Compared to the Ulster Unionist conference (sober), the DUP conference (sober but lively) and the Sinn Fein Ardfheis (serious), the SDLP conference is a veritable Whiskey Olympics. Delegates, spouses, British and Irish civil servants and politicians all mingled long into the night, and when one delegate spoke of "historic hangovers" in Northern society, few would have disagreed.
Mr Hume's speech on Saturday afternoon was preceded by a video of the party's activities over the past three decades, interpersed with tributes from President Clinton, the Taoiseach, Mo Mowlam, John Bruton and U2.
Bono and the Edge paid tribute to Mr Hume's dedication, his manner, his style on the microphone and most importantly "his way with the chicks".
The video also demonstrated the long-term success of the party. Footage from the early 1980s showed Mr Hume outlining such principles as inclusive government and police reform which became the bedrock of the Belfast Agreement.
If there was one word that ran through the conference it was responsibility. Speaker after speaker made it clear that the agreement was the SDLP's agreement and that they would jealously protect it against anyone that came in its way.
With responsibility and political power come serious issues, and much of the conference was spent on policy detail that would elsewhere have been considered minutiae.
Mark Durkan, who previously held the post of party quipmaster, spoke for 15 minutes on local government reform before describing the "semantic, pedantic, silly antics" of the other parties. And that was as good as it got.
There is only so much responsibility a delegate can take surrounded by old friends in a luxury hotel, and while many debates had only a skeleton attendance, there was the constant hum of chat from outside.