|
Many
of the more than 300 domain investors from
around the world in Fort Lauderdale
for
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. 2012 converged on the
pool deck at the Ritz Carlton Sunday
afternoon (Oct. 7). At
6pm the show's first official event, the welcoming
cocktail party got underway in the Ritz's
4th floor concourse overlooking the Atlantic
Ocean.
T.R.A.F.F.I.C.
2012
attendees enjoying the opening night cocktail
party Sunday evening.
Veteran
domain investor Roy Messer (left) and
investor/developer
Braden Pollock at the opening night party. The
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. party ran until 8pm but the
evening was just getting started as
several invitational corporate events at nearby
beachfront locations got underway soon after the
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. party wound down. DomainSponsor
had a private dinner for some of their clients, NameJet
welcomed guests to a party at the Casablanca
Cafe and Afternic had a well attended
soiree at the Exit 66 night club.
A
scene from NameJet's Sunday night party
at the Casablanca Cafe.
|
Afternic's
party helped the company publicize a
series of new developments at the popular aftermarket
service, including a
partnership with Domain.com, a
completely revamped Afternic website and
hints of other major initiatives to
be announced before the end of the
year.
The
Domain.com deal was part of an
exclusive partnership with Endurance
International Group, a top
ICANN-accredited registrar and provider of
web hosting and online services to small
and medium-sized business, that was
officially announced today. Endurance will
join the Afternic reseller
network, incorporating Afternic’s
massive inventory of fast
transfer-enabled domains on
several Endurance brands including
Domain.com.
Afternic COO Jason
Miner, who was on hand to welcome
guests Sunday night, said
“Endurance International Group is one of
the top three largest registrars in
the world and we’re thrilled to have
them join Afternic. Our mission is to connect
sellers of premium domains with
buyers anywhere in the world." |
Frank
Schilling of DomainNameSales
(center) and
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Co-Founder Rick
Schwartz (right) were
welcomed by NameMedia VP Bob
Mountain when they arrived
at Afternic's party at the Exit
66 night club Sunday night. |
|
A
scene from the Afternic party at
the Exit 66 night club
Sunday night on Fort Launderdale Beach. |
|
|
The
top executives from Afternic and parent
company, NameMedia, including one
of the best CEOs in any business, Kelly
Conlin, were on hand to chat with
their guests. Kelly told me that the
company's recent upgrades are also being
accompanied by streamlined branding as
Afternic across their sales and
monetization offerings (the AfternicDLS
name will be retired).
Once
the Afternic party wound down well past
midnight, the hardiest night owls made
their way to PPX International
Charman Gregg McNair's suite at the
Ritz where things were still going strong
when we left at 1:30 Monday morning.
Gregg's traditional late night gatherings
insure that sleep is the one thing
that is in short supply at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. |
NameMedia
CEO with T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Co-Founder Howard
Neu at the Afternic party Sunday night
at Exit 66. |
|
|
Rick
Schwartz (right) and Howard Neu welcoming
attendees to T.R.A.F.F.I.C. 2012
Monday morning (Oct. 8). |
As I write
this, the first full day of business is
underway after show co-founders Rick
Schwartz and Howard Neu
officially kicked things off with their
welcoming comments this morning (Oct. 8)
at 9:30. Today's agenda includes four
business sessions (one a 10am Meeting
of the Chiefs: Health of the Industry
panel discussion that I will be part
of).
The day will
close with T.R.A.F.F.I.C.'s live domain
auction followed by a speed
networking session. The official
T.R.A.F.F.I.C. party, sponsored by Michael
Mann's DomainMarket.com,
will be held tonight. I'll have photos and
highlights from all of the Monday activity
for you in tomorrow's Lowdown post. |
|
