Seventeen-hundreds delegates from 55 different countries were welcomed to Adelaide by a representative of the indigenous people of Adelaide and the Lord Mayor Alfred Huang.
Ongoing controversy surrounding the Governor General of Australia, Peter Hollingworth, and the political limbo following recent state elections which did not enable either party to claim power, failed to dampen proceedings.
-I'm not really sure what a Govenor General is, or why everyone is making such a fuss," joked Adler.
The event's proceedings officially begin today with an address by the Australian Prime Minister John Howard, followed by former American President Bill Clinton. The speaker line up for the event provides a veritable who's who of IT business, and includes Microsoft chief technology officer Craig Mundie, Yrjo Neuvo vice president of Nokia, and vice-chairman of the NASDAQ Al Berkley
Notable for their absence is Compaq, who have maintained financial support for the event, despite canceling a speaking appointment by Compaq's Michael Capellas, after merger plans with HP hit a snag late last year.
If you lot join the gutter-press carrying on about a non-event I will stop reading your emails like I've stopping watching "Sunday" and any Channel 9 shows