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The only TRAFFIC of the year is upon us.
This year TRAFFIC will host just one conference, which kicks off Sunday in Fort Lauderdale.
Last year there was a TRAFFIC conference just about every other month. Combined with other domain conferences it was simply too much. Having just one TRAFFIC this year means a greater concentration of domainers and a bigger focus on business.
Here are five questions to be answered next week in Fort Lauderdale.
1. How will the auction perform? This auction will be different from most other recent live domain auctions for a couple reasons. First, there will be no online bidding. This should make the technical aspects of the auction go much smoother. Seriously, when’s the last time that a live auction with online bidding went smoothly? Second, domain owners could pay to get their domains in the auction.
The auction list keeps getting bigger — 120 domains at last count. This is a little long for my tastes, but a well run auction will go quickly. I think the numbers will be bolstered by a handful of registry owned .xxx domains.
2. Will the venue top last year’s? The Ritz Carleton will surely be nice, but I also liked last year’s hotel in South Beach. It appears the Ritz is actually across the street from the beach rather than right on it like last year’s (although there’s a bridge to the beach). Still, Rick and Howard have signed up to host TRAFFIC at the Ritz again next year, so it must be a sweet venue.
3. Will the event have class? Last year’s TRAFFIC in Florida had some moments we’d all soon like to forget, such as one of the show promoters yelling at a representative of one of the domain industry’s biggest revenue sources at a party. Hopefully we won’t see that this year. Also, let’s remember that the domain industry isn’t the adult industry. .xxx is the big sponsor. That makes sense. But I hope the entire conference takes into consideration that this industry has both men and woman, and not all like the adult entertainment industry.
4. Any big news? I’m hearing whispers of some fairly big company and product announcements in conjunction with next year’s show. We’ll see.
5. What will attendance be?Since this is the only TRAFFIC this year I’m guessing the total number comes in around 250-300.
© DomainNameWire.com 2011.
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Biggest TRAFFIC conference in years concludes in South Beach.
TRAFFIC Miami drew to a close this morning with a presentation and domain trading session organized by Epik. Here are my takeaways and random tidbits from the conference:
-Attendance came in below expectations. Although I was unable to get a full tally, attendance was somewhere south of 300. Still, this is one of the biggest TRAFFIC conferences in years, and credit is due to Rick and Howard for making that happen.
-Don King’s talk left a lot of people scratching their heads, and it made for many jokes yesterday evening.
-Afternic made a big splash at the conference with its two new distribution partners, and it brought a lot of people to the event. The company held a cocktail party last night on the hotel lawn.
-Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. (e.g. Google)
-As part of my new job with Directi, we relaunched the BigJumbo domain parking service at the event. It was interesting for me to be on the “other side of the booth”.
-A lot of faces that hadn’t come to a show in years made the trip to Miami. The domain world has changed since 2007, and it was good to see some of these people in attendance.
-Many people apparently confuse Ted Olson (Afternic) with me. It can be quite humorous.
-I sat in on the first 15 or so lots at the auction. The auctioneer did a good job moving along when domains didn’t sell.
© DomainNameWire.com 2010.
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Everything’s lined up for TRAFFIC Miami. It seems that it will deliver.
I’ve been a vocal critic of some of the TRAFFIC shows in recent years. They seemed to have gone a bit stale and attendance had dwindled.
That will not be the case with TRAFFIC Miami, which starts Sunday evening at the South Beach Loews. Perhaps Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu had something to prove. It doesn’t hurt that this is the only event they’re planning for this year (Rick Latona did the rest), so they have the time to focus on this event.
But it doesn’t really matter why this is shaping up to be a good event. The truth is Rick and Howard have booked some great speakers. How will Don King be as a speaker? I have no idea, but I still want to see it. Myself and the 300+ expected attendees.
Here are other things that should make this show interesting:
-Congressman Cliff Stearns, who is a member of the Telecommunications and Internet Sub-committee. Nice to have someone to hear the domain investor’s side of the story.
