Review of GeoDomain Expo 2010: New Orleans implements the red carpet for domain developers

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2010 GeoDomain Expo Review: New Orleans Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Domain Developers 

By Ron Jackson 

The 2010 GeoDomain Expo enjoyed a successful run at the historic Roosevelt Hotel in the heart of New Orleans April 28-30. Geodomain developers from around the U.S., Canada and beyond converged in the Big Easy for the annual event staged by Associated Cities (a global association of .com city geodomain owners). Don Jones and Bill Hammack, the partners who own and operate AC member NewOrleans.com, served as gracious hosts for the conference and thanked attendees for coming back to a truly unique city that has staged a remarkable comeback since being devastated during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

We provided some daily show photos and highlights while the event was underway in these posts in our Lowdown section:

However when the show is going on, the busy schedule doesn't leave time to provide detailed information on individual sessions nor to edit and post a lot of the great photos taken during the week. To remedy that situation and tie everything together in one tidy package for posterity, we have put together this comprehensive review article. 

The show began Wedneasday night (April 28) with a welcoming cocktail party in the famous Blue Room at the Roosevelt (a landmark luxury hotel that recently completed a $145 million renovation that restored it to its former glory after it had been shut down following Katrina). In its heyday the stage in the Blue Room was graced by music legends ranging from Frank Sinatra to Louis Armstrong to Ray Charles.

In the photo above Diana Jackson and Bob Olea in the Roosevelt Hotel's Blue Room as a jazz trio plays from the stage behind them at the GeoDomain Expo's opening night cocktail party.

Below - part of the crowd gathered in the Blue Room for the start on the 2010 conference.

Below: Faces in the crowd opening night (Left to right) - Patrick Ruddell (ChefPatrick.com), Ammar Kubba (Thought Convergence Inc.), Don Lyons (Moniker.com) and Patrick Carleton (Associated Cities)

Below: Dan Pulcrano (Boulevards New Media) and Caroline Temple (Name.com) 
in the Blue Room Wednesday night (April 28),

Everyone got down to business Thursday morning (April 29) when NewOrlean's.com's Bill Hammack (at left below) and Don Jones (at right below) kicked off the day by welcoming attendees to the their city. 

Below: Part of the crowd on the opening business day at the 2010 GeoDomain Expo

Arnie Fielkow
New Orleans City Council President

We also heard from the President of the New Orleans City Council, Arnie Fielkow, who expressed the city's appreciation for being chosen to host the conference. He urged attendees to spread the word that New Orleans is open for business and is welcoming visitors with open arms. Having spent a delightful week there (we arrived a few days before the show began so we could spend some time exploring New Orleans) we can back Mr. Fielkow up 100% on that. 

In the Expo's first business session Thursday morning a panel featuring Dan Pulcrano (Boulevards New Media), Sean Smyth (Groupon), Tony Wills (AllMenus.com) and Alisa Cromer (LocalMediaInsider.com) covered various ways local media sites can compete against national sites that have a local focus like TripAdvisor, Yelp! and others. Ms. Cromer wrote about one solution, City in a Box, in a column she wrote from the Expo for her website. She also published another interesting article from the show titled What's in a name: Domain strategies for local media companies that is worth checking out.

Local Media Vs. the Nationals panel featuring (left to right): Tony Wills, 
Alisa Cromer, Sean Smyth and Dan Pulcrano.

Next up the Castello Brothers, Michael and David (Castello Cities Internet Network) discussed Maximizing Geo Brand Traffic Revenue. A lot of local advertisers use Google AdWords to promote their businesses and the Castello Brothers have come up with a formula to show those advertisers that they can deliver the same amount of traffic from their local sites like PalmSprings.com and Nashville.com for less than a third of what it costs to buy traffic through Google AdWords. 

David said CCIN builds a splash page for each client that appears on their local site (a page that often gains its own high ranking in Google's search results). They sell their ads at a flat rate but are able to show advertisers that Hyatt, for example, wound up paying just $1 a click from PalmSprings.com while the cost per click through Google Ad Words ranged from $2.56 to $3.31. As David said, "When the advertisers see that advertising with us is a no brainer."

