At this point, I want to say another “thank you” to all the people who have taken the time over the past few days to post comments on the blog and email me, with their appreciation for covering the conference. Out of all the emails and comments, I’m constantly being asked one question “What do you think of the conference?” Even though it’s close to 1.30am, I thought I’d give you a run down.

Here are some of the pros and cons for me. Now I’m not someone that goes to all the domaining conferences. I’d never previously attended a TRAFFIC conference, I’m not a conference junkie, so please factor that in when you read the following:

Pros

• The venue is great – accommodation, gym, facilities, food, staff, the lot. The above picture was taken from my room, it looks out over the ocean. You can hear the waves – very peaceful.
• The quality of the speakers and their presentations is quite good.
• There was something for everyone as the presentations were aimed at all levels of knowledge. This was spot on, considering the cross section of domainers; some are techos, others have very limited or no technology skills, others are more business focused.
• You get to meet everyone in person. The people on NamePros, DNF, company CEO’s, their sales and biz dev guys.
• Great representation across the industry. eg: Sedo, Parked, NameDrive, Moniker, Namejet the list goes on.
• You get to ask all those questions directly to the people who can answer them. For me, some of those tricky parking questions I’ve been thinking about for months, have now been answered – its a big relief.

Cons

• The weather – its raining again! We can’t control that unfortunately.
• There are a very small number of people with very big egos. You just have to laugh.

So, would I go to another conference? Yes, without a doubt. Although I’d want to make sure it was some months away from this one. As domainers, we need to ensure that we actually DO the things we talk about, otherwise its just noise.

Most important of all, we all have limited time on this planet and need to prioritise and ensure that we focus on the things that matter. For me, domaining is a means to an end. Domaining shouldn’t consume your life, so stop reading this and go talk to your family, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, kids, parents, friends or someone that matters to you. Tell them you appreciate them.

This is the podcast from an event I attended at the Churchill Club in Melbourne. The panelists were:

Richard Moore – CEO, Dark Blue Sea Ltd
Bruce Tonkin – CTO, Melbourne IT Ltd
Jo Lim – Chief Policy Officer, .au Domain Administration Ltd (auDA)

Thanks for Brendan Lewis (who was also the moderator) for permission to reproduce the podcast of the event.

I hope you enjoy it.

• Xp.com
• Chocolate.net
• Receipe.org
• Order.net
• Silver.net
• Italian.net
• Denmark.net
• Pizza.info
• Fotos.net
• Podcasts.net
• Catholic.eu
• Motorbikes.net
• Hotels.eu
• Versailles.com

If you are in Europe, this would be “the meeting” to check out. FYI: DomainSponsor clients are eligible for a discounted registration code up to €160 off. You can get this by contacting your Account Manager. Hopefully I’ve saved you some $$$.

For Aussies, it’s the first real domaining conference to be held in Asia/Pacific. This makes it especially attractive for those people who have not previously attended the US Traffic conferences.

For International guests its a great opportunity to get to know the Australian domaining market and enjoy one of Australia’s best holiday destinations. With beaches and ocean views like this, you can see why the Gold Coast is so popular.

In an exclusive interview with DomainerIncome.com, Mike Robertson (Business Development Manager for Fabulous) and Andrew Wright (Marketing Manager for Fabulous), cover everything you need to know about the conference. A full transcript of the interview will be made available shortly.

I hope you enjoy it.