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In
a historic gathering at Delray
Beach, Florida
October 20-23, 2004 the industry had a coming out party that no one
who was there will ever forget. I covered the event and posted daily
reports Thursday,
Friday
and Saturday.
Those reports recapped what happened each day but there was no time
during the fast paced show to reflect on the overall impact of the
event and why it was so important to the industry. I will attempt to
do that in this article.
Domainers
are an independent minded group with different ideas about the best
way to utilize the valuable internet property they hold. It can be
very hard to get a group of more than one to row the boat in the
same direction in this business. That is one reason there has never
been a trade group for professional domainers, even though they have
absolutely no voice in the regulatory process that governs domains.
It is one reason there has never been a major trade show, though
other capable people tried but gave up after receiving a lukewarm
(at best) response.
| When
Rick Schwartz
of eRealEstate.com
and Howard Neu,
Esq.
of NeuLaw.com
contacted me several months ago to tell me they were going
to stage a trade show I was glad to hear it, not only
because there was a desperate need for it, but because with
them involved there was a good chance that it would actually
take place. Schwartz is a pioneering domainer who sold Men.com
for over $1
million
last December. Neu is one of the few attorneys that
specialize in domain matters (thank God the few we have are
darn good at what they do). Even so, I wasn't sure what to
expect when show week finally rolled around and it was time
to head to Delray Beach to cover the event. |
Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu
Co-founders of T.R.A.F.F.I.C. 2004
(DNJournal photo)
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Having
produced music industry trade shows for more than a decade myself
(with an average of more than 100 exhibitors and 1,000 attendees) I
knew about the workload involved and the virtual certainty that
something would go wrong, especially the first time out. If things
didn't go well I would have to write about it so I kept a
professional distance from the show. I stayed at a different hotel a
couple of miles down the beach and planned to attend only the
business sessions; none of the breakfasts, lunches, dinners or
social events (a plan I kept to other than accepting an invitation
to attend the Friday night dinner so I could cover the awards that
were handed out that evening).
I invited my
wife along on the trip, assuming there would be little going on at
the Marriott and
assuring her it would be a mini-vacation with lots of walks on the
beach, art and antique shopping and romantic dinners in the
excellent restaurants that dot Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. Big
mistake. Her mini-vacation wound up encompassing a lot of solo
shopping, sitting by the pool and going to bed alone well past
midnight while I sat up hammering out daily show summaries. I didn't
expect things to turn out this way but everyone in the business
should be thankful that they did (even my wife, though not a
domainer, grasped the importance of the event and gave me a
"get out of jail free" card this time around)!
We arrived
in Delray Beach Wednesday night just as the welcoming cocktail party
for registrants was ending at the Marriott and barely in time to
make a dinner appointment we had with brothers Roger
Collins
and Michael Collins
who head the new (and much improved) Afternic.com.
We have a lot in common. In addition to being fellow Floridians, DNJournal
and Afternic
(under their new ownership) both opened Jan. 1, 2003 and we have
taken pleasure in watching each other grow since that time.
I didn't
know it at the time but when we got back to the hotel and went to
bed it would be my last full night of sleep until we returned home
to Tampa Saturday night. Thursday morning I headed to the conference
and was warmly greeted by Rick Schwartz whom I was meeting in person
for the first time. He directed me down the hall where the first
seminar was about to begin and on the way I passed something I
hadn't expected to see - a trade exhibit area complete with
professional show booths that DomainSponsor.com
and Moniker.com
had built specifically for this event.
| That
was the first sign that people were taking this thing very
seriously. I found out how seriously when I joined about 125
others for the opening session featuring success stories
from members of a private domain board operated by Mr.
Schwartz. Panel members detailed how they had
successfully built thriving businesses based primarily on
the acquisition of powerful domain names. |
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| While
I took extensive notes and taped this and other sessions
with the idea of distilling what worked for these people
into a few tips I could pass along to you, I've found
that is almost impossible to do. There's no magic formula -
it is a process and one that is dictated by the names you
have - every one is unique
(which is a primary reason they can be so valuable). You
have to determine if the name you have will produce better
for you if you develop it and sell products or
better
if you rely on revenue from pay per click programs. You'll
want to look at the tradeoffs involved with going each
route. These things may require some research and
experimentation and the panelists explained the many things
you have to consider. A developer like Jeff
Reynolds
has a thriving business at AmericanFlags.com
where he now sells more than 300 products. But that meant
learning an entirely new industry and accepting occasional
calls in the middle of the night when shipments went awry or
other problems cropped up.