Michael Castello (left) and David Castello of Castello Cities Internet Network 
provide tips on Maximizing Geo Brand Traffic Revenue

At the Thursday luncheon I gave a media person's view of the prospects for the geodomain industry. I reiterated something I have said a number of times in the past - that I think .com geodomain owners are perfectly positioned to reap huge benefits from the migration of advertising money from traditional media to the web.

After lunch Fred Mercaldo of Scottsdale.com and Cathy Maddox of NewOrleans.com kicked off a series of afternoon sessions with a seminar on Creative Local Branding. 

Cathy Maddox (left) and Fred Mercaldo discuss Creative Local Branding

Ms. Maddox detailed the many ways that NewOrleans.com drives traffic to their site, including sponsoring and promoting community events, media partnerships with local radio, TV and print outlets and creative advertising included NewOrleans.com logos and artwork on smart cars and special contests.

Associated Cities Co-Founder Josh Metnick 
of Chicago.com speaking during the 
Social Media and GeoDomains Session

A session on Hotel Marketing followed featuring Chad Montgomery of Expedia.com, Bill Marbach of GetARoom.com and Rob Kazmierski of Advanced Reservations Systems. 

The topic the switched to Social Media and GeoDomains with Patrick Ruddell (ChefPatrick.com), Courtney LeClair (ZCO Corp.), Josh Metnick (Chicago.com), Jim Smith (Sobiz10) and Marian Mariathason (Sobiz10) on the dais for that seminar. 

The panelists emphasized the importance of using social media channels like Facebook and Twitter to promote your business. People have become used to having two-way communications with the people they do business with so you don't want to be left behind in the obsolete world of one-way communications. 

The first day of business closed with Don Jones of NewOrleans.com and Davis Asplund of ZCO Corporation offering discussing why the explosion of mobile devices is making it critical for you to Mobilize Your Website.  

With the business out of the way, it was time for some fun with a night out at the famous Tipitina's night club in the French Quarter. A New Orleans jazz band led attendees on a procession from the hotel down Canal Street and into the Quarter for a special evening that included a buffet of traditional New Orleans dishes including jambalaya, red beans and rice, gumbo and po boy sandwiches. 

A local jazz band leads GeoDomain Expo attendees on a march down 
Canal Street to Tipitina's night club Thursday night (April 29). 

At Tipitina's, Chef Patrick (front right) alerts a group of 
attendees that they are on Candid Camera.

Faces in the crowd at Tipitina's included Cathy Hoagland and Associated Cities 
Co-Founder Skip Hoagland of Domains New Media.

On Friday morning (April 30), some of the early risers visited booths in the exhibition area before heading into the conference hall for the day's first business session.

GeoDomain Expo attendees visit the Local.com booth.

The final day of the Expo Friday opened with Ari Bayme (ModernCapital.com) and Kim Mac Leod (Regional Media Advisors) conducting a seminar on Finding the Exit Door - Cashing Out Now or Later. They provided valuable tips on partnership and development deals as well as maximizing the value of your site should you decide to put it on the market. 

Bayme offered three rules be believes everyone should follow before agreeing to a joint venture or development deal: 1) Do not let go of your domain, 2) Define development precisely and 3) if it goes on your page it is yours.

Ari and Kim were followed by Bruce Marler (Missouri.me Network), Fred Mercaldo (Scottsdale.com) and Vic Chabra (Chitika.com) who took part in a panel discussion on Developing Any City - how to make the most of any local geodomain asset. In this session Mercaldo detailed how the City in a Box solution that he developed (and that we referred to earlier in this article) can speed up development of any city geodomain.

