Tips to Plan a Domain Investor Meetup

One of the downsides to being in the business of domain name acquisitions and sales is that it often means you’re pretty much on your own. I chat with a few friends and colleagues on a regular basis, but I don’t really meet with people too often, aside from one or two domain conferences during the year. Attending meetups is a great way to get to know other people in the business, learn about companies and services, and to meet other people who do what you do.

During the past few years, I’ve organized several domain investor meetups in New York and Boston. There are people who are active in the business all over the world, and I would imagine there could be many more meetups if people would be willing to set them up. Because I have organized and help plan a few meetups, I want to share some tips on how to set up a meetup to help others host their own events.

Tips to Plan a Domain Investor Meetup:

Get people interested – Create a thread on various domain forums to see if there are people in the area who would attend an event. Ask colleagues, account managers, domain broker…etc. if they know people in the area, and get in touch with them to gauge interest and choose a date.

Secure the venue – Depending on the size of your event, you’ll want to make sure the venue can accommodate you in an area that is conducive to talking. Small dinners are great, but the more people that attend, the more challenging it is for people to mingle and chat. I personally prefer a bar for a larger event or an area of a restaurant where people can walk around and chat with each other.

Arrange transportation if necessary – If you are planning an event that will move from one venue to another, make sure you have secured transportation. Whether you schedule a bus or are prepared to use Uber, you should plan this out in advance.

Purchase tickets in advance – If your event is at a sporting event or another ticketed event, you should purchase your tickets in advance or at least ensure that you will be able to purchase enough tickets.

Find a sponsor – Contact companies with whom you do business and ask if they would like to sponsor the event. They will want to know how many people are attending or may attend, and they may be more willing to sponsor the event if they are able to send a representative. I have found that many companies in this business are supportive of these types of events. The more people that can attend, the more likely it is that a sponsor will be interested in helping and/or attending.

Spread the word about the meetup – Post information about the event details on various domain forums. Reach out to blogs and let them know the event details. Ask industry companies and sponsors if they could reach out to their clients. Buy a banner on Domaining.com to advertise the event details.

I am certainly not reinventing the wheel with these tips, but I think there are people who would be interested in organizing an event like this if they knew how easy it could be to plan. I am happy to connect people with my contacts within the industry, and I would also be happy to help you spread the word about your local event if you ask.