The 2014 T.R.A.F.F.I.C. West Conference coming up May 28-31 at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas (preceded by two days of Cabana Networking starting May 27) marks the start of the pioneering show's 10th anniversary year. T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Co-Founders Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu staged the first major domain conference ever held back in October 2004 and will conclude this year with a landmark T.R.A.F.F.I.C. East anniversary show October 28-November 2 at the historic Fontainebleau Hotel on Miami Beach.

But first things first. With all eyes trained on Las Vegas we got together with Schwartz and Neu to 

DNJournal: The domain industry has seen a lot of changes since the first T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conference in 2004. While T.R.A.F.F.I.C. has remained a constant presence, just about everything around you has changed and that will be reflected at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. West where we will see a new lead sponsor that has chosen T.R.A.F.F.I.C. to roll out a new domain monetization platform, as well as a totally revamped domain auction format. Let's start with your new sponsor, GetItFido.com - a name that will be new to most people in the domain business, but one that has been a presence in both ecommerce and brick & mortar retail for over a decade now. How did this marriage come about and what will GetItFido and their founder, Neil Sackmary, bring to the show?

Rick Schwartz: When T.R.A.F.F.I.C. had the first live domain name auction it was a huge success. It set the course and blazed the trail for many that followed. When we had that $12.5 Million auction in New York it was quite an achievement. But It was also a novelty. Today there are auctions 24/7 and at multiple venues. We decided to use that time slot in a more universal way. And at the same time the auction itself is open to all and this new formula just may be received well and is open to both the attendees and the online audience. It just runs quietly in the background until we announce the winners and I think we will have some fun and some excitement. It also gives me a larger list of domains to draw from and we always try new things. Like the 2004 white board auction.

So, we are going in a different direction.  In conjunction with Above.com, we open the show with a Silent Auction at the Welcome Party.  All of the domains will then be placed on Above's monitor in their booth at the show and will go online until Friday, May 30th when the winners will be announced at the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Luncheon.  Anybody in attendance may bid on the domains that have not yet sold.  All domains that have not met their Reserves, or have received no bids if No Reserve has been placed on them, will continue to be auctioned on Above.com Marketplace until Monday, June 2 at 5 P.M. PDT. So it will be a combination of Silent Auction, Online Auction and You-Have-to-be-There auction that we believe will cause a lot of excitement both before, during and after the show.

Michael Castello will speak at T.R.A.F.F.I.C.West 2014

DNJournal: You are often crafting your final agenda right up to the last minute in an effort to provide the most relevant content possible, but I understand Castello Cities Internet Network Founder Michael Castello, who made headlines with his $3.1 million sale of Whisky.com earlier this year, has already been called upon to speak about changes in the industry landscape that he believes are a threat to all domain owners. A letter Michael has penned on that topic (that each of you has posted on your blogs) has sparked an ongoing conversation that could culminate with some concrete responses being decided upon at T.R.A.F.F.I.C.  West.  Tell readers why you believe this is a particularly important topic to tackle at the upcoming show. Rick Schwartz: We all know that organizing domainers is like herding cats. For over a decade we have failed to organize or stand for something in a common way for a common goal that is good for folks both in and far outside of the domain industry and is clear. We as domain registrants have common objectives, common predators and common interests.  We need to identify those things in common to the most amount of folks weather a domainer or not.

There was a lot more money sloshing around 5 and 10 years ago than today. We have wasted precious time and we don’t have the funds we once had. It makes it all that much harder today. Exponentially harder. Why? Because now folks understand a domain has great value and in many cases, PRICELESS. The stakes are much higher today and we as a group are actually weaker. Weaker because very precious and formative time has passed. We have done little to fortify while others are figuring ways and earmarking more and more money and resources to wrestle our assets away.

This has sparked an industry wide debate and that debate will be featured and continued at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. I along with Michael and Howard think we need something from the ground up not top down.  We have no interest in controlling the debate. We just want to get the conversation started and have as many voices as possible. There is power in numbers.

DNJournal: Regardless of whatever changes are underway in the industry, T.R.A.F.F.I.C. has continued to keeps its primary focus on networking.  I understand your dedication to providing the best networking environment has even extended to the official T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Party Thursday night (May 29) when you have arranged for acoustic entertainment so people can enjoy top notch talent without having to shout over the din if they are trying to have a conversation. Tell us a little more about the networking opportunities at the show.

Dwayne Forrester is going to be interesting as well because I really don’t care as much about search as I care about Bing’s strategy to take market share from Google. How they plan to do that. How long? What they can and can’t do. What to look for.

So just adding these folks to the mix along with new folks that are coming to T.R.A.F.F.I.C. for the first time but have been around for 18-20 years, makes for new information that you can act on and THAT is just one way folks make money when you come to T.R.A.F.F.I.C.  Networking and breaking bread are the key to it all.

DNJournal: Industry change has affected domain conferences just as it has other sectors. We have seen some come, some go and some completely change direction in an attempt to survive. The arrival of new gTLDs in particular has changed the face of most shows - and even become the primary reason some have been staged. The end result is that T.R.A.F.F.I.C. is the only one that is dedicated, as it has been from the start, to the interests of the individual domain investor. Some have noted that your focus has likely cost you money in lost sponsorship opportunities because you have challenged a lot of the policies and assumptions new gTLD registry operators have made with respect to the domain investors market.  What is your reasoning behind that?

But what we as investors think really means nothing. It is the LARGE end user and how they adapt and what they learn. The formula may be different for a mom and pop that can afford confusion and a multi million dollar ad campaign that can NOT afford the confusion.  And in success, will they migrate to a .com as we have seen many times? This is likely to take many YEARS to unfold. But there is certainly plenty of evidence out there for anyone that has the courage to look and be objective.

We also have history to point to. I know everyone has their hands in the trough and the more that do the less folks will agree with me. That is fine. It is little more than touting a stock or giving reasons you believe that stock is a bad investment. As capitalists we get to try and exploit the system in any legal and moral way we see fit. My choice to exploit this is to be clearly on record as to how this will unfold. There are few honest voices out there and many have varying opinions on me and so that does not make me popular.  But one thing is crystal clear. I speak my mind and share whatever I see no matter which way it cuts. That has great value to some and those are the folks I focus on. 

DNJournal: While we have talked a lot about change, one thing that won't change this year is your T.R.A.F.F.I.C. West venue - the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. I know you scout properties in various cities year round before picking the ones you think are ideal for a conference. With all of the great options in Las Vegas, what made the Bellagio the right place for T.R.A.F.F.I.C.?

Rick Schwartz: When we choose a hotel we are business partners. So we look for very well run hotels that have staffs that have been there for many years and have real experience in running a convention. Their job is to make us and the industry look good. The Bellagio is a 5-star hotel. Among the best in the world. You never regret doing business with and getting the BEST!

And when you come to T.R.A.F.F.I.C., besides the business aspect, it is a celebration and an acknowledgement of your success and your achievements and once in a while you get to spoil and pamper yourself and enjoy the fruits of your success and at the same time planting those new seeds. And for those still struggling, it’s a akin to “Dressing for success” Sometimes you need to taste it to develop that thirst. The energy at T.R.A.F.F.I.C.  is like no other for a reason.

DNJournal: Before we sign off,  is there  anything else you want our readers to know about the upcoming show?  

Howard Neu: Due to the nature of the economy in general and the domain industry in particular, this will probably be the last time that T.R.A.F.F.I.C. will be in Las Vegas. We went back to the Strip because those who attended our Florida shows demanded it.  However, we have found that we have not received the support that our annual Florida show has brought. 

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 Article published May 9, 2014