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The
Domain Roundtable conference ended in San
Francisco Monday with a 352-name live domain auction
and an after-show party at local nightspot The Cellar.
The final auction sales total came in at approximately $400,000,
a large fall off from the $3.8 million in sales at
the 2007 DRT show. Michael Berkens has a list of
the final high bids on his blog.
Scene
from the Domain Roundtable Live Auction Monday
April 21 in San Francisco
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The reasons for the
sales decline are being debated now. There were more
technical glitches in the Internet portion of the
bidding and auction access than there were last year
(which also slowed down momentum in the auction hall
at the Palace Hotel). Some think reserve
prices |
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Auctioneer
David O'Shaughessy calling
the Domain Roundtable live auction |
were too high on the
better names and there were none of the six-figure
blockbusters that drove up the take in 2007. Of
course, despite a strong
first quarter in 2008, there is also the
question of whether or not the slowdown in the
general economy is finally spilling over to domains.
We should get more insight into that question next
month when a major Moniker/SnapNames Live
auction will be held at the T.R.A.F.F.I.C.
conference in Orlando. I think that a key
reason for the fall off in the Roundtable auction is
the fact that there are so many similar events now
competing for buyers. That's a problem all of the
live auction venues will have to deal with in 2008. |
I am flying back to our home
base in Florida later this morning. Soon after I return I
will start working on our comprehensive conference review
article that will be published within the next week on our
home page. The past few days in San Francisco have been
very enjoyable. DRT had a great new venue in the Palace
Hotel, the seminars were well programmed with top notch
speakers and as always it was an invaluable opportunity to
pick the brains of some of the smartest people in the
business.
(Posted
April 22,
2008) |
