After a welcome from the mayor of Brighton - and a brief discussion of the local party's problems over the location of a new football stadium - the Liberal Democrat conference was officially open for business.
The first main speech was from foreign affairs spokesman Michael Moore, who gave delegates a sometimes scathing 'greatest hits' of the party's views on Iraq, Afghanistan, the Lebanon conflict, Guantanamo Bay and the UK/US special relationship.
After a debate on the rights of children, home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg received star billing and a standing ovation for his vision of tough liberalism and a bonfire of Labour legislation.
With senior MPs still spending much of their time defending the party's new "fairer not higher" tax programme ahead of the crucial vote on Tuesday, Sir Menzies Campbell took to the stage for a question and answer session with activists.
If the session was intended to show a warmer leader to members, he was met with only limited warmth in return.
Several slips - claiming the Bromley and Chislehurst by-election as a Lib Dem victory, and claiming the Arctic Monkeys (fast becoming a curse for British politicians) had outsold the Beatles - are bound to make him a figure of fun in Tuesday's press.
Campaigns and communications chief Ed Davey followed, with a presentation calling on the party to use new technology to connect with a new demographic, "Online Ollie".
Amid the trivia and party housekeeping, serious issues were being discussed too, including ways of improving Britain's appallingly low rate of rape prosecutions and convictions.
After a series of emotional speeches, party members passed a motion aimed at increasing the rate of rape convictions.
An amendment to the motion was also passed, calling for anonymity for those accused of rape.
The focus, however, was already turning to Tuesday, which could be the biggest day of the conference, with the crucial tax vote and a speech by deposed leader Charles Kennedy.
