The Australian Society for Antimicrobials aims to facilitate the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge in the field of antimicrobials. Members and delegates come from a diverse range of professions including physicians, microbiologists, scientists, pharmacists, veterinarians and industry representatives from pharmaceutical and biomedical companies. Membership is primarily based in Australia and New Zealand, but extends to Asia, North America, Europe and the UK. A total of 330 participants attended the 2011 Annual Scientific Meeting with plenary speakers from the USA, Spain and Australia. This meeting report focuses on two key areas of antimicrobial resistance: community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and resistance in Gram-negative organisms.