DomainFest

Bid.com Up For Auction

I just received an email from Oversee.net, and it looks like their already strong domain auction scheduled for Wednesday just got stronger. Bid.com will be up for auction at the Moniker Premium Live Auction at DOMAINfest Europe in Prague, although the reserve price wasn’t revealed.

The Moniker and SnapNames Live Auction will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Prague on Wednesday, October 6, from 10am – 1 pm Eastern time.     Including some of the names I previously mentioned here’s a list of some of the top domain names that will be up for sale in auction (full list and more information can be found on the Moniker website)

DayTrading.com
Digital.com
DVDrental.com
HouseInsurance.com
Journey.com
LawFirm.com
MX.com
Physicians.com
Plan.com
Restaurants.com
ShortSale.com
SlotMachine.com
Tools.com
Zip.com

DomainFest Recap + CNN Coverage

domainfest globalWhen Oversee.net announced the one-day DomainFest event in New York, I didn’t think I was going to attend due to previous travel obligations. After speaking with a few friends who were coming in to NY specifically to attend the conference, I made sure I would be back in time, hopping on a red eye flight and arriving a day before the conference.

I am very glad that I was able to make it. There was an announced crowd of about 200 people, and there was never much down time during the day and evening prior to the show (there were a couple of private parties and random get togethers). I don’t usually attend panels and speakers at conferences, and last week’s conference wasn’t much different. I spent the sessions just outside the ballroom catching up with friends and colleagues.

The Expert Networking session in which I participated was well done. It lasted for two hours, but it didn’t feel like it was that long. I had the chance to meet with several people whom I had never met, and also met with a few people who read my blog, which was very cool. I know others who were less interested in this were in private meetings or were talking outside of the ballroom.

The live auction is usually a highlight of a domain conference, and although CNN and the New York Post were in attendance to write articles, it wasn’t as exciting as usual. A couple of big sales I heard were going to be made never materialized, and it seemed like many of the names were far overpriced. The auction houses are keen on bringing new inventory to market, but many of these names are still priced unrealistically, probably a reason why they weren’t in auction previously. Knowing Monte and his team, I will not be surprised at all if a couple big deals are announced in the next few days or possibly weeks.

One thing that was most impressive to me was the diverse turnout. Many of my friends from outside the area didn’t attend, yet there were still 200 people who showed up. Not only were domain investors and service companies there, but others were there as well – many of whom are only somewhat involved with domain investments.

This morning, CNN posted a video article with auction coverage, so you might want to have a look when you have a chance.

All in all, this was a great conference.

AOL Senior Vice President David Mason Will Keynote DOMAINfest NYC

I just received a note from Oversee.net announcing that the keynote speaker for the one day DomainFest conference in New York City on August 18th will be David Mason, an AOL Senior Vice President. David Mason works with the AOL Content Platform, and he joined the company when AOL acquired StudioNow, which he co-founded in 2007 and developed into the world’s largest web-based video creation platform. In addition, Mason started the company that turned into Buy.com. You can read Mason’s Linkedin profile for more information.

There are going to be somewhere around 150 people (give or take) at the conference next month, which will be held at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan. The event is scheduled to run from 10:30am to 10:30pm.

To register for the event, visit DomainFest.com, where you can also see the full agenda and list of speakers and sessions. The cost of registration is just $175, and it includes a full lunch and a dinner networking party. If you live in the New York City area, you should consider attending this conference.

Sunday Update: World Cup Final Edition

I bet that there are plenty of people who read my blog that are very excited for today’s World Cup Final featuring the Netherlands and Spain. Since I am a betting person, I will put it out there that I think Holland is going to win the game. Without a doubt, this is going to be a fun game to watch.

On to a few updates:

  • The New York City DomainFest auction list was released this past week, and there are some fantastic names up for sale. Of course the prices are very high for the best names, but I am sure Oversee and Moniker reps are working on connecting with potential bidders. Some of the better names are Artists.com, Rate.com, Quotes.com, Stocks.com, StockQuotes.com, Cable.com, Reggae.com, and Patents.com. Full list can be seen here.
  • I decided that I am going to the DomainFest conference. If anyone would like to meet up, let me know. We may be organizing a pre-conference event, and I will keep you posted.
  • I received an email from Register.com announcing a Verisign contest with the winner getting $10,000. According to the email, “simply submit a 2-minute video or short essay (300 words or less) telling us how .com has affected your life. If your entry is one of the winning stories, you’ll win one of 10 iPads, $2,500, $5,000, or $10,000. The deadline is August 31, 2010—don’t wait to tell your story!” To enter and for more details, visit HowDoYou.com.
  • There’s a new pet store in my neighborhood called Unleashed, which is a PetCo company. I spoke with the GM yesterday, and she offered me a table out front next Saturday to hand out DogWalker.com magnets (at no cost). For those of you developing websites, these are opportunities that you should look for – low/no cost promotional activities. All you need to do is ask.
  • Some sad news to report… According to an article a couple of days ago in UK’s Daily Mail, a 30 year old nanny died from sexual arousal while watching pornography. Wonder if she got her “toy” on Vibrator.com or SexToys.com.
  • Big thanks to Arbel Arif for his Lebron James contest. I won a 2003 Topps Lebron James graded 10 rookie card for correctly guessing he’d sign with Miami.