-New technology for networking
-Rob Monster’s successful swap event returns for an encore
If you’re going to TRAFFIC and want to start networking in advance, feel free to leave a comment.
© DomainNameWire.com 2010.
Get Certified Parking Stats at DNW Certified Stats.
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Cast your ballots now for TRAFFIC awards.
Every year the organizers of the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. domain name conference ask for nominations (and then a vote) to pick the best companies and people in the domain name industry. This year’s voting is due by Wednesday at 8 pm EDT. To participate, just make your selections from below and email to nominations@targetedtraffic.com.
Winners will be announced at next month’s TRAFFIC conference in South Beach.
Here are the nominees. You may vote for one per category, except for Hall of Fame where you can vote for two.
SPONSOR OF THE YEAR (Vote for 1)
.CO
DOMAINADVERTISING.COM
NAME DRIVE
PARKED
SKENZO
DOMAINER OF THE YEAR (VOTE FOR 1)
JAN BARTA
MIKE BERKENS
JUAN CALLE
STEVE CHEATHAM
LARRY FISCHER
ROB GRANT
MERLIN KAUFMAN
MORGAN LINTON
MIKE MANN
GREG MCNAIR
JERRY NOLTE
ILZE KAULINS-PLASKACS
ELLIOT SILVER
DIVYANK TURAKHIA
JOEL WILLIAMS
BEST OVERALL DOMAIN SOLUTION (VOTE FOR 1)
ABOVE
DOMAIN SPONSOR
EPIK
MONIKE R
SE DO
SKENZO
SMARTNAME
BEST NEW MONETIZING SOLUTION (VOTE FOR 1)
ABOVE
DEVHUB
ELEPHANT TRAFFIC
EPIK
LOCAL.COM
SKENZO
SMARTNAME
WHY PARK
DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR (VOTE FOR 1)
FRED MERCALDO
ROB GRANT
KEITH LEVENSON
ROB MONSTER
SHAUN PILFOLD
ELLIOT SILVER
TIA WOOD
THE “WE GET IT” AWARD (VOTE FOR 1)
BODOG & SLOTS.COM
LEXIS-NEXIS
MIKE MANN
NATIONAL A-1
OVERSTOCK
QUINSTREET
SWIFT RANK
BEST DOMAIN NEWS BLOG (VOTE FOR 1)
ANDREW ALLEMANN (DomainNameWire)
MIKE BERKENS (TheDomains)
DOMAINERSMAGAZINE.COM
RON JACKSON (DNJournal)
LARRY FISCHER
MORGAN LINTON
HOWARDNEU.COM (Declined)
RICK SCHWARTZ (Rick’s Blog) (Declined)
ELLIOT SILVER (Elliot’s Blog)
DOMAIN HALL OF FAME (VOTE FOR 2)
MONTE CAHN
GARY CHERNOFF
ROB GRANT
JEREMIAH JOHNSTON
AMMAR KUBBA
RICKLATONA
MICHAEL MANN
HOWARD NEU
JERRY NOLTE
MARC OSTROFSKY
ADAM STRONG
DIVYANK TURAKHIA
© DomainNameWire.com 2010.
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Here’s the scoop on the next TRAFFIC conference.
TRAFFIC is taking the show on the road again next month, traveling to Dublin, Ireland August 24-25. Domain Name Wire caught up with show organizer Rick Latona to get the scoop on the show.
DNW: Why did you pick Dublin as one of the locations for this year?
Latona: Many Internet companies are setting up their European headquarters in Ireland. There are excellent tax advantages as well as a very tech friendly infrastructure. English is also a great benefit for us American companies that are exploring business opportunities. Ireland is far less expensive than Britain and of course, it’s in the European Union. The beer is good too.
We go to Ireland often on business and wanted to show our American domainers who travel to the overseas shows and the main land Europeans the benefits of the environment.
DNW: At the Vancouver show you lowered prices but cut some of the extras. I understand the meals and parties are back for Dublin. What can people expect in terms of entertainment and food?
