Large hosting conference now owns biggest domain name conference.
World Hosting Days, a conference for the webhosting industry, has acquired the domain name industry’s flagship conference NamesCon.
Soeren von Varchmin, GM for World Hosting Days, announced the news in a YouTube video (embedded below).
NamesCon was founded by Richard Lau, with the help of Jothan Frakes, in 2013. It quickly became the biggest conference focused on domain name investment.
Although the news comes as a bit of a surprise, the move makes sense.
First, both NamesCon and WHD focus on getting as many people in the door at low admission prices and then getting sponsors to fund the conference. At least for its two U.S. conferences so far, WHD has offered many people free admission and subsidized hotels.
Second, the overlap between the hosting/cloud business and domain business is growing. I’ve attended both WHD events that have taken place in the U.S., and the domain name industry is well represented.
WHD’s biggest conference takes place in Germany each year. It has struggled in its entry to the U.S. market, so NamesCon should help with this.
WHD.usa 2017 will also be in Las Vegas.
We can expect to see a lot more hosting companies present at NamesCon in January.
(Hat tip: Michele)
Thanks for the heads up Andrew. So Richard and Jothan won’t be involved anymore?
I suspect they will be, at least Jothan. Jothan has had a close working relationship with WHD. I’ve reached out to both this morning.
Congratulations to Richard and Jothan. Truly 2 great gentlemen.
Many people may not know but every conference Jothan touches (over the past 12 yrs?) become a huge success. Jothan has the ‘midas’ touch.
I understand the synergy here. But, many times when a conference or trade show gets too big it loses its effectiveness. Hopefully, this will not happen.
So they are going to bring together a bunch of webmaster guys mixed with a bunch of domainers. Sounds like a WWE steel cage death match to me. LOL
Time for someone to start a domainer only conference again. Berkens should do it. He has the time, money and passion for this industry.
Howard Neu and his family is doing one – THE Domain Conference. Next on is in Ft. Lauderdale next month.
I don’t think the domain industry needs a conference confined to insiders. If we want to grow, then we should be less insular. We should mingle with outsiders.
Conferences are an opportunity to meet NEW people with UNFAMILIAR perspectives / products / services. Yet 90% of the people I met at NamesCon last year were already known to me or vice versa because we already cross paths online on a regular basis. That makes a conference a fun reunion, but partially redundant in terms of business networking.
Years ago, when Rick Schwartz founded T.R.A.F.F.I.C., I suppose it was important to meet other domainers face to face. In those days – before forums, social media, and blogs – we weren’t so connected. But in 2017, conference attendees will already know one another. At least, insofar as they’re active in the domain industry.
We have run out of strangers. So it’s time to invite some to the party.
I think we should mingle with outsiders also but have your definition of cybersquatter ready because you’re going to have that conversation over and over again with these webmaster types.
I WANT to have that conversation.
I sure hope that this won’t change the synergy and atmosphere of the event. I can’t help but think about so many other acquisitions over the years in our industry that didn’t quite pan out like many had hoped.
Fingers crossed 😉
Not sure if it’s the new or old owner but I noticed today they dropped the “I love domaining” badge they were showing in their pages for years. No bueno…
I hate that badge. I don’t know why people use your site in the age of twitter. Your site doesn’t help the domain industry at all.
@Juan,
What a pointlessly nasty thing to say! François has contributed quite a bit to this industry – not only promoting bloggers through his Domaining.com feed but launching services like Ecop.com, CAX.com, Catchy.com, Lend.me, etc. What have you done for us lately, Juan?
Teamwork and camaraderie are values sadly lacking in the domain industry. So many domainers work in isolation, contributing little for public use, that you guys have lost the habit of cooperation. Quick to attack colleagues … slow to support peers. What’s the result? Incessant petty squabbling and backstabbing.
Consider how much better the domain industry would be if people worked together. The way non-domainers do.
If you want to see nasty comments, read what Francois wrote on OnlineDomain about Sedo. The guy is a bully. Stop exaggerating an aggregator site. Its traffic is going down and down. I don’t give a crap about his other services. Only a tiny portion of domainers use his services.
Juan,
Who is doing this industry more good – an entrepreneur like François who has launched multiple services … or a troll who offers nothing but sneers?
