This week’s TRAFFIC event will answer some questions.
Well, I’m off to Vegas.
I’m excited to attend the updated T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conference. But unlike Ron, I’m not stoked about having two conferences back-to-back. Perhaps it’s because I live in the middle of the country (not coming from the East coast) and have a small child.
Nonetheless, business is business. OK, and a bit of fun.
For the next 72 hours, it’s all about TRAFFIC. Here are five questions that will be answered before the weekend is up:
1. Is Latonas.com ready for prime time? Rick Latona is going with his new, custom-built platform for the online component of his domain auction. He had a test run with the WhyPark charity auction, but now it’s time to see if the online component integrates seamlessly with a live, offline auction. Here’s hoping it goes off without a hitch. Latonas.com is already open for pre-bidding.
2. What were the ten worst UDRPs of 2010? I will face off with a few other UDRP enthusiasts (that’s an oxymoron) on stage Friday to convince you of my choice.
3. Will a focus on networking pay off? Rick Latona’s team called 100 of their biggest customers to ask them why they come to domain conferences. The number one response was networking. So his team front loaded the event with networking sessions on the first day.
4. Will Rick Latona’s team rise to the challenge? This isn’t Latona’s first domain conference. He held a TRAFFIC conference on ccTLDs last year. But it is his first show since announcing a major licensing deal with TRAFFIC. Latona will tell you it’s not the Rick Latona show — it’s his team that’s working hard to put it together. He’s right. But he’s the front man, so all eyes will be on him.
5. How will Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu handle sitting on the sidelines? They might have too much time to relax. But I guess they got practice at TRAFFIC Down Under and TRAFFIC ccTLDs.
I am interested to hear the overall tenor of the attendees and their projections/feelings for the next upcoming 18 months. Not only as it relates to domain prices but the industry in general. Will it flourish? Is now the time to grab and stock up for the lift off in 2012?
One thing I don’t like about the Latona auctions is when you submit domains he requires your domain stats from you. I’m simply not going to give those out, unless they are included in the auction for sure.
But….I do wish him the best of luck. He’s a great guy. 🙂
Quote –
“he requires your domain stats from you”
That is interesting. I did not know that.
You can tell that I didn’t submit any domains.
Unless he gets enduser interest, it is a waste of time selling within the domainer to domainer market.
I informed Rick that an article on his auction website wasn’t going to go over very well with domain sellers nor big business, who see this “mea culpa” as being written by someone who has no experience in direct contacts with top corporations… not good.
Without an enduser reach, RLA’s auctions will most likely always be a “domainer to domainer” incestfest. The article below is an admission by Rick, maybe naively, of being an amateur in understanding how to reach corporate execs… I suggested he remove it, but I don’t think Rick Latona knows who I am… so he didn’t listen and the article still exists. Yipes.
http://www.ricklatona.com/2009/11/11/marketing-to-end-users-is-hard-but-possible-the-most-important-element-is-time/
But I wish him the best…