Another
panelist, Canada's Chris
Stewart
takes a different approach. He acknowledged that in some
cases development might produce more money for him, but not
enough to offset the freedom provided by his PPC model. He
said not having to develop a site and process orders lets
him play with his kids in the middle of the afternoon if
that's what he wants to do. Then there is Florida's Roy
Messer
who does some of each with developed sites like Vodka.com
combined with PPC landing pages on other domains. Both
strategies contribute to his bottom line. Hearing
experienced and articulate domainers like this offer minute
details on how they implement their strategies and answering
any questions the audience posed got things off to a great
start.
Throughout
that day as I sat there in the middle of discussions with CEO's
from companies like DomainSponsor.com,
Sedo.com, Fabulous.com, top
notch domainers and the industry's top attorneys, the
magnitude of the opportunity hit me. How do you put a price
on a chance to interact face to face with people like that
all in one place at one time? How valuable is it to your
business and your future in this industry? I can't put a
price on it, but I know it will pay dividends for years to
come.
While
the seminars were universally beneficial, I think most would
agree that the networking opportunities easily ranked as the
show's top draw. There simply is no substitute for meeting
someone face to face and shaking their hand, especially in
an industry where the opportunity to do that is so rare. To
illustrate what I mean I will use conference co-founder
Howard Neu as an example. Before going to the show all I knew
about Howard was that he was one of the industry's top
attorneys. Other than that all I knew was his name.
When
I arrived at the opening session there was Mr. Neu
moderating the panel like a professional broadcaster. His
questions to the panelists were insightful and he was able
to keep coming up with new ones while simultaneously
directing a steady flow of people to the microphone stands
in the aisles where they could ask their own questions. When
I spoke with him after that first session I wasn't at all
surprised to learn he had been a TV talk show host. I wasn't
surprised but it was something I never knew about him (or
expected from one of our industry attorneys). The biggest
surprise was still ahead. |
| After
the awards were presented at the Friday night dinner, who
pops up singing a duet in a surprise musical number
("Summer Nights" from Grease)
- it's Howard! And the biggest surprise of all - he was
good! From now on in my mind Howard Neu is not just a name.
Whenever I get an email from him, in my mind I see a face I
know, I hear a voice I recognize, I know
a
guy who can moderate a panel, sing a song, dance like Sammy
Davis Jr.
and practice law! In short he is now a person, a new friend,
not just 9 letters in my Rolodex. |
Howard Neu and non-domainer Felicia Lynn
belting out "Summer Nights"
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| Here
is another example who also just happens to be an attorney
(I love to make examples out of them for a change instead of
vice versa)! In the photo below you see the Three Amigos,
top notch domain lawyers (from left to right) John
Berryhill,
Neu and Ari
Goldberger.
The
first time I heard Berryhill speak I was struck by his great
voice, the enunciation, perfect modulation and emphasis on his
words. When I was a radio/TV broadcaster we said guys like
that had "great pipes". I asked him where that
came from and found out he had done some theater where you
have to be able to project your voice all the way to the last
row and keep your words perfectly understandable at the same
time. It would be a terrific
attribute in the courtroom - it would be like Perry
Mason
in the flesh - jurors wouldn't have a chance. Fortunately for
us, Berryhill eschewed the court room to handle our document
based legal needs while saving that great voice for when it
really counts - the cocktail hour.
That
started giving me a picture of the
things that made Berryhill unique and memorable, but again,
the best was yet to come. At a luncheon featuring the three
attorneys, Berryhill (a movie buff) started talking about how
terrible things happened in the domain business, just like in
the movies. As an example, he recalled that awful scene in Aliens
where a voracious extraterrestrial burst out of the victim's
stomach. At this point, Berryhill alarmed everyone by
beginning to disrobe. He loosened his tie and started
unbuttoning his shirt. A nauseated look came over his face as
if something truly horrible was about to burst from his
abdomen. |
| He
then ripped open his shirt to reveal the cause of his
distress, greeting the audience with a Network
Solutions T-Shirt
underneath! It drew the biggest laugh of the week. For those
who happen upon this page and are not in the business, it's an
inside joke. Best to leave it at that. So the guy is a
comedian too!
