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After
the networking session, attendees headed to
a 10am brunch where they heard welcoming
comments from T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Co-Founders Rick
Schwartz and Howard Neu. Schwartz
told them that much of the conference would
focus on the need for domain owners to re-take
control of their own destiny from
partners (Google and Yahoo in
particular) that he believes are
shortchanging domainers who send traffic to
the search engine giants through PPC
programs (you can read more details of
Schwartz's views on this in a pre-show
interview with him that we
recently published). |
T.R.A.F.F.I.C.
Co-Founders Howard Neu (left) and Rick
Schwartz welcoming attendees to T.R.A.F.F.I.C.
Miami |
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Keynote
speaker Simon T. Bailey tells
the
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. audience how to release
their brilliance. |
Author Simon
T. Bailey's keynote speech
was next on the agenda and his tips
for unleashing your inner brilliance
was a treat. Bailey believes that each
of us is born brilliant. Then we spend
the rest of our lives having our
brilliance buried by people,
circumstances, and experiences. He
says that eventually we forget that we
ever had genius and special talents,
and our brilliance is locked away in a
vault deep within. So we settle for
who we are, instead of striving for
who we were meant to be.
He
details how to change all of that in
his latest book, Release
Your Brilliance, that
is available on Amazon and can also
be |
|
purchased
for immediate download to iPads and
iPhones. I sat with Simon at brunch prior to his
talk and found him to a very inspiring
person. The way he rose from poverty
to become an internationally
celebrated speaker, author, and
consultant underscores that anything
is possible if you set your mind to
it. |
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In
another conference highlight, attendees had an
opportunity to hear from the highest ranking
government official ever to speak at a domain
conference - U.S. Congressman Cliff Stearns
(R-Florida), who was accompanied by former
Congressman Mike Ferguson.
U.S.
Congressman Cliff Stearns (left) and former
Congressman
Mike Ferguson speaking at T.R.A.F.F.I.C.
Miami Monday.
Depending
on how the mid-term elections go next month,
Stearns may become Chairman of a powerful House
committee that oversees Internet issues. He
expressed support for domain owner's rights and
urged attendees to get involved in the
political process to make sure those rights are
not taken away by those who want to grab assets
they did not have the foresight to acquire years
ago when they were available to anyone who wanted
to put their capital at risk.
Ferguson
emphasized that it was crucial for domainers to
join forces because they are battling giants
in this fight. Unfortunately, as an industry we
have a poor track record of working together, so
whether or not Stearns and Ferguson's sage advice
will be heeded remains to be seen.
The day
continued with an afternoon schedule that three
seminars, starting with one titled Where Do
We Go From Here? devoted to next steps
domain owners can take to develop domains or improve
monetization prospects for the assets.
Above:
A large crowd turned out for a Monday
afternoon
session called Where Do We Go From Here?
This
session featured a panel of seven experts who all
have extensive development experience, including John
Ferber (Domain Holdings), Craig Rowe
(WhyPark.com), Rob Monster (Epik.com), Dan
Warner (DomainAdvertising.com), Ted Olson
(NameMedia), David Castello and Michael
Castello (Castello Cities Internet Network).
There isn't enought time while the show is
underway to provide details on each seminar.
However, we
will be publishing a more comprehensive show
review a few days after the conference ends.
The
next session - Stop Whining and Start Doing
Something Constructive - expanded on the
theme of what to think about doing next.
Stop
Whining and Start Doing Something Constructive
panelists (left to right) were Adam Matuzich,
Owen Frager, Ira Zoot, Zappy
Zapolin, Lonnie Borck and Michael
Berkens.
There
was a new format for all of the business seminars
at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Miami. No Powerpoint
presentations were allowed. In every case, the
time was spent in a free flowing discussion
moderated by Howard Neu with the audience invited
to ask their own questions as well.
In
the last session, I joined five colleagues to
discuss Is The Gold Rush Over, or Are There
More Nuggets to Mine? The opinion I and
several others expressed was that the gold rush is
far from over but that some of the best
opportunities are being found in places people
haven't mined so heavily in the past - everything
from ccTLDs to using CPA monetization methods.
The
Is The Gold Rush Over, or Are There More
Nuggets to Mine? panel featured Gregg
McNair (PPX International), Keith Levenson
(Rio.com), Chad Folkening (Domain
Holdings),
Ron Jackson (DN Journal), Michael
Gilmour (ParkLogic.com) & Rick Schwartz
(T.R.A.F.F.I.C.).
The
final event of the business day was the T.R.A.F.F.I.C.
Test Track that allows those who have
businesses seeking investments to make their pitch
to a panel of judges who are also potential
investors.
Lori
Anne Wardi (at the podium) of the .CO
Registry, the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Test Track's
sponsor, introduced Monday's program. The
judges/investors were (seated L to R):
Dr. Chris Hartnett, Rick Latona, Gregg
McNair and Rick Schwartz.
With
business out of the way it was time for evening's
big social event, a spectacular party, hosted
again by the .CO Registry, at the fabulous Versace
Mansion on South Beach.
Above:
Scene from Monday night's party at the fabulous Versace
Mansion on South Beach.
Below:
Three of the many guests who turned out for the
Versace Mansion party;
(L to R) Diana Jackson, Dr. Chris
Hartnett & Gregg McNair.
As I
write this day three of T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Miami is
underway. This morning featured the annual T.R.A.F.F.I.C.
Awards Brunch. The award winners included Domainer
of the Year Gregg McNair, Sponsor of the
Year - the .CO Registry and two new members
voted into the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Hall of Fame;
Monte Cahn and Rick Latona. Tomorrow
I'll post photos and highlights from all of
today's activity, including more on the
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Awards, a talk delivered by
legendary boxing promoter Don King and an
afternoon security session thatI am sitting in on
now in which a panelist just said that a domain
thief is lurking among the attendees at the show.
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