DOMAINfest Attendance Will Break Record: Prediction

DOMAINfest could see record attendance.

[Update: Indeed, attendance has broken a record] I’m going to make a prediction for this stretch’s DOMAINfest conference in Santa Monica: it will break the paid attendance record for DOMAINfest.

I’m hearing whispers that 650 plus people have by now registered, and that is bound to grow today and tomorrow. The original hotel sold out very quickly, and even the overflow hotel has sold out. That means guests are now being asked to make reservations at a second overflow hotel. Even people who made hotel reservations at the first overflow hotel the prior week were limited to smoking rooms only.

The speaker list is part of the reason for the big draw. It includes Frank Schilling, Kurt Pritz (ICANN), and Danny Sullivan. The event will include two investment pitch sessions (PITCHfest), and the parties are certainly a draw, too. The opening night party will be sponsored by .co, which made a splash at the prior week’s TRAFFIC conference. Wednesday’s party will be at The Getty and the conference returns to the Playboy Mansion for a second year on Thursday.

Combine these factors together with a very long sponsor list, and I’m willing to make this prediction.