Photos and Highlights from the Joyous Celebration of Howard Neu's Life Held March 23rd in South Florida

When I wrote about the passing of domain industry pioneer and personal friend Howard Neu on March 1, I noted that a celebration of his life would be held on March 23. My wife, Diana were at that event (held this past Saturday) and I wanted to share the uplifting experience with Howard's countless domain industry friends around the world.

Howard did not want a traditional funeral - no people dressed in black, sitting quietly and sadly mourning his passing. He wanted us to celebrate the time we had with him - and what great times those were! Ever the showman, Howard set the stage for light hearted socializing by picking a theme built around his beloved Miami Dolphins football team - and he knew exactly who could deliver what he had mind. 

That was Howard's beloved son-in-law and fellow football fanatic, Ira Goldberg, who is married to Howard's daughter, Wendy. The gregarious retired police captain also already knew how to stage big events. In the past that has almost always involved giving extravaganzas organized to provide under privileged local kids with everything from bicycles to basketballs to help them enjoy happy and healthy active lives.

If Howard wanted a football-themed celebration of life, Ira was darn sure going to make it happen and do it on a scale designed to match the immense size of Howard's heart and the extraordinary accomplishments he achieved in a stunningly diverse career. Howard has been successful as an accountant, an attorney, a judge, city councilman and mayor, a campaign strategist, an actor, singer and speaker, a conference promoter and domain investor and...well, there's more but you get the idea! (for details see our 2009 Cover Story profile of Howard).

Above: At bottom left, Howard's daughter, Wendy Goldberg, speaks with a guest at the meticulously decorated clubhouse where the Celebration of Life for Howard Neu was held Saturday, March 23, 2024 (one day after what would have been an 83rd birthday for Howard),

Below: Howard's son-in-law, Ira Goldberg, wearing a Dolphins jersey that Howard gifted him, produced and hosted the amazing event that drew over 150 people from all over the U.S. and as far away as Australia. The mirror behind Ira reflects part of the huge crowd he welcomed to the celebration honoring Howard. 

Above: The event looked like a Who's Who (Domain Industry edition) come to life. Left to right (including the two familiar faces you see behind the five people in front) are Eddie Sixto, Michael Castello (who flew in from California), David Castello, Domain King Rick Schwartz, attorney Ari Golberger, legendary domain investor Michael Berkens and the magnificent Bari Meyerson.

Below: Eddie with the domain pioneer who came the furthest to honor his great friend Howard, the pride of Melbourne, Australia, Michael Gilmour. (Thanks to Eddie for he photos above and below).

Above (left to right): Canada's Ilze Kaulins-Plaskacz with my wife Diana and I. With Ilze, Michael Castello and Michael Gilmour in the house, we were almost embarrassed to admit we only had to drive over from Tampa - but it just goes to show you how widely loved Howard was and how far any of us would have been happy to go to honor him and support his wife Barbara and son Ray (both domain industry leaders in their own right).

Above: As I mentioned at the start, host Ira Goldberg's motto is go big or go home. His attention to detail included food service built completely around stadium fare - hot dogs, sandwiches, pizza, pasta salad and astonishing array of desserts. 

Below: While our readers all think of Howard in domain terms, we made up only about 20% of the crowd. The other 80% were people who have known Howard far longer than the 20-25 years the most senior domain industry people have. Left to right, Ari Goldberger, Bari Meyerson, Michael Berkens and Howard's long time T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conference partner (2004-2014), Rick Schwartz, are among those who've known Howard since the early days of the show that was the first conference of its kind in this business. Rick had been with him since he called on Howard to do some legal work for him in 1999.

Above: Speaking of Ari, he (at right) and fellow attorney John Berryhill (left) - along with Howard Neu - comprised the famous Three Amigos. They were the first widely-known attorneys to specialize in domain related cases and their successes have been instrumental in protecting the rights of domain industry registrants, investors and developers from around the world. John and Ari are still getting it done today and we all benefit from precedent setting work they have done. 

