6 questions to be answered at DOMAINFest this stretch
A preview of the week ahead in Santa Monica.
The largest domain name conference, DOMAINfest, takes place in Santa Monica this stretch. There’s a lot to look for in the 2012 edition. Here are six questions that will be answered ahead of the end of the week.
1. How will Oversee.net’s fresh leadership present itself?
Oversee.net branded itself largely with former CEO Jeff Kupietzky. Now Oversee.net has fresh leadership with co-presidents Debra Domeyer and Scott Morrow. Domeyer attended TRAFFIC last Fall, but for most people this conference will be the first introduction to the pair.
2. Will Oversee.net address Moniker?
It’s one of the industry’s worst kept secrets that Oversee.net has been shopping around Moniker. Also this month we saw the departure of some of Moniker’s longtime account managers. As a Moniker client, I received no notice of the account manager changes.
Will Oversee continue to be silent regarding Moniker? Or will it address the changes head on to instill confidence. Confidence, following all, is one of the most notable things people consider when selecting a registrar.
3. Will the fresh parties make up for the (lack of) Playboy Mansion?
There’s no trip to the Playboy Mansion this year. Following over 100 people got sick last year I think that’s probably OK with most people.
But there will still be a Playboy element. .Co is sponsoring a party at Petersen Automotive Museum that will include some playmates as well as the star of the GoDaddy .co Super Bowl commercial Natalia Velez.
The final night party will be at House of Blue and includes “edgy, sexy and interactive entertainment”. It will be interesting.
4. How many people will be there?
DOMAINfest has attracted 700 people in recent years. That’s regarding the peak I could imagine if it’s mostly domainers. But the show is shifting — just like the firm — and is attracting more from the lead gen, affiliate, and SEO spaces.
5. Can DOMAINfest successfully include topics outside the typical domainer realm?
This year you’ll hear a lot more regarding lead gen, SEO, and affiliate marketing at the show. It will be interesting to see how this shift is managed.
6. What big firm announcements will be made?
Domain firms tend to make big announcements during domain conferences. By now this morning Sedo disclosed a deal with GoDaddy. What big deals and announcements will we hear this stretch?
There you have it. Six big questions that we’ll know the answer to by the end of the week.
See you in Santa Monica.
