A TRAFFIC conference in Vancouver, eh?
Yesterday afternoon I carpooled from Seattle to Vancouver for the TRAFFIC conference. As we crossed the border, the border agent was very stern.
Why are you entering Canada?
For a conference.
What kind of conference?
A domain name conference.
A what?
I thought we were about to get into one of “those conversations” where you try to explain the domain name industry. But we didn’t and were shortly on our way into the city.
Vancouver is a beautiful place and the Renaissance Vancouver Harbourside Hotel is an ideal location. It looks out on a truly spectacular view. Last night’s cocktail reception was held at the top of the hotel on one of those “rotating” floors. It let you soak in 360 degrees of Vancouver (see photos below).
It appears that about 150-175 people will make the show. Notably absent are Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu, but there’s a good contingent of first time faces (the Vancouver domaining community is out in force.)
Stay tuned for updates throughout the conference.
John Berryhill says
Canadian border guards act as if they won’t let you in unless you have a good reason.
I got the best border crossing question from US Immigration once…
“What did you do in [country]?”
“I’m an attorney, and I was meeting with a client.”
“What were you meeting your client about?”
“If I answered that question, I wouldn’t be much of an attorney.”
Josh says
LOL for me its the reverse. Going into the states I was asked to pop the trunk, guard see’s my real estate signs and says
” are you planning on using those signs and doing business over here ”
…to which I reply
” I can’t, I am registered in Canada, not the US ”
…he asks how I can prove that, I say read the sign. LOL
Sometimes its a matter of them being vigilant but theres no intelligence lurking behind it.
The second best one was coming back into Canada I got a guard I went to high school with. I had my grandmother who is ” landed ” been in Canada over 50 years now, any way.
After discussing a few memories and good times he asks my grandmother her citizenship, she replies she is ” landed “, he looks at her papers and then asks how we know each other…I say she’s my grandmother to which he pauses and says her papers look worn and she’ll have to go inside. I say are you kidding me she’s my grandmother, you ate at her house, really you think Im sneaking a 75 yr old women over now… at that point he became a prick and we went inside lol
Victor H. Pitts says
John and Josh – you guys are a trip. The conference is good, with lots of time to speak in detail with the other attendees. Preshow headcount estimates look to be high. Still enough familiar faces and new faces here to get some business done.
Louise says
Did it work out about your passport?
Andrew Allemann says
@Louise – yes, I paid an courier to take it to the regional office and got it back within a few days.
DomainersChoice says
How many people are attending ?
Andrew Allemann says
@ DomainersChoice – 150-175 people.
DomainersChoice says
150-175 is a good number.
thur. coffee break says
150-175 is a good number if they are attendees.
But, are you including Latona’s staff and sponsors in that number? That group alone is probably 20+ people.
Louise says
Sponsors and staff are attendees. Program topics are interesting to contributors . . . just the auction might suffer if the platform wasn’t world wide, but it is.