The pavilions. The performers. The people.

There's plenty to pick from whenever you're asked, "what do you remember most about Expo 88?"

Today marks 30 years since the doors first opened on Brisbane's love letter to the world.

Running for six months, the carnival attracted more than 15 million visitors to the area known today as South Bank.

ABC News spoke to those who were there, from the movers and shakers, to those simply in attendance, about their memories from Brisbane's coming of age.

More than 40 countries were represented at Expo 88. ( Supplied: Queensland State Archives )

'It was a very exciting time'

They don't call Jim Maccormick "the man who dreamed up Expo" for nothing.

The now 92-year-old retired architect can be credited with bringing his vision of a giant carnival to Queensland all those years ago.

"I feel very proud of the opportunity I was given and I would love to do it all again. It was a very exciting time," Mr Maccormick said.

"What it achieved is it brought people to a realisation that their city was a beautiful city internationally admired by so many people.

"We felt we achieved the impossible. We proved we could do it."

Expo 88 hostesses were always around to lend a hand. ( Supplied: Queensland State Archives )

His wife, Marusia Maccormick, said Expo helped to bring Brisbane out of its shell.

"It was a carnival atmosphere," she said.

"It brought Brisbanites out because after five o'clock the city was always dead, it was deserted and suddenly the streets were full. People were walking around and talking to each other.

"Brisbane was changing slowly, but Expo 88 accelerated the change because suddenly it was accepted you could sit outside with a glass of wine and eat a meal which you could not do before."

There's nothing on earth like a genuine, bonafide, electrified six-car monorail. ( Supplied: Queensland State Archives )

Expo 88 'gave the people of Brisbane confidence'

Brisbane's lord mayor at the time, Sallyanne Atkinson, said Expo 88 was simply magic.

"It was enormously exciting because it was the first really big event that we had had that everyone could come to," she said.

"Our attitudes changed, our culture of Brisbane changed, the day to day living of Brisbane changed."

She said Expo "changed the spirit of Brisbane".

"Before Expo people like my parents had tea at five o'clock and listened to the wireless and went to bed," she said.

Four people smile for the camera on the last day of Expo 88. ( Supplied: Queensland State Archives )

"With Expo people came out at night people discovered the joys of eating out. The joys of mixing with people from other places.

"I think it really emphasized the character of Brisbane. I have always been very wary of saying we changed from something to something else. I would like to think we are more of the same only better.

"We felt proud that we were a city other people wanted to come too and everyone said, 'gosh you have done it well'.

"And I think it changed how we looked at our daily lives that eating out was a good thing to do."

Ms Atkinson said Expo left two legacies.

"One is it gave the people of Brisbane confidence in ourselves and our city," she said.

"And the other one was South Bank and it will go on for ever. There is no city in the world that has this amount of open space this close to the city and on the banks of a river. It is fantastic."

Tens of thousands of people gathered at Expo 88 on opening day. ( Supplied: Queensland State Archives )

Love in the air at Expo 88 still strong 30 years on

Husband and wife Marcus and Amber Scott met at Expo, both 17 years old at the time.

They first got to know each other towards the end of their six months in South Bank.

Amber worked at World Expo Park in retail, and Marcus as a ride attendant, working on rollercoasters and dodgem cars, among others.

One day Marcus built the courage to talk to Amber.

Pavilions were some of the highlights for many in attendance at Expo 88. ( Supplied: Queensland State Archives )

"I remember that day vividly, it was the highlight of my six months," Mr Scott said.

Ms Scott, however, doesn't remember that particular encounter.

"The first time I remember Marcus is when he ran into one of the shops I was working in, and he was trying to escape what we called 'the groupies'. It was pretty common back then for all the cute ride attendants to have a number of young girls … admirers," Ms Scott said.

Queen Elizabeth II arrived to declare Expo 88 "well and truly open". ( Supplied: Noel Pascoe/John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland )

Mr Scott said in a "bid to try and escape a couple of girls who were too forward" he ended up hiding out in one of the shops, when he and his future wife started chatting.

The pair dated for three years but ended up going their own way for a decade.

They reunited in early 2000s, when "the flame was relit".

They've been together ever since.

Merchandise featuring event mascot Expo Oz was a hit with kids. ( Supplied: Queensland State Archives )

Both agreed Expo 88 was the highlight of their teens.

"It was great fun. Every day was fun, working was fun and afterwards as a kid being able to go out and party was just a ball. It was eye opening," Mr Scott said.

Ms Scott described Expo as one big party.

"I don't think we appreciated it at the time being so long, but looking back now, our memories… we have such fond memories of that time in our life. And I'm just really grateful we were able to experience something like that. It's a once in a lifetime thing," she said.

One of the Aquacade performers preparing to dive. ( Supplied: Queensland State Archives )

Brisbane woman Helen Cooper is a self-described Expo tragic.

She took her children, then aged 6 and 3, to Expo more than 100 times.

"Everyone was so happy and excited," she said.

"Seeing all the tourists there I think it really brought Brisbane together as a community and made us realise there was a big world beyond just little old Brisbane.

"It was something different. I had no idea what it actually was when I purchased the season tickets. There was a lot of publicity about it and I thought 'oh well, jump on the bandwagon'."

Ms Cooper said it left her and her family with lovely memories.

"It was a big party and when it finished I had to think, 'oh what else can I do for entertainment for the children?' she said.

"It was sad to see it all close down."

A man shearing a sheep as part of a display at Expo 88 in Brisbane. ( Supplied: Queensland State Archives )

Carol-Ann Van Harn, one of 12 people selected to drive the monorail around Expo, said it was the best time of her life.

"It woke Brisbane up, it made it more like 'oh yeah, there are good times we can have in Brisbane, we do not have to go home and go to bed'," Ms Van Harn said.

"'We can go out we can have dinner'. A lot of footpath restaurants opened up. It did Brisbane a lot of good.

"It was a great time, you ask people and that is what they say — it was fantastic."