Domain Name Wire | Domain Name News

Domain Name Industry News

Featured Domains

GoDaddy to host NamesCon auction with ROTD, submissions now open

by — Domain Sales 2 Comments

Submissions open for January’s domain name auction, which will take place on GoDaddy’s auction platform.

Hands holding bid cards in auction

The annual live domain name auction at January’s NamesCon will be hosted on GoDaddy’s platform rather than NameJet. Right of the Dot (ROTD) is organizing the auction as in past years.

This year’s auction will include names such as laptop.com, arcades.com, offices.com, lasers.com, and calories.com.

Anyone can submit domain names for inclusion in the auction through ROTD’s website.

There will be about 120 names in a live auction that takes place on January 30, 2020 in Austin. A further 500 names will be included in an online auction that ends February 14.

As usual, there will be pre-bidding. Potential buyers can start placing bids on December 1.

What to expect at NamesCon 2020 – DNW Podcast #261

by — Podcasts 0 Comments

Soeren von Varchmin talks about the domain investing community’s big conference in January.

dnw-podcast I spent last week in Montreal at the ICANN meeting. While there, I sat down with NamesCon CEO Soeren von Varchmin to talk about January’s conference. After many years in Las Vegas, NamesCon is moving to Austin. Soeren explains why it’s moving and why you should attend. He also explains how running a conference for the domain business is different than for the hosting business.

Also: Tucows sells its domain portfolio, ICANN’s expected decision, True Detective, Sixth Street, Jimmy Wales, MarkMonitor and more.

See also: How to go to NamesCon for cheap

Sponsor: Name.market

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:17 — 17.9MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | RSS

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts to listen to the Domain Name Wire podcast on your iPhone or iPad, view on Google Play Music, or click play above or download to begin listening. (Listen to previous podcasts here.)

How to go to NamesCon for cheap

by — Services 2 Comments

Here are ways to save money on your trip to Austin.

Landscape of Austin, Texas with NamesCon logo over it

NamesCon is not an expensive conference to attend. However, two things give people pause before booking their travel.

First, NamesCon set the bar so low on prices in the past by going to The Tropicana that people are having sticker shock at traveling to Austin. The Trop is a crappy hotel with a commensurate price; it was about $120 or so a night with the “resort fee” before taxes. The Omni is a good hotel that costs about $100 more per night.

Second, as NamesCon CEO Soeren von Varchmin points out on the DNW Podcast airing Monday, many people who go to NamesCon go on their own dime. A company isn’t paying for them to attend, so they need to carefully consider the cost of going and what they get out of it.

Here are some ways you can save money on your accommodations.

As far as event tickets are concerned, there are lots of 30% off coupons out there. The ticket price will be much less than the hotel cost.

So if you’re looking to save money, here are five options for cheaper accommodations.

1. Share a room. That cuts your bill in half. You can even share a two-bedroom apartment.

2. Try The Guild. This Austin, Texas-based company rents apartments by the night. Not only can you “live like a local,” but there are lots of rooms available during the conference for less than $200.

3. Go to another downtown Austin hotel. The savings won’t be significant, but The Wyndham and Hamilton Inn & Suites are less than $200. (The Hamilton is nicer than expected for the brand.)

4. Stay further away from the venue. I don’t love this idea, but if the price is a deciding factor, there are options within a 20-minute drive that cost about $100. Also, take a look at the Extended Stay America just south of Lady Bird Lake. It’s very cheap and walkable to the hotel, although a bit on the far side.

5. Airbnb/HomeAway. You’ll find many options just to the east and south of downtown at low prices.

 

NamesCon calls for submissions for 2020 event

by — Services 2 Comments

Submit proposals to speak at NamesCon 2020.

Picture of people at a NamesCon event with NamesCon Global words and "Call for Submissions"

NamesCon is taking a new approach for its NamesCon Global 2020 event next year. Not only is it in a new location (Austin), but it is calling it The Domain Economic Forum. Its goal is to expand beyond just the domain topics we’re used to.

It’s also opening up the sessions a bit.

In an email last week, the group noted, “we’re proud of how we partner with our sponsors to create deep and actionable experiences at NamesCon Global”. This alludes to the fact that most sessions are paid sessions, not selected just because of their value to the audience.

But for 2020, it wants to augment this with other sessions. NamesCon just opened a call for session proposals. Organizers want session proposals related to three tracks:

  1. The economics of the domain name ecosystem – understanding the size and scope of the domain industry as a whole, especially the secondary market.
  2. Navigating market threats and opportunities – how alternative online presences through marketplaces and social media threaten domains.
  3. The buyer’s perspective – domain buyers’ stories and case studies

Proposals can be submitted online.

NamesCon shifts dates, location detail for Austin show

by — Services 4 Comments

A slight change in dates, location for domain name conference.

Austin, Texas skyline

NamesCon has pushed back the start date for its event in Austin this coming January by three days, and made a slight change to the location.

The event will now run January 29-February 1, 2020. It was originally scheduled for January 26-29.

Additionally, it will shift from The Capital Factory to the Omni Hotel, which are both located in the same building. The building is half office space, half hotel.

While organizers may still hold some events at Capital Factory, it is focusing the event around the Omni.

Changing the dates will allow the show to have a special event on Saturday at the conclusion of the conference.

Show organizers have arranged discounted hotel rooms at the Omni starting at $229, at least $100 less than I can find online at the hotel on those same dates.

Early bird registration end on August 4. Tickets and hotel information is on the NamesCon website.