NamesCon is a Big Success

In my opinion, the best part about attending a domain conference is having the opportunity to get together with friends and colleagues, and to meet with companies I do business with or want to get to know. With nearly 600 attendees, the inaugural NamesCon conference was packed, and I think it was a big success.

It’s pretty clear that the new gTLDs were a main focus at NamesCon. There were many new faces (to me) in the crowd, and it seemed that many were there specifically to discuss or learn about the new gTLDs. The three track agenda enabled attendees to pick and choose topics of interest to them. I found the topics to be interesting and fairly specific, which was important since there were so many panel sessions. I did not get the feeling that the new TLDs were being “shoved down our throats,” and that was appreciated.

The only keynote speech I was able to attend was Frank Schilling’s. Frank makes a compelling argument about why the new domain names will be adopted and used, and I will not be surprised if that is true.    I am still not convinced about the opportunity for domain investors to make money with new gTLDs, but Frank is very passionate about them, and it was helpful to hear his position in person. At this point, I plan to watch  from the sidelines, but I may have some skin in the game. To me, the prospects of change and opportunity are exciting though.

I had a number of meetings during the conference, and I was a panelist discussing domain development. I really liked the panel format that was used and found it to be a good way to hear from many different people. I also liked that there were a variety of moderators for the panels.

The Tropicana Hotel & Casino has never been on my radar when I’ve visited Las Vegas for bachelor parties and a vacation, but I found the layout very accommodating for public and private meetings. There were seating areas outside of the main conference area, and there were plenty of seats in the exhibit booth. I thought my hotel rooms was clean (if not a bit musty), but I didn’t really spend much time there.

Richard Lau, Jothan Frakes, Jodi Chamberlain, and the people who helped organize the event deserve major kudos for pulling this event off in just a few short months. I didn’t notice any glitches, and everything ran smoothly. I am happy to hear that this will become an annual industry tradeshow, especially because it felt like it had been around for years. If you missed this year’s NamesCon, I recommend coming next year. The price is right, and you can map your own schedule to learn about what you want and have meetings with vendors, colleagues, and friends.

Elliot Silver
Elliot Silver
About The Author: Elliot Silver is an Internet entrepreneur and publisher of DomainInvesting.com. Elliot is also the founder and President of Top Notch Domains, LLC, a company that has closed eight figures in deals. Please read the DomainInvesting.com Terms of Use page for additional information about the publisher, website comment policy, disclosures, and conflicts of interest. Reach out to Elliot: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn
  1. There are so much germs/semen and body fluid on the bed that will drown you.

    Namescon is a success because of the location and best of all it’s affordability.

  2. The preachers message will always resonate with those standing by him near the alter. The test is whether the folks in the pew are listening.
    Translated will the message reach the buying masses of GTLD investors end users who in the end will be the ones that determine the GTLD programs success or failure.

    Not a question I am sure those in attendance at what seems to be a very enjoyable and depending on what your definition might be very productive event wish to hear right now as it may cast some cloud on their euphoric mood. But a question that none the less has to be answered.

    Your own statement that you still plan to sit on the sidelines (last I checked you were a domain investor) would seem to indicate a divide between the opinion of the event and the long term business effects it might produce.

    Kudos to the organization team and all involved that appear to have made the event a good experience.

    Thanks for the update and honesty.

  3. Looks like a professional conference from start to finish. Well done everyone involved. The true test is will be its staying power, will it grow more successful or fade like the others.Hopefully it can grow into the defacto conference of the industry.

    • I think growth is a bit contingent upon the take rate of the new gTLDs, but I expect it will still be very large next year, especially if the rate is the same.

      I can’t stress enough that even though the new gTLDs was a major component, I didn’t feel like I was being force fed if that makes sense. My opinion on them hasn’t changed.

  4. Seems like everyone had a great experience. Shane said basically the same thing.

    For relatively new investors who only want to attend one conference next year, would this be it?

    Thanks!

    • I would say yes.

      One nice thing is you’ll find all sorts of people of various interest levels. It’s also relatively inexpensive to attend.

      The one downside for a new person is that all lunches and dinners are organized either privately or on your own, so that could be a downside. However, there are many companies who are happy to invite random people they meet at the event. I would not count on that though.

    • Clay,

      I’m a new investor and this was my first conference and it was well worth the trip. Networking opportunities were plenty and meeting panelists after sessions was great…all were enthused to meet new investors.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Recent Posts

Handoff to Dan on Imported Leads Can be Confusing

0
I've been using the lead import option at Dan.com more regularly. Although the 5% commission is not ideal, transactions tend to move more quickly...

ArtificialIntelligence.com Goes Up for Sale

8
I tried to buy the ArtificialIntelligence.com domain name multiple times over the last 10 years. The emails I sent to the registrant went unanswered,...

EU Gives More IP Protection to Food & Drink Producers

0
Did you know that some well-known food and drink varieties are protected intellectual property regulations? Popular types of drinks and foods that are protected...

Price Testing

1
In 2022, my wife and I decided our kids were ready for some big mountain skiing and we planned a trip to the Rocky...

GoDaddy Making You Sign in to See What You Renewed (Updated)

3
This morning, I noticed something different in a domain name renewal email from GoDaddy. Instead of telling me exactly what domain names I renewed...