As
with most people at the show I only got to chat a few minutes
with Berryhill (due to dozens of people to meet and a very
short time to do it in) but I went home feeling like I know
someone as a human being and not just a name or avatar in a
domain forum. There is a world of difference. |
John Berryhill
photo courtesy of
Scott Ross, Promediary.com |
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I
could go on and on, repeating this for every single one of
the people I met and regretting not being able to do it for
the many I didn't get a chance to meet (fortunately, like in
football, there is always next year)!
Even
for those you did not meet you know you will go away having
shared the same experience, which is an important piece of
common ground as well.
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|
Domainers Marcia Lynn Walker & Steve
Stoeser (above) |
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| Some
other now familiar faces from the crowd:
Michael Song, DomainSponsor.com (above left)
Ira Zoot, domainer from Chicago (above right)
Michelle Miller, COO, BuyDomains.com (at right -
photo courtesy of Scott Ross, Promediary.com) |
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In
addition to memorable people, there were endless memorable
quotes. I find random statements bouncing around in my mind
that have me excited about the months and years ahead and
ready to charge the computer every morning when I wake up.
Below are a few I scribbled on a note pad from a couple of
seminars. |
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"There is still so much growth to
be had."
"Whoever controls the traffic controls
the transaction"
"You are the one who determines
whether a sale will ever take place."
"Many terms are drastically
underpriced. For example what should an advertiser pay
for the term "double parallel crane"? That's a $750,000
piece of machinery. How much is a click that leads to a sale
like that worth when you can deliver a qualified customer to
the seller's door?"
(these quotes from Dan Warner of Fabulous.com
with the last one underscoring what all of the PPC
providers said at the conference - pay per click rates
will continue to rise)
"There is a way to monetize any traffic"
"To not be a moron you need to
look years or even decades in front of you."
"We are the real estate barons
of this era."
"The written word is still the
most powerful medium on earth" (of course I would like
that one!)
(above from Rick Schwartz)
Something
else I take away from this event is the incredible
camaraderie of the people in this business. Even people who
are direct competitors treat each other like they are
playing for the same team. Warner (of Fabulous.com) went so
far as to say "none of us can meet all of your needs
all of the time. Go ahead and move your domains around and
see what works best for you."
In
what other industry will you find a top executive telling
you to check things out across the street and see how that
works? Warner says his company cares about relationships and
doing what is best for their partners. In most industries
that would come across as B.S. but not from this one. We are
a small group (I remember Warner saying there are only
something like 2,000 people who own more than 100 domains)
but we are a tightly knit group, a group that when it
combines its resources can wield power in the marketplace
that is far in excess of what our numbers would suggest.
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| If
we can continue to come together like this, sit down and
have dinner or a drink together, share ideas for
improvement, develop plans of attack to solve problems, who
can stop us? How high is the ceiling? Is there even a
ceiling there? |
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Left to right: Marcia Lynn Walker,
Keynote speaker Ben Stein,
Barbara Neu and Howard Neu.
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So
we went home Saturday invigorated and exhausted at the same
time. But as the noted philosopher Bon
Jovi once
said, "I'll sleep when I'm dead!" OK, I
guess Grant Keiser
(in photo at right) listens to classical instead of rock,
but you get the idea!
If
our industry was a person it could fairly describe itself
with the title from Joe
Namath's 1970
biography - I
Can't Wait Until Tomorrow 'cause I Get Better Looking
Everyday.
Ain't that
the truth! |
Grant Keiser of California catches a few winks
(but try to snatch his Fabulous.com
briefcase and you are a dead man!) |
Special
note of thanks. T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Co-founders
Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu provided the public face for this event
but as is always the case, behind every good man is a
better
woman! So many attendees commented on the enormous amount of work
put into this event by Veda
Solomon
of Strategy for Success
(Howard Neu's sister), Barbara
Neu
(Howard's wife) and Alina
Rusu
(Rick Schwartz's significant other) that we would be remiss if we
did not report the universal appreciation for their efforts and warm
hospitality throughout the week.
Veda, Barbara and Alina
In case you
missed our previous Cover Story, it is available through the link
below:
Why
Parking Companies Want YOUR Portfolio and What
DomainSponsor.com Is Doing To Try to Get It
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to Domain Name Journal Home Page
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