Conference chatter changed from looking backward to looking forward.
I was rather bummed after both of the major U.S. domain name conferences that took place in the first half of this year.
I was bummed because people were just talking about the past. They were talking about the same stuff they’ve been talking about for the past three years. About falling parking revenues. About developing domains. Same old, same old.
So that’s why this week at TRAFFIC in Ft. Lauderdale was a bit refreshing. There was little talk about monetization. Sure, everyone is still thinking about it. They’re thinking about Google’s parking changes and how they are affecting revenue. They’re still reminiscing about the good ole’ days.
But the conversation this week changed squarely to new top level domain names and what they mean for domainers’ portfolios.
Much of the conversation was about the fear of the unknown. Will .com values increase with new TLDs? Decrease? There was much debate. Most people I talked to on both sides of the issue admitted that the other side could end up being correct.
That recovering from the past few years has given away to worrying about the next few might not be a great advancement. But I, for one, welcome the change. At least we’re looking forward rather than complaining about the past.
Owen Frager says
Amen! Great seeing you too.
DotMan says
What was the approx. number of total attendees at Florida TRAFFIC ?
Andrew Allemann says
I would estimate about 150.
Kassey says
Thanks for your observation, Andrew, So it appears that the bull market has begun. When a bull market begins, few notice it.
Adam says
I heard a lot of reminiscing. Lots of “remember when” stories. A few people there are creating the future though and glad I met a few so I can reminisce with them 6 years from now
FDI says
deleted – fake email
Nick says
@FDI – Did you even attend to make such a statement?