Above (left to right): .CLUB Founder Colin Campbell and wife Kim with Barbara Neu and Diana Jackson. Like the Jacksons and Neus, the Campbells love dogs (one of Colin's current enterprises is Paw.com). Diana, who is an artist, brought Colin and Kim a color pencil drawing of their fur baby Ginger.  In addition to honoring Howard, the other reason so many domain people came together was to offer love and support for Barbara and Ray in this most difficult time.

Below: Ray (at right) speaking with friends at the Celebration of Life for for Howard. Barbara and Ray were primary care givers for Howard during his battle with pancreatic cancer. It was an incredibly difficult challenge as the fight neared its end but they rose to meet it, allowing Howard to pass peacefully at home.

Above: Barbara and Ray assembled a mind boggling array of Howard's memorabilia, including honors and awards he was given through the course of his multiple careers, so guests could enjoy seeing them too.

Below: They also took the time to print out our March 1 story about Howard's passing and some of the highlights of his life to assemble this poster board for attendees to see.

Above: After a couple of hours of socializing, Ira opened the floor for people to personally speak about Howard with his sister Veda, above, leading the way. Their father was a renowned cantor and both Howard and Veda inherited his gift for singing. I didn't know that about Veda until she sang several lovely verses in memory of Howard. By the way, the beautiful wreath at Veda's right was sent by domain industry pioneer Ammar Kubba, who regrettably was unable to attend in person.

Above: The audience listening to Veda and the many uplifting stores about Howard that followed from speakers he influenced by the way he lived his life. I spoke about our relationship and how humble Howard was about all of his accomplishments. Throughout the 20 years we've been close friends I was continually astounded to learn new things about him and what he had done before we met.

Below: Most of us assumed that Rick Schwartz would have known Howard longer than anyone else in our business, having met him in 1999. However, it turn out that Jeff Sass (below), who came into our business relatively late as the Chief Marketing Office for .CLUB (a role he now has with the .ART registry), has known Howard since 1994! Jeff not only knew Howard, he lived in the same neighborhood - and not only that - they also served on the Homeowner's Association Board together (a job that Jeff would no longer wish on his worst enemy but one that Howard, who served as President, adroitly mastered like everything else he did)! 

Above: I saved the best for last. Ira (#72 in your program) brought family members together at the front of the room to publicly thank Barbara for how she loved and supported Howard throughout their 35 years or marriage and care for him through the difficult final days of his life.

Below: When Ira did that, the entire audience rose to their feet to applaud Barbara.

Below: I realized the photo above captured only a portion of the standing ovation, so I switched to a wide angle lens and, with the crowd stretching from wall to wall - I still couldn't get them all in! It was a well deserved honor and appreciation for a very special woman.

Above: If there is one thing domain investors are known for when they get together, it is hanging around until they are tossed out of the place! Just before that moment arrived for us, we got a little more conversation and a couple of more photos in. Left to right are Rick Waters, Mark Ghoriafi, David Castello, Ron Jackson and Michael Castello.

Below: In my favorite photo of the day, Barbara wanted to get as many of the domain people who were still in the room together as she could for a "family portrait" of our crowd - and what a great memory this will always be.

Left to right: Seated are Bari Myerson, Michael Berkens, Rick Schwartz, Diana Jackson and Barbaba Neu. Standing are Eddie Sixto, Ray Dillman, John Berryhill, Dr. Chris Hartnett, Ari Goldberger, Justyna Ghoriafi, Mark Ghoriafi, Ilze Kaulins-Plaskacz, Michael Mann, Larry Fischer, Michael Castello, Ron Jackson and Michael Gilmour. 

One last note. Howard Neu is still with us and always will be. Certainly in memories, but he also had a positive influence on who we are by treating us and others in a way that many of us try to emulate as best we can. As his time on this side of the veil was closing, Howard handled it with incredible dignity and grace. I'll thank him for that too when I see him again on other side! 