Ari Bayme
ModernCapital.com

Phil Corwin
ICA Legal Counsel

At the noon lunch break  the Internet Commerce Association's Legal Counsel Phil Corwin brought attendees up to date on ICANN policy issues and legal threats to domain owners. A few months ago it appeared that the ICA might disband due to lack of financial support from the domain community but thanks to generous donations from a handful of companies and individual domain owners, the organization was able to re-organize and allow Corwin, who is based in Washington, D.C., to continue doing his valuable work on behalf of the industry. 

After lunch it was time for the Expo's keynote address, delivered by GetARoom.com Co-Founder David Litman. Previously Litman co-founded Hotels.com and grew the company from a $1,200 initial investment into a corporation that sold in 2003 with a valuation of $5.5 billion! The theme of Litman's talk was Conservative Entrepreneurship - ways to build a business with minimal risk.

Litman put a heavy emphasis on being frugal  

and controlling expenses. His cardinal rules for running a business include 1) Don't waste, 2) Don't spend unless you have to, 3) If you spend, spend as little as you can, 4) Make sure whatever you spend pays for itself in a short period of time and 5) Know your down side, don't limit upside.

GetARoom.com Co-Founder David Litman delivering his keynote address. 

The Expo closed with a pair of afternoon business seminars. In the first Jessica Bookstaff (eDestinations) and Sara Mannix (Mannix Marketing) offered tips on Creating a Unique GeoDomain Image. Jessica's company operates PigeonForge.com and Durango.com while Sara's firm runs a number of successful geodomain sites in upstate New York including LakeGeorge.com and Saratoga.com.

Jessica Bookstaff (left) and Sara Mannix offered advice 
on Creating a Unique GeoDomain Image

Dawn Pauganan (Local.com) taking part in 
a panel discussion on Building Your Local Business Directory that closed the Expo.

In the closing session, NewOrleans.com Co-Owner Don Jones moderated a panel devoted to Building Your Local Business Directory. The panelists were James Chubb (eDirectory), Dawn Paduganan (Local.com) and Doyal Bryant (Universal Business Listings). 

With Yellow Pages rapidly losing business to the Internet, the panelists pointed out the enormous opportunity geodomain operators have to profit from online business listings. Their companies are all involved in offering services to help website operators do that. Jones, who has a background in the Yellow Pages business, noted that local print directories in many markets saw their revenue plunge 25% in the last full year reported.

Ms. Paguganan's company, Local.com, currently powers directory listings on Atlanta.com, SanFrancisco.com and Portland.com to name just a few. She noted that one of the most attractive features of their platform is that it costs the site owner nothing to implement.

Attendees were left with plenty to think about when the curtain came down on the 2010 GeoDomain Expo, but before heading home to put what they learned into action, many stayed over to join other showgoers for a Friday night dinner at celebrity chef Donald Link's Cochon Restaurant - a New Orleans hot spot famous for its Cajun food (Link was on hand and autographed copies of his Real Cajun cookbook for guests who wanted to take copy home).

One of the three tables filled by GeoDomain Expo attendees at a closing night dinner 
Friday (April 20) at the Cochon Restaurant in New Orleans. 

This was the fourth straight year I have attended the GeoDomain Expo and it has never failed to please. If you have an interest in developing domains, this is a show you be at when it comes around again in 2011. 

*****

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Dozen of two interviews set to Begin Climb of Mount Kilimanjaro Monday!

Here is the presentation of DN Journal,
updated daily fill in on the latest buzz going around the domain name industry.

The presentation is compiled by DN Journal editor & Publisher Ron Jackson.

Two interviews set a dozen to Begin Climb of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for drinking water in the world developing Monday

On Monday (March 1) at least two dozen men and women who represent the domain industry will start over 19,000 feet of ascent to the peak of majestic Mount Tanzania

Kilimanjaro .Ellos are doing to raise funds for School of water, a very worthy charitable institution whose mission is to provide simple, insurance, strategic and sustainable solutions for clean water for the world in desarrollo.Su exceptionally cost-effective solar disinfection system is helping stop diseases transmitted by water and save thousands of lives.

Gregg McNair and Rick Latona spearheaded the effort to bring together a team of climbing each climber fundraising industