I’ve heard mixed reviews about this year’s DomainFest Global conference, although the majority of them were positive. As I mentioned before, I canceled my trip a few days prior to the conference to tend to some things at home (all is good here). It’s the first DomainFest I missed in four years.
The big news, it seems, was Oversee.net’s sale of Moniker and Snapnames, which was sort of announced during the conference, although it wasn’t officially announced to customers until yesterday. With the sale of these two assets, I wonder if DomainFest will continue in the future – both the main conference at the beginning of the year and the smaller local events held later on in the year.
As I recall, last year, the DomainFest website had links to the local conference agendas and dates for upcoming DomainFest events. As of right now, the only event listing is the most recent event that passed. I would have assumed Oversee and conference organizers would have the local events listed already since people need to make travel plans in advance. Maybe they will be added soon. Hopefully that will be the case.
I have no idea if DomainFest is a profit center or if it loses money but is written off as a marketing expense. If the former is the case, I would certainly assume that DomainFest will continue. If the events lose money, the sale of Moniker and Snapnames could spell the end for DomainFest, since Oversee would have less reason to put on these events, as Domain Sponsor is now the primary client-facing line of business for Oversee.
Personally, I hope DomainFest continues. The only two certainties on my business calendar are DomainFest at the end of January and TRAFFIC in October. There are other events that take place throughout the year, but those two conferences are really the only firm events on my calendar.
I reached out to Oversee to ask about future DomainFest events but I have not heard back.
Straight from the horse’s mouth, I was told that Domainfest LA will continue. The NY event will probably continue but the European show is finished.
Glad to hear that… hope they update the website. I know it’s only been a week, but I was checking it out.
Don’t be surprised if KeyDrive does a European show, though.
I hope they consider switching the NY event back to the one-day mini-conference format that they had in 2010.
Braden and I were going to have a show if Oversee didn’t . The agenda would continue to offer head shaving. Unauthorized sexual contact in a Bugatti and the continuous feed of half of the real stories from the conference to the bloggers back at home. We had come up with a working title of BraShaneFest.
@ Shane
Glad I didn’t make it out west.
@Shane
I thought we had that conversation in confidence. Now someone will rip off our plans.
“Braden and I were going to have a show if Oversee didn’t .”
“We had come up with a working title of BraShaneFest.
Shane,
I think BraneFest would be a better name.
🙂
According to Ron Jackson, DomainFest will continue and that’s great news. http://www.dnjournal.com/articles/events/2012/domainfest-global-2012-review.htm
I’ve now been to 5 DomainFests in a row… I enjoyed the D-Fest show this year… it was better than I expected, especially with all the staff cutbacks, uncertainty and imminent sale of Moniker/Snap;Names (I predicted to several colleagues approx 5 weeks beflore the show that the sale of the 2 subsidiaries would be evident during or just after D-Fest).
I got to better know Co-CEO Debra Domeyer at DomainFest as well as TRAFFIC Florida in October and she seems to be more responsive to customers and certainy have better social savvy & skills than prior CEO Jeff K… this is paramount to the effectiveness of trade shows/conferences
DomainFest evolved into great brand.. and focus of the “Domain World” … IMO it is worth carrying forward
I got $100 that says they won’t be at the auto museum again. DFG is running out of off-campus venues. I think Demand will play a bigger role next year too. Watch