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The
design of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Ft.
Lauderdale Beach (at top center in photo
above) was inspired by cruise ships. From
every level you can see the ocean stretching to
the horizon.
I paid
a preview visit to the show's new venue -
the Ritz Carlton - earlier this year and I think
it is T.R.A.F.F.I.C.'s best venue to date
(and that is saying something because the event
has played in some great locations since
debuting in Delray Beach back in 2004
as the first large scale domain conference ever
held). I was so impressed by the site that Diana
and I will be checking in three days early
so we can enjoy the surroundings and hanging out
with other early birds before the show gets
started in one of the world's most beautiful
locations.
The
Ritz is in the middle of everything at
the beach including bars, restaurants, shops and
two spectacular waterways - the Atlantic Ocean
on the east and the Intracoastal Waterway
just a block to the west. Here is a tip - walk
over to the Intracoastal water taxi stop
a block west of the Ritz, get one of the cheap
all day tickets (that allow you to get on and
off any time you want along the way) and cruise
the the Intracoastal to see some of the most
spectacular homes and yachts in America (photos
and highlights from when we did that in April
are here).
Even
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Co-Founder Rick Schwartz's penthouse
apartment is only steps away in a luxury tower
just south of the Ritz.
T.R.A.F.F.I.C.
Co-Founders Howard Neu & Rick Schwartz
(right) on Schwartz's penthouse
balcony on Ft. Lauderdale Beach. You can
see the Ritz Carlton over Howard's
shoulder.
You
will be able to enjoy the ocean view from just
about every show vantage point, including the
halls outside the conference rooms as well as
the pool and cabana decks that will be at
the center of the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. networking and
social swirl.
The
private cabana row (seen in the photo
below) will be especially busy. Various
companies and individuals have rented the
cabanas so they will have a special place
to host clients and guests (many will be open a
day or two before the show to welcome guests who
arrive in town early). The cabanas sit just
below the pool deck and can be accessed by short
outdoor staircases located on each side of the
pool area.
Above:
The private cabana deck at the Ritz Carlton
will be a special refuge at T.R.A.F.F.I.C.
Below:
The pool deck at the Ritz Carlton will
host networking events
in the most beautiful environment you can
imagine.
The
pool is actually located on the 7th floor
of the Ritz Carlton, far above the hustle and
bustle on the street below. Looking east (as in
the photo below) the hotel's unique cruise ship
design lets you see the vast expanse of ocean
behind the pool with nothing to obstruct the spectacular
view.
The
Ritz Carlton's spacious rooms are sure to
delight you too (if you booked one before they
sold out). As of this writing, the hotel was
full but you can always check with the
organizers to see if there have been any
cancellations or for advice on other hotels
nearby.
Above:
View of one of the Ritz rooms from the
work desk
that sits in front of the balcony windows.
Below:
View from the opposite side of the room, looking
across to the balcony windows.
Below:
The beach and ocean view from the balcony
of the room above.
The
venue is so nice I haven't left much
space for the show
agenda, but if you review it at the
preceding link, you can see it is packed with
timely sessions that will help you advance
your business. One thing that has always set
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. apart is that it is a conference
staged by domain investors for domain
investors. You are at the top of the food
chain at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. with the program
tailored to your needs and information delivered
in the no holds barred manner that the
organizers are known for.
A
lot of eyes will also be on this show's
innovative new format for its live
domain auction. Schwartz and Neu
have turned the old model upside down
with hopes of bringing back the glory days for
these sales events. Over time the traditional
format has grown stale and sales results
lackluster across almost all of the industry's
shows. If T.R.A.F.F.I.C.'s grand experiment
works it will be a major coup for them.
One
other thing - while you are at the beach you can
help Ft. Lauderdale celebrate the city's 100th
birthday! Look for the huge oceanfront
centennial sign a few blocks south of the Ritz
that commemorates the special occasion that is
being observed throughout 2011.
T.R.A.F.F.I.C.
Co-Founder Howard Neu and his wife Barbara in
front of the
oceanfront sign commemorating Fort
Lauderdale's 100th birthday this year.
I'm
looking forward to seeing you at the
beach next week. If you can't make it, I will of
course be posting daily photos and highlights in
this column in an effort to bring the beach and
the best of T.R.A.F.F.I.C. to you.
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