The T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Miami conference  opened Sunday evening with a crowd of several hundred on hand at the Loews Hotel on South Beach. Many attendees arrive in town early and, while waiting for the registration desk to open, spent time doing some early networking at the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. cabanas by the hotel pool.

Early arrivers Sunday (Oct. 17) spent time chatting in T.R.A.F.F.I.C.'s poolside cabanas

At noon, attendees began receiving the warm welcome they always get at the registration desk from Barbara Neu and Alina Schwartz (the wives of T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Co-Founders Howard Neu and Rick Schwartz.

Barbara Neu (left) and Alina Schwartz welcome T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Miami 
attendee Steve Cheatham at the registration desk Sunday (Oct. 17).

Registration continued throughout the day, then the conference officially got underway when doors opened on the show's 5:30pm welcoming cocktail party.

Part of the crowd at Sunday night's welcoming cocktail party at the Loews Hotel.

The cocktail party continued until 7:30pm with many guests then dispersing to various private company sponsored functions around town. In two of the larger ones, DomainHoldings.com held a launch party at the Yuca Restaurant on Lincoln Road and Aftermarket.com previewed their upcoming relaunch with a dinner party at Devito (a restaurant owned by actor Danny Devito) on Ocean Drive.

Guests at the Aftermarket.com dinner party at Devito on Miami Beach Sunday night.

After the conference I'll have more on the new company launches and other information I haven't had time to pass along while covering shows over what will be a 10-day stretch before I return home.

The first full day of business at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Miami got underway this morning and is still underway as I write this. I'll have photos and highlights from all of the Monday activity in a post here tomorrow. Today's schedule features a keynote speech from author Simon T. Bailey, an address from U.S. Congressman Cliff Stearns, several interesting panel discussions, T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Test Track and a party that is coming up tonight at the Versace Mansion on Miami Beach.

(Posted Oct. 18, 2010)