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As
detailed in those daily posts from
Las Vegas there were many
highlights from NamesCon 2015. One that will be especially memorable
for me was meeting longtime online
friend Thunayan K. AL-Ghanim of
Future
Media Architects in
person for the first time. For
more than a decade, we've conversed
in forums, through email and by
phone but it took NamesCon to
finally put us both in the same
place at the same. 
Above:
Thunayan K. AL-Ghanim (FMA.com)
at one of the two sessions in which
he was a featured speaker during NamesCon
2015. Below:
Another highlight of NamesCon was
the opening night cocktail party when
attendees get a chance to
catch up with old friends and start
making new ones. In this shot from
that event Sunday night (Jan. 11)
are Sandy Brooks (DomainTaxGuide.com)
and her husband Darryl. 
Above:
An even bigger party was held Monday
night (Jan. 12) - NamesCon's huge Water
Night fundraising event for the Water
School. Kellie
Peterson (DNC Holdings) was one
of three brave and generous souls
(joined by her DNC Holdings
colleague Mike Robertson and
Kevin Kopas of Radix Registry)
who allowed their heads to be shaved
by Gregg McNair in exchange
for donations to the Water School.
With NamesCon and NameCheap.com
each matching all donations made by
attendees, the event raised
$138,000 for the life saving
charity! Below:
Barbara Neu (left) and Ilze
Kaulins, seen here with Adam
Dicker, came to the Water
Night party right after a special
Women in Domaining event where
the industry's many outstanding
ladies pooled their resources to
raise $8,000 for the Water
School - a sum that tripled to $24,000
with the matching funds from
NamesCon and NameCheap. 
Above:
Also on hand for Water Night
were Trudy Olea, her husband Bob
and Diana Jackson. Below:
The entire team from Winged Media raise their glasses
in a Water Night toast
celebrating a record breaking fundraiser
for the Water School. Left to
right are Michael Thandi, Rebecca
Alva, Eugene Wood, CEO Troy Rushton and
Jon Hewitt. 
Above:
Water School fundraising wasn't
restricted to Water Night.
Throughout the week, executives from
ParkingCrew.com took on all
comers at their foosball table
in the Exhibit Hall and
donated $100 to the Water School for
every match they lost! Mario
Witte and Axel Kaltz
(both at left) are defending the
ParkingCrew goal in this match. Konstantinos
Zournas (OnlineDomain.com) is at
front right on the challenging team. Below:
The Exhibit Hall provided a
popular and comfortable meeting
place for attendees throughout
NamesCon. With white leather chairs
and sofas spread throughout the
lounge area there was always room to
hold meetings, check email or just
kick back with friends. 
Above:
Jim Grace (ParkingCrew.com)
and Howard Hoffman (domain
investor from Palo Alto, California)
did some catching up in the Exhibit
Hall lounge at NamesCon. Below:
With sponsors handing T-shirts and
all manner of free swag, the Exhibit
Hall was heaven for domain
memorabilia collectors. As you can
see in this shot, DomainCapital.com
came well prepared with Gregg
Freeman (left) and Vince
Harasymiak on hand to distribute
a mountain-sized stack of
DomainCapital T-shirts. 
Above:
Even better than the free swag,
drawings and giveaways was the
chance to meet key service providers
face to face at their Exhibit
Hall booths. With (left to
right) Keith Gettle,
President Brandon Abbey and Sandra
Gordon at the Escrow.com
booth, attendees could see and talk
to the people who secure so many of their
domain sales transactions. Below:
As you would expect, especially with
industry giant Frank Schilling (seated,
2nd from right) often on hand to
chat personally with visitors,
things were always busy at lead
sponsor Uniregistry's booth. 
All
in all, Namescon Co-Founders Richard
Lau (above) and Jothan Frakes
(below) couldn't have had a
better week. When you have 900
people over for a party a lot can go
wrong but, at least as far as
attendees could see, the conference
ran like well-oiled clockwork. 
Below:
Richard and Jothan will both be
quick to tell you that their show
Co-Producer Jodi Chamberlain
deserves much of the credit for the
smooth logistical sailing at
NamesCon. Jodi is seen 2nd from left
in this photo from the Women in
Domaining event at NamesCon.
Left to right are Natalie Lambert
(Uniregistry), Jodi, Syan
Stevens, attorney Karen
Bernstein and Nancy Bianchi
(Above.com). 
So
NamesCon 2015 is now in the
books. There is an old show business
saying - "Always leave them
wanting more" - and no doubt
this year's attendees will want, and
no doubt receive, even more when
NamesCon returns to Las Vegas in 2016. |