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Masterful 2024 Global Domain Report from InterNetX & Sedo Makes a Mountain of Key Data Easy to Digest  

The annual Global Domain Reports produced by InterNetX and Sedo have been providing one of the industry's best yearly roundups of market activity for almost two decades now. Each surpasses a standard set by the one before and the just released 2024 Global Domain Report is no exception. The new edition is a treasure trove of expert commentary, insightful charts and invaluable data that all comes completely free of charge. 

I was especially impressed with the ultra-modern graphically centered format of the new 80-page report that makes it the most easily digestible document of this size that I've seen to date. In it you will find:

• Analysis of the domain industry's state in 2023

• In-depth look at other domain-related intricacies

• Overview of the emergence and popularity of specific
  TLDs, SLDs and keywords

• Deep dive into the connections between domains,
  tech industry and AI.

• Comprehensive review of the aftermarket

• Outline of what’s taking center stage in the industry 

One of the key architects of the report, Semra Koerner (a 20-year Sedo veteran who currently serves as the company's Manager of Global PR & Communication), reflected on how far the report and the industry itself has progressed over the years. In a post on LinkedIn, Semra noted, "From the humble 4-page PDF of the first so-called Domain Market Barometer in March 2006  to today's extensive report, it's incredible to see how the domain landscape has evolved and is changing ever again. With over 1,000 domain extensions available now compared to just 70 back then, the growth is phenomenal!"

Amen to that and kudos to everyone on the Sedo and InterNetX teams who contributed their talents to producing this masterwork. 

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Sedo's Mark Ghoriafi Bags $500,000 for Bagels.com in Year's Biggest Publicly Reported Sale to Date

Sedo Premium Domain Broker Mark Ghoriafi has closed a $500,000 sale of Bagels.com that ranks as the highest publicly reported domain sale of the year to date (we will be adding it to our YTD Top Sales Chart when our next bi-weekly sales report is released Wednesday evening, March 20). This sale will supplant current chart topper Peace.com (also sold through Sedo in January for $400,000).

Mark (AKA "Mr. Premium") has been representing the domain on behalf of the seller, under Sedo.com Exclusive Brokerage. He told us it took six weeks from the start of negotiations to their successful conclusion.  

Image from Bigstock

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Domain Industry Pioneers Turned Out for 2024 South Florida Domainers Meetup in Fort Lauderdale

From the earliest days of domain investing, South Florida (the region starting at Palm Beach and continuing south through Fort Lauderdale, Miami and the Florida Keys) has been regarded by many to be ground zero for the explosive growth that has followed over the past 25 years. So, it is probably not surprising that some of the industry's most widely known pioneers were seen holding court at this year's meeting of the South Florida Domainers group that was held Wednesday evening, March 6 at the Sistrunk Marketplace & Brewery in Fort Lauderdale.

Where else could you have gone in the world to see Domain King Rick Schwartz, the legendary Mike Mann, trail blazing super brokers Ari Goldberger and Larry Fischer (with Ari also world renowned as one of the Three Amigos - a trio of groundbreaking domain attorneys that included John Berryhill and the late great Howard Neu) and visionary investor Chad Folkening - all at one  intimate gathering at a local bar! Then add in some of the brightest lights from the second wave of extraordinary talent that has risen to the top of the industry over the past 15 years or so.

Above & Below: The 2024 South Florida Domainers meeting getting underway Wednesday night, March 6, at the Sistrunk in Fort Lauderdale, a comfortable, centrally located spot with plenty of room to stretch out and enjoy catching up with some of the best people in the business (and there was no charge to attend)! The is the same venue where the group emerged from the Covid shutdown for a 2023 meeting that left them, and those who missed it, eagerly awaiting this year's reunion. Attendance doubled as a result.

Above (left to right): Jason Greenwald, Stu Maloff and Ehren Schaiberger. Stu and Ehren were among those who pitched in to bring regular SFD meetings back. The plan is to hold one annual meeting and, possibly, put together a  spontaneous meeting from time to time. Knowing only one a year is assured adds some urgency to making sure you don't miss it when the annual get together is held.

