A preview of the week ahead in Santa Monica.
The largest domain name conference, DOMAINfest, takes place in Santa Monica this week. There’s a lot to look for in the 2012 edition. Here are six questions that will be answered before the end of the week.
1. How will Oversee.net’s new leadership present itself?
Oversee.net branded itself largely with former CEO Jeff Kupietzky. Now Oversee.net has new leadership with co-presidents Debra Domeyer and Scott Morrow. Domeyer attended TRAFFIC last Fall, but for most people this conference will be the first introduction to the pair.
2. Will Oversee.net address Moniker?
It’s one of the industry’s worst kept secrets that Oversee.net has been shopping around Moniker. Also this month we saw the departure of some of Moniker’s longtime account managers. As a Moniker customer, I received no notice of the account manager changes.
Will Oversee continue to be silent about Moniker? Or will it address the changes head on to instill confidence. Confidence, after all, is one of the most important things people consider when selecting a registrar.
3. Will the new parties make up for the (lack of) Playboy Mansion?
There’s no trip to the Playboy Mansion this year. After over 100 people got sick last year I think that’s probably OK with most people.
But there will still be a Playboy element. .Co is sponsoring a party at Petersen Automotive Museum that will include some playmates as well as the star of the GoDaddy .co Super Bowl commercial Natalia Velez.
The final night party will be at House of Blue and includes “edgy, sexy and interactive entertainment”. It will be interesting.
4. How many people will be there?
DOMAINfest has attracted 700 people in recent years. That’s about the peak I could imagine if it’s mostly domainers. But the show is shifting — just like the company — and is attracting more from the lead gen, affiliate, and SEO spaces.
5. Can DOMAINfest successfully include topics outside the typical domainer realm?
This year you’ll hear a lot more about lead gen, SEO, and affiliate marketing at the show. It will be interesting to see how this shift is managed.
6. What big company announcements will be made?
Domain companies tend to make big announcements during domain conferences. Already this morning Sedo announced a deal with GoDaddy. What big deals and announcements will we hear this week?
There you have it. Six big questions that we’ll know the answer to by the end of the week.
See you in Santa Monica.
Nacho Domain says
Oversee has been beating it’s drums for a long time now about their new “alternative monetization” schemes, but I have seen not one thing come from them and not one single penny lift in earnings. Oversee is still paying out the lame payouts since they fell from grace.
As far as I am concerned, Oversee is a dead company until they actually do something proactively for a change, or at least show us domain investors what the heck they are talking about instead of lip service.
Big Daddy says
Is this an Oversee event or a domainer conference? Looks all Oversee to me.
TopDomainDeal says
Domain parking is not the same any more. Costumers get peanuts and parking companies are making even bigger profits.