for auto-population to your CPD portfolio in mid-June 2025 and electronic certificate of attendance. 

Not a participant of the ANZCA and FPM CPD program? 
If you’re not participating in our CPD program, please check with your respective college/provider regarding your CPD classifications. Post-event, you may request an electronic certificate of attendance for CPD evidence from the ANZCA events team

Download the ANZCA and FPM CPD App 

The CPD App 

  • Allows you to record activities on the go​. 
  • Provides an easy-to-read dashboard that tracks your progress​. 
  • Fully synchronises with your existing ANZCA and FPM online CPD portfolio​. 
  • Helps you upload evidence of completion of CPD activities – simply take a picture and upload it on the spot! 
  • ​Is free to download on Apple and Android phones.​ 


For more information and to download the ANZCA and FPM CPD App click here.

Our supported charity

In lieu of gifts and on behalf of all speakers, presenters, facilitators and contributors a $A500 donation will be made to ‘Support Kids in Pain (SKiP). 
 
Founded in 2011, SKIP is Australia’s first and only not-for-profit child and youth pain management organisation. To learn more or make a donation please click here

  • Date

    2 May

  • Time

    8.45am-5pm

  • Location

    Cairns Pullman International

Last updated 15:52 31.10.2024