2011 DomainFest Scheduled for February 1-3 in Santa Monica

1

domainfest globalAfter holding its successful DomainFest conference at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, California last year for the first time, Oversee.net just announced next year’s DomainFest will be held in the same location from February 1-3, 2011. I am happy to hear this because I thought the accommodations were great, not to mention the fantastic location. In addition, the entire hotel is reserved for the conference, making private meetings easy.

If you want to attend the conference, jump on Farecast (a travel forecast website now owned by Bing) and plug in your travel information so you can stay on top of the best airfare. You should probably either fly into LAX or the Burbank Airport just a few miles further but with less air traffic and potential delays.

I am pretty sure there were over 600 attendees at this year’s conference, so if you want to meet a significant amount of active domain investors, this is the time to do it. The conference is also known for its now annual Playboy Mansion party (as if you didn’t know this already).

Press release is below:

LOS ANGELES (June 22) — DomainSponsor, the domain name monetization division of Oversee.net ®, announced today its annual DOMAINfest Global conference will be held February 1-3, 2011 in Santa Monica, Calif.

Based on popular demand, the conference will once again be at the luxurious Fairmont Miramar Hotel.   The entire hotel property has been reserved exclusively for this event, in order to create a relaxed, intimate environment for networking and personal meetings.

Speakers, Agenda and Evening Entertainment
Attendees can expect an agenda offering thought-provoking sessions, expert panelists, business building networking opportunities and first-class evening entertainment.

The highlights from last year’s conference included a keynote fireside chat with Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh, plus DomainSponsor’s Pinup Paradise Fundraising Party at the Playboy Mansion, benefiting Jenny McCarthy’s Generation Rescue Foundation. More than 650 domain name investors, online marketing and advertising professionals, and leading service providers engaged in meaningful discussions and good fun at DOMAINfest Global 2010.

To view testimonials and photos from last year’s event, and to see additional information on DOMAINfest Global 2011, visit www.domainfest.com.

Agenda details for DOMAINfest Global 2011, including session topics and evening entertainment will be published on August 18, 2010.

DOMAINfest Global 2011 Registration Details
Online registration will open August 18, 2010 with an Early Bird discounted rate of $995, available through September 30, 2010.   After that date, registration increases to $1,195.   Registration covers all meals, sessions, networking activities, exhibit hall entry and evening entertainment.

DOMAINfest has arranged for discounted hotel room rates at the Fairmont Miramar hotel.   For details on how to make reservations at the discounted rate, please visit:
http://www.domainfest.com/DOMAINFESTGlobal2011/hotel.

Moniker Premium Domain Name Auctions
Moniker ® will host two live and one extended online auction at DOMAINfest Global 2011.   Domain name sellers and buyers can find details on all Moniker auctions at http://domainauctions.moniker.com.

Sponsorship Opportunities Available
Information about sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities will be posted on the domainfest.com website on August 18, 2010.   Inquiries can be sent to sales@domainfest.com.

DOMAINfest Franchise Expanded
Based on the success of the annual DOMAINfest Global conferences held in southern California, DomainSponsor has expanded the DOMAINfest franchise in 2010 to include a series of new regional events.   These events are designed to make DOMAINfest’s highly regarded learning and networking opportunities more accessible to regional domain investors, internet marketing professionals and service providers.

Upcoming events include a DOMAINfest New York City Power Networking Day on August 18, and DOMAINfest Europe in Prague on October 6-7.   Registration is now open for both these events.   The recent DOMAINfest Fort Lauderdale event on May 13 attracted 135 attendees.

Keep Up-to-date On All DOMAINfest News
To keep up with news and updates on all DOMAINfest events, interested parties are encouraged to sign-up for DOMAINfest email alerts at http://www.domainfest.com.

About DOMAINfest
DOMAINfest is dedicated to the success of domain owners worldwide.   Founded and hosted by DomainSponsor, the domain monetization division of Oversee.net, DOMAINfest brings domain industry professionals and online marketing and advertising experts together to learn, network, and do business. To register or to get more information about DOMAINfest Global 2011 – including sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities – visit http://www.domainfest.com or e-mail info@domainfest.com.

About Oversee.net
Oversee.net ® is the leader in Internet real estate, specializing in monetizing, registering, selling and developing domain names.   The company provides an array of managed services to domain investors, corporations and individuals across more than ten million web sites. Oversee owns one of the largest portfolios of domain names in the world. The company’s unique optimized technology connects consumers and advertisers with highly relevant advertisements.   Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company’s core brands include DomainSponsor ®, SnapNames ®, Moniker ®, LowFares.comâ„¢ and DOMAINfest ®.   To learn more, please visit www.oversee.net

Sun Sentinal Uses Rick Schwartz for DomainFest Publicity

A friend of mine emailed me a Sun Sentinal article about today’s DomainFest one day power networking event, and the irony is that Rick Schwartz took center stage (Rick is the founder and principal of the competing Traffic conference). The article cites Rick’s sales of Candy.com ($3m) and iReport.com ($750k) and it discusses the DomainFest conference and upcoming auction that takes place this afternoon.

The article offers some good coverage of the domain industry, and it interviews Oversee.net CEO Jeff Kupietzky, DNJournal Publisher Ron Jackson, and “Domain King,” Rick Schwartz. Rick was very complementary about the Snapnames/Moniker auction, saying there is “a nice list of domains for grabs.”

After reviewing the domain names in the auction and hearing that Slots.com was sold for $5,500,000 this week at Snapnames (as reported by Rob Monster), I wouldn’t be surprised to see one or two big deals completed during the auction or shortly thereafter. It’s clear that Moniker is working the phones in an effort to complete some large sales.

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