Latona: Domain Invest (.com, not to be confused with domaininvest.lu) is throwing a big dinner on the second night and Latona’s will be sponsoring the opening night cocktail. Dublin is a great place to let loose a little because the bars aren’t open so late that we’ll get into too much trouble!
DNW: The Dublin show is only 2 days, as opposed to 2 1/2 to three at previous conferences. Why the change?
Latona: We understand that many people have been going to a lot of shows and they want to focus on their businesses. So, we’ve jam packed the two days, cut the auction back to a single event and included parties on both days. It’ll be a tiring two days but it’ll be productive and to the point.
DNW: What new and different events or panels will people want to see at this TRAFFIC?
Latona: The Test Track is always good and our guests tell us often that it is their favorite part of the show. Sponsored by .CO the Test Track is the event where entrepreneurs can pitch their businesses to the panel of investors at the show. Please note that we still have room for applications if anyone is interested.
DNW: Looking forward, any updates/info about Hong Kong show?
Latona: The Hong Kong event isn’t until November and we’ll be posting updates about it soon enough. We want to focus on Dublin for now. That’s one thing that we’ve definitely learned this year. Focus on just one show at a time.
© DomainNameWire.com 2010.
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Registration open for August’s domain name conference.
Registration for The T.R.A.F.F.I.C. domain name conference taking place in Dublin, August 24-26, is now open. Early pricing until July 15 is €695, although there’s also a link for a lower $730 USD price at the time of writing. Hotel rooms are available for only 159 EUR per night.
In a blog post today, show organizer Rick Latona noted:
You can’t talk about Dublin without mentioning beers. Folks, the parties will be back at this show. We have two sponsors and the Guinness will be flowing regularly.
Latona was referring to the last TRAFFIC in Vancouver, which did not have any official parties. Pricing for that conference was cheaper at $395, though.
Regardless, both conferences are cheaper than October’s TRAFFIC show in Miami, which is being organized by show founders Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu. Early bird tickets to that show start at $995.
© DomainNameWire.com 2010.
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A TRAFFIC conference in Vancouver, eh?
Yesterday afternoon I carpooled from Seattle to Vancouver for the TRAFFIC conference. As we crossed the border, the border agent was very stern.
Why are you entering Canada?
For a conference.
What kind of conference?
A domain name conference.
A what?
I thought we were about to get into one of “those conversations” where you try to explain the domain name industry. But we didn’t and were shortly on our way into the city.
Vancouver is a beautiful place and the Renaissance Vancouver Harbourside Hotel is an ideal location. It looks out on a truly spectacular view. Last night’s cocktail reception was held at the top of the hotel on one of those “rotating” floors. It let you soak in 360 degrees of Vancouver (see photos below).
It appears that about 150-175 people will make the show. Notably absent are Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu, but there’s a good contingent of first time faces (the Vancouver domaining community is out in force.)
Stay tuned for updates throughout the conference.
© DomainNameWire.com 2010.
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Stay tuned to DNW for reports from TRAFFIC.
I’m headed up to the Pacific Northwest this week, and the timing couldn’t be better. It’s getting hot in Austin. It’s near 100 degrees, which is hot enough that I’m asking myself why I live here.
My first stop will be Seattle on Monday (high temperature 71) to visit DomainTools’ new offices. I checked out their old digs a couple years ago, and they were nice. But word is the new offices are a nice improvement. I’ll tweet some photos Monday evening from their offices, so be sure to follow me @DomainNameWire to get a first look.
Then it’s a short trip to Vancouver, British Columbia (high temperature 65) for the TRAFFIC conference. The conference agenda includes some local flavor, such as a fireside chat with John Demco, who was instrumental in bringing the Canada ccTLD .ca to market. There will also be a panel about the .ca domain. Tickets and hotel rooms are still available if you can make the trip.
© DomainNameWire.com 2010.
Review and rate domain name parking companies at Parking Judge.
Related posts:
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Get a conference pass before the price increases tomorrow.