Below: Two of the true OGs in the domain investing world (and great guys to boot), Larry Fischer (at left) and Chad Folkening, comparing notes last Wednesday night. 

Above (left to right): Combining .com and camaraderie - Allen Threadgill, Jason Greenwald, Elliot Edelman, Howard Fellman and Eddie Sixto at the Sistrunk. 

Below (left to right): The trio at front left includes Jason Greenwald, Ari Goldberger and Mike Mann. The quintet standing at back and to their right includes Mark Albers, Eddie Sixto, Marc Mojica, Jeremy Kayne and Dante DeAngelis.

Above (left to right): Multiple Conversations were constantly underway throughout the venue. Here broker Mark Daniel (DomainHoldings.com) paused for a photo while having one with  Ehren Schaiberger and Eddie Sixto 

Below (left to right): Larry Fischer, .ART Registry CMO Jeff Sass and Ehren Schaiberger chatting with Jason Greenwald.

Above: Standing left to right are Allen Threadgill, Rick Waters, Scott Ross, John Mauriello and Eddie Sixto while Dante DeAngelis (at center) holds the seat of honor.

Above: The event officially ran from 7:30 to 10pm but, as was the case last year, it went into overtime out in the parking lot where the last men remained standing until well past midnight! Left to right are Marc Mojica, Ehren Schaiberger, Rick Waters, Adam Maysonet, Sam Nihalani and Eddie Sixto.

In may sound far fetched, but given the enthusiasm of these South Florida Domainers, I wouldn't be surprised to find them still out in the parking lot in 2025 waiting for the Sistruink to open for next year's meeting! 

(A big thank you to Eddie Sixto who provided the photos for this article).

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The Invaluable Legacy Howard Neu Left for the Domain Industry, His Family and Friends

Editor's Note: In this story, Barbara Neu noted that a Celebration of Howard's Life would be held on Saturday, March 23, 2024 with details to follow. We now have the time and location for the event. It will run from 12 noon to 4pm that day and will be held at the Pembroke Falls Clubhouse, 1651 NW 136th Avenue in Pembroke Pines, Florida 33028. Howard was a huge Miami Dolphins fan so the celebration will have a team theme with guests welcome to wear Dolphins attire if they wish. Important: This is in a gated community so if you plan to attend your name(s) must be on the list that the gatehouse attendant will receive. Just email that info to [email protected].  

The domain industry has lost one of its true giants with the passing T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conference Co-Founder Howard Neu, a  pioneering domain attorney and one of the key architects of the global community our industry enjoys today. At the same time, Howard's family lost a devoted husband to wife Barbara, a loving father to his daughters, a doting grandfather with four grandchildren and an over-the-moon great grandfather with two great grandchildren.

When Howard passed, Barbara Dillman Neu, who is a domain industry treasure in her own right, and son Ray Dillman Neu called family and close friends, then shared the sad news with the public in a Facebook post Wednesday night (Feb. 28). Barbara wrote, "There are few words to express the deep pain and sorrow for the passing of the Love of my Life. Many of you may not know that Howard has been courageously battling pancreatic cancer for 18 months. With an original 3-6 month prognosis, he amazed his doctors and nurses, enduring 32 bi-weekly seven-hour chemotherapy treatments, radiation, and immunotherapy." 

Howard Neu

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New Verisign Domain Name Industry Brief Shows Dip for .Com & Net While ccTLDs & New gTLDs Rise

 VeriSign, (the administrator of the .com and .net TLDs) has released their latest quarterly Domain Name Industry Brief (DNIB) covering the 4th quarter of 2023. This update showed that the total number of domain registrations across all TLDs worldwide ended the year at 359.8 million. That is a jump of 8.9 million more from the same point a year earlier, representing a 2.5% year-over-year increase for all TLDs combined.

.Com remains, by far, the dominant TLD on the Internet but .com's total number of registrations has edged down slightly each of the past two years. .Com closed 2023 with 159.6 million registrations, down from 160.5 million the previous year (a 0.6% decrease). Verisign's .net was also down a bit, dropping about 100,000 registrations to finish 2023 with 13.1 million in effect (a 0.75% decline).

