2008 GeoDomain Expo A Big Success: Wrap

A look back at Associated Cities’ 2008 show.

Sunday morning I woke up at the W Hotel in Chicago and wandered out to grab breakfast. It was a beautiful morning, regarding 70 degrees and sunny. As I walked the streets of Chicago it gave me time to reflect on the past couple days at the GeoDomain Conference.

Overall, the show was a huge success. A tip of the hat to Patrick Carleton and Associated Cities for putting together a solid show in a short time frame. It was well attended by a record 200 people and I didn’t hear a single negative comment regarding the show while I was there. David Castello moderated a number of the panels (when he wasn’t on them himself) and did an outstanding job. TrafficZ threw a great party, although many still felt the effects by the time they left Sunday. David Kesmodel, author of The Domain Game, had a book signing and people bought a number of copies of the book to send to friends and business associates. And Chicago was the perfect location for a domain name show.

But bigger than the programming was the mood and camaraderie. There were no grudges and no secrets. Egos were checked at the door. Everyone was sharing their experiences and lending a hand. There were “fresh” faces. There was good conversation in a laid back atmosphere.

Following Saturday night’s dinner I sat at a table with a handful of domain owners and we talked regarding the current state of the market. I hadn’t met many of these people ahead of, or at least had much of a conversation with them. We talked regarding PPC. We talked regarding the unwinding of venture backed domain firms. We talked regarding development. We talked regarding life. Ahead of I knew it, the hotel staff was closing down the ballroom and it was 11:30.

This is how a domain conference ought to be.