I don’t always go around endorsing conferences. But if you’ve never been to a conference or if you’re on the fence about attending the Vancouver TRAFFIC conference next month, here’s my message: do it. But you should register today to take advantage of the $395 conference pass (the price goes up $200 tomorrow).
This may be the least expensive domain conference you’ll ever attend if you’re in North America. Let me break it down for you:
Conference pass: $395
Hotel (3 nights): $765 CAN including taxes and fees
Roundtrip Airfare (from NYC): $400
Add that up and it’s about $1500 plus a taxi for the entire trip. That’s cheaper than most people paid for just the conference pass at previous events.
On top of that, it’s Vancouver.
So if you’re on the fence, I think this is one you should go for. And if you make the trip, please let me know so we can connect there.
(No, Rick didn’t ask me to write this. I just think this conference will be a good deal.)
© DomainNameWire.com 2010.
Review and rate domain name parking companies at Parking Judge.
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Rick Latona discusses next month’s T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conference in Milan.
The next Targeted TRAFFIC conference will be held in Milan April 27-29. I reached out to show organizer Rick Latona to find out what attendees can expect.
DNW: Your second conference of the year will focus on ccTLDs. You held a ccTLD conference last year. What will people who attended last year’s ccTLD show learn/experience new this year?
Latona: The ccTLD industry is constantly changing, much like the major gTLDs so regardless of your focus attending another show one year later is a good idea. One thing I’m excited about though is our panel about the Russian market. We’ve added a lot of new countries to the panel including those in Scandinavia and of course the Italian market.
The big answer to your question though is that things are always changing and you need to stay in tune with your market, there will be a great ccTLD auction, and networking with other like minded investors. It’s the same reason someone would go to a show every year in any other industry.
DNW: What special admission offers do you currently have available?
Latona: Right now we are reaching out to members of cctlds.com offering them special discounted rates. Most who know me know it is pretty easy to get a deal out of me. All you have to do is ask. If you want to come to the show but need help just email rick AT ricklatona.com.
DNW: Does holding an international show like this require extra preparation and planning? What extra logistics are required?
Latona: For one thing, we spend a lot more time on airplanes! Fortunately we have friends in high places. People like Michele Dionia have helped us a lot with the Italian market. In Dublin we are getting help from Pinky Brand of .mobi. It would be a lot harder without their support.
DNW: You’re using Proxibid for the auction in Milan. What technically went wrong with Latonas.com in Vegas, and when do you hope to have those issues resolved?
Latona: The system is beautiful but it just isn’t fast enough to handle the load of a live auction and we won’t be using it again for that environment until we feel it is. Proxibid.com offers a great system and domainers at this point know how to use it because we’ve used it so many times. The issues on Latonas.com will be resolved whenever they are resolved. We aren’t going to rush it at this point because putting on a fast and stable auction is the priority. Getting the names sold is what counts.
How can people submit domains to the auction?
Latona: We try and make that part as easy as we can. TargetedTraffic.com, Latonas.com and RickLatona.com all have auction submission forms. You can use any one of them that you’d like and we’ll get it processed. Just don’t fill out forms on all of them!
DNW: What do you think went well in Las Vegas that you want to replicate in Milan? Conversely, what lessons did you learn in Vegas that you’ll apply to Milan?
Latona: We were really satisfied with our networking events and Test Track. While the Vegas show was small, we feel that it was a success and our customers got business done which is what counts.
While the European market and ccTLDs are fundamentally different they are also basically the same. We are all domainers in the end so most of the same tactics work. However, Milan will focus more on teaching about the individual ccTLD extensions. There are three full days of panels in Milan so the show will be very content rich.
DNW: No rest for the weary — you’ll be back at it 2 months later for the Vancouver show. Any updates or exciting news about the Vancouver show you can share with us now?
Latona: Vancouver is going to be a hit. The city sells itself and it’s a huge market. We are already selling tickets for the show and have sponsors lined up and joining. You’ll be hearing a lot more about it from us in the coming weeks.
© DomainNameWire.com 2009.
Review and rate domain name parking companies at Parking Judge.
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