The news was better on the ccTLD and new gTLD fronts. The ccTLDs continued to enjoy a healthy growth rate, moving up 4% year over year after adding 5.3 million registrations to reach 138.3 million at the end of 2023.

New gTLDs, as a group, enjoyed the highest annual growth rate, up 15.9%, but that is from a much smaller base than .coms or ccTLDs. The new Gs added 4.4 million registrations in 2023 to finish the year with 31.8 million in effect. Over half of those came from the 10 most popular TLDs from a crowded field of more than 1,000 extensions.  

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South Florida Domainers Will Welcome Fellow Industry Pros at March 6 Meetup in Fort Lauderdale

The South Florida Domainers group (SFD) will be holding their first meetup since last May on the evening of March 6, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale. The event will be held at the Sistrunk Marketplace and Brewery with a 7:30pm start time (wrapping up around 10pm).

SFD was one of the industry's first local domain investor/developer's groups. Their meetings, like those of other organizations around the world, went on a forced hiatus when the global Covid epidemic hit. However, on May 25, 2023, their popular face-to-face casual networking events resumed with Eddie Sixto, 

Image from Bigstock

Ehren Schaiberger and original members Stu Maloff and Victor Pitts playing instrumental roles in getting  the band back together.

South Florida has always had one of the world's largest concentrations of domain industry professionals so it is a natural location for a regional event like this. With its March date this year the SFD event falls neatly in between the 2024 ICA Annual Meeting that was held last month in Las Vegas and the upcoming NamesCon Global conference in Austin, Texas. 

Above (left to right): Eddie Sixto welcoming two of the domain industry's OGs, Monte Cahn
 and Chad Folkening, at last year's South Florida Domainers group meeting in Fort Lauderdale.

The Fort Lauderdale SFD meetup will give guests (some coming from as far as way as Canada) an opportunity to enjoy an evening of great food, drinks and conversation in an enjoyable, relaxed environment. Since attendees purchase their own food and drinks there is no charge to join in the fun and catch up with some of the top pros in the industry.

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Big Early Bird Discount for NamesCon Global 2024 Ends This Week - Godaddy Connects with ENS - GGRG Issues Latest Liquid Domain Sales Report

Update: NamesCon Global 2024 has extended the deadline to take advantage of the Early Bird rate to March 8, 2024. 

With last month's 2024 ICA Meeting in Las Vegas now behind us, our conference sights are now set on the 2024 NamesCon Global conference coming up June 5-8, 2024 at the Downtown Omni Hotel in Austin, Texas. With the show opens exactly four months from today and the next 120 days will blow by before you know it. In fact time is already running out if you want to get an early bird ticket that will get you in for less than half the price of the regular ticket. That offer expires Thursday night, February 8 just before midnight (U.S. Eastern Standard Time).

That is significant because the early bird deal cuts the standard $999 price down to $449 ($505.96 with sales tax and service fee). The deal is reserved for individual domainers, brokers, and entrepreneurs and will give you access to all sessions, keynotes, networking events and NamesCon's attendee-only parties. As was the case last year, the NamesCon ticket will also you full access to CloudFest USA, a closely related internet infrastructure industry event that will run parallel to NamesCon Global at the same venue.

NamesCon Global organizers are busy putting together another jam-packed agenda right now. I just heard from Chairman of the Board Soeren von Varchmin this morning letting me know about some impressive speakers they have already lined up that will be publicly announced soon. If you have never been to a NamesCon event before you can see what they are all in about in our comprehensive review of the 2023 edition of NamesCon that was also held at the Omni in Austin, We will, or course, be there again to cover it all in June and hope to see you at the big event as well.

While it has always been feasible to bring domain names over to ENS, barriers like high gas fees have limited the seamless transition. To help, ENS deployed new smart contracts to enable the resolution process of domain names in ENS, at the DNS top-level domain (TLD) level. This allows verification of DNS records, enabling a cost-free method for users.

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