The doors to the great hall of Parliament House have been thrown open to 143 delegates, with the federal government's two-day Jobs and Skills Summit kicking off in the nation's capital.
And if you're a tad confused what it's all about, hopefully we have some answers for you.
What is the summit?
During the election campaign, Anthony Albanese spoke at length of his desire to bring unions, big businesses and industry groups to thrash out ways to tackle the nation's economic and workforce challenges.
Skill shortages, sluggish wage growth and soaring inflation were mixing in a manner not seen for decades, causing headaches for workers, employers and governments alike.
Fast forward to September 2022, Mr Albanese's now the Prime Minister, and gets to host that very event.
Given the diversity of views and interests of those who scored an invite, it's rare to see them all in the same room.
What's the goal?
The federal government is keen to temper expectations. The delegates aren't going to get to the end of Friday and let off a couple of fireworks to announce they've solved the nation's workforce woes.
And to be fair, unions and industry groups are making similar noises.
But there's hope it could steer seemingly disparate groups towards a common purpose.
For example, could industries closed off to the idea of collective bargaining start to shift their views if the deal is sweetened for them slightly?
Could there be some movement on skilled migration levels? Could there even be some sort of agreement on how wages can be lifted over the coming months and years?
Nothing is certain, but Treasurer Jim Chalmers says it's the "start of the conversation".
On the eve of the summit the Australia Council of Trade Unions and Business Council of Australia released a statement of agreed principles, including policy suggestions to lift living standards.
Those suggestions include simplifying the system of bargaining, opening pathways to permanent residency for temporary visa holders, a review of the list of skills and stronger protections against workforce exploitation.
The groups have also agreed on a push to increase paid parental leave to 26 weeks.
So, who's coming?
143 people have secured a spot on the guest list.
There are representatives from the ACTU and the broader union movement, as well as advocacy groups ranging from the Business Council of Australia, to National Seniors and the Smart Energy Council.
Big business has a couple of seats set aside — the chief executives of companies such as Qantas, Coles, Woolworths, BHP and Telstra will join the summit.
Former Australia Post boss Christine Holgate — now chief executive of Toll Group Express will join them — as well as Brent Eastwood, the chief executive of one of the world's largest meat companies, JBS Foods.
Leaders from academia are lining up, along with those working in Indigenous communities, including the Ceduna Aboriginal Corporation.
And, of course, the nation's premiers and chief ministers have been invited.
We know there will be a solid contingent of representatives from the federal government, although other political ranks will be thinner. Liberal leader Peter Dutton won't be there, but the leaders of the Nationals and the Greens will turn up.
What will come out of it?
That's yet to be seen.
The Liberals are dismissing it as a talkfest, used to promote the views of the Labor Party's union friends.
The Greens are threatening to use their numbers in the Senate to block any legislation that lobs into parliament as a result of the summit.
The minor party, bristling with confidence after their recent electoral success, could drop their threat if there are concrete commitments to lift the minimum wage and award rates for workers in feminised industries such as nursing and teaching.
This is where the practice of expectation management comes into play.
The summit is clearly a good opportunity for discussion, but the problems it's trying to address are incredibly complicated and widespread.
