DOMAINfest Conference is BACK !!!

Domainfest which became Webfest last year, is back as Domainfest. Namescon, which took place recently in Las Vegas, was formed mainly because domainfest was thought to be no longer. Below are the dates and the press release.

DOMAINSPONSOR ANNOUNCES DOMAINFEST CONFERENCE
The most respected domain and online advertising conference returns to Hollywood

LOS ANGELES, Calif. Jan. 23. DomainSponsor®, the online monetization business of Oversee.net® and organizer of the critically acclaimed DomainFest ® series of conferences, will host its annual DomainFest conference from March 31 to April 3, 2014, at the luxurious Loews Hotel in Hollywood, Calif.

DomainFest returns to Hollywood at the “new” Loews Hollywood Hotel, set in the middle of iconic Hollywood landmarks. This hotel is the gateway to enjoy all that Hollywood and Highland have to offer – from the Walk of Fame to the major movie studios.

”We are bringing DomainFest back to Hollywood and its roots,” said Debra Domeyer, CEO of Oversee.net. “With a tradition of networking, learning, and getting deals done, we’re delighted to be back. Our goal is to once again deliver a great conference with excellent speakers, rich content, and fun entertainment.”

Speakers, Agenda and Evening Entertainment
Domain owners, new gTLD Name Providers, Domain Registrars, Online Marketers, Affiliates and Startups attending DomainFest can expect an agenda packed with unique learning and networking opportunities. Industry leaders will offer insights and real-world experiences that can help improve business performance and results.

“For the 9th year, we are pleased to host the DomainFest conference,” said Dwayne Walker, Senior Vice President of Advertising and Domain Services. “Once again, we are bringing together the brightest and most informed experts, attendees and investors from the Domain, Online Advertising and Online Marketing industries to explore new business opportunities, network and enjoy memorable evening entertainment.”

In February 2013 more than 600 domain name investors, registrars, hosting companies, startups, advertising providers and online marketing companies from 25 countries attended the conference.

Registration is Now Open
An early bird registration fee of $695, which includes all sessions, meals and evening parties, is available now and will end Feb. 14, 2014. On Feb. 15, 2014, the regular pre-conference rate of $995 applies. This year, a special one-day pass will be available for the first day of the conference. Priced at just $295, it encourages a broad range of participants involved in the Southern California technology scene. To register, visit
http://domainfest.com

DomainFest has arranged for discounted hotel room rates at the Loews Hollywood hotel. For reservation details, please visit: http://domainfest.com

Sponsorship Opportunities Available
DomainFest is an excellent and cost effective way to promote your brand to savvy investors. Information about 2014 sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities is available at http://domainfest.com. Inquiries can be sent to info@domainfest.com
.
Get the Latest News and Stay Informed

The DomainFest team will provide updates, information and much more via its Twitter handle @domainfest. DomainFest, DomainSponsor and conference attendees will be tweeting before and during the conference using Twitter hashtag #DomainFest. Videos, pictures, commentary and live news and information will flow on Twitter via hashtag #domainfest. Tweet us using hashtag #DomainFest.

Does GTLD stand for “Going to Lose Dough”?

Last week I was at Namescon. First I have to give Richard, Jodi and Jothan a huge congratulations. They put on the first of what I think will be EPIC shows.
Much discussion was placed on the new Gtld’s verse the existing tld’s (mostly .com’s) Of course there were many that were looking forward to their arrival. These positive folks mostly were represented by those that were involved financially in the process. The .com lovers were mostly older domainers that had seen .mobi, .xxx and others fail miserably for the investors, but made lots of dough for the registries, auction houses and registrars.

I do think some Gtld’s will be a winner for all involved including domain investors. Others will help the average business looking for a simple domain that they could not otherwise get at an affordable price.

Speaking with a long time domainer today, he told me that Gtld stood for “Going to Lose Dough”. At first I laughed but I had to commend his reasoning. “Its a lot like Las Vegas”, he said. “The house are the Gtlds and the investors are the gamblers. Since the house usually comes out ahead, many investors may have found the meaning of Gtld.”

It’s only a matter of time to see if he’s right or wrong.

Please Say Hello At Namescon

I will be traveling tomorrow to Namescon in Las Vegas. I want to put a shout out to Richard Lau, Jodi Chamberlain, Jothan Frakes and all others responsible for putting together such an impressive schedule in just 3 months. It looks like Namescon will be the perfect successor to Domainfest/Webfest Global. I will be speaking, Tuesday at 4Pm, on a panel entitled “Buying and Selling Premium Names. Please stop by and say hello then or at anytime during the show.
I looking forward to seeing both old and new friends.

In addition for those of you interested in monetizing your sites, Affiliate Summit will be in Las Vegas starting Sunday. I will be attending on Sunday and highly recommend going, if you are able to.