François participated in the discussion about Sedo, making 5 comments in a conversation with other Sedo customers:
http://onlinedomain.com/2016/06/27/opinions/sedo-slowly-dying/
I’ve just re-read them. Nothing there can be construed as “nasty” or bullying. Meanwhile, look at your own comment here:
“I hate that badge. I don’t know why people use your site in the age of twitter. Your site doesn’t help the domain industry at all.”
That’s not criticism. It’s 100% pure malice and nastiness. You may as well be throwing hard-boiled eggs at a local shop owner.
Juan, you are a poster boy for what’s wrong with domainer culture.
Funny thing is that you are the only person defending Francois. You can say whatever you want to protect your friend. It won’t change the fact that Domaining is useless in the age of Twitter. Many people abandoned using it. Rest will follow. Catchy, eCop, Lend.me are all failed businesses. Every serious marketplace publishes its sales data. Catchy doesn’t because no sales happen there.
It’s childish to call someone troll because he says something you don’t like. Grow up Joseph. You are someone who is writing on blogs for pennies.
@Juan,
Others aren’t leaping to François’s defense because they don’t want to waste time interacting with you, Juan. Most people avoid confrontations, and feeding the trolls is generally seen as an exercise in futility.
Just because domainers aren’t paying attention to your spiteful utterances is hardly an indictment of François Carrillo. Truth has never been measured by how many people stand up to defend it. But if that’s your metric, then ask yourself this: How many people jumped in to say you weren’t a troll? Zero.
At the moment I’m sobbing uncontrollably because – as you so heartlessly point out – I have been paid to write articles about the domain industry. It’s true, it’s true, it’s true! That proves that I’m a failure. If only I’d never been paid and never been asked to write anything by anyone … like you, Juan! If only François, had built nothing like you, Juan, he too would be as famous and successful as Juan Whoever. The real proof of a man’s value is showing up in blog comments to badmouth his more industrious colleagues.
Hello Andrew,
Yes there should be a Domainer conference MINUS , the Webmaster (Google Advertising Advocates) that have swooped into our Industry, spreading their Google Doctrine, of how New GTLDs and New TLDs are a Great Online Advertising Strategy. What a Travesty. Rick Schwartz, saw all this coming, and retired. Traffic Conferences Knew the power of the .COM Profit Centers as the superior Marketing Strategy. Our Industry has been over run with FALSE Marketing Strategy Truths at the hands of Google Lobbying Money and Influence Peddling.
Even Frank Schilling (Googles Acquired Poster Boy) is now drinking the Google Kool-Aid, Marketing Doctrine for his High Profit bottom line.
The Really Smart Money Domainers that are Educated on Marketing Strategies are laughing, watching this whole Circus Event. They own .COM Profit Centers and are holding on for the inevitable surge of the massive Pool of Money that will reposition out of New TLDs into .COM Profit Center Marketing Strategy Assets.
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger) (Former Rockefeller IBEC Marketing Analyst/Strategist) (Licensed CBOE Commodity Hedge Strategist) (Domain Master ) https://www.UseBiz.com
Thank you Andrew
And as so often, the hosting guys acquire the domain guys.
Francois of Domaining.com, your comment here exemplifies your behavior that’s often hidden behind closed doors: you’re a bully.
You need to stop strong-arming everyone to bow to you and your badges that are against Google’s guidelines. Your attitude and self-entitlement are the reason we get a bad rep.
Do you know anyone else who calls people out publicly and blacklists them from a site for not showing a badge? Come on, man. Show some class. Quit the antics.
Hello Steve,
Todays Domain Conferences are saturated with Google Advertising Reps. Which are pushing Googles dangerously flawed Marketing strategies , containing Confusing Cross-Current (Fictional Information) which Blurrs the Lines of Demarcation that signal Clear Investors information, which results in confusing End-Users on what Online Marketing Strategies are best for their Online Marketing Success.
The Traffic Conferences Investors Intelligence Quotient, made the .COM Profit centers Superiority Quite Clear.
Todays Conferences are rife with Google Advertisings Misleading and Self Serving Marketing Advice that often lead the uneducated End Users into Googles Advertising Garden where Small and Medium sized Businesses wnid up being traffic Starved Failures.
Anyone who pushes Google advertising is ruining their long term reputation as savvy Online Marketing strategists. Is it worth it ?
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger) (Former Rockefeller IBEC Marketing Analyst/Strategist) (Licensed CBOE Commodity Hedge Strategist) (Domain Master ) https://www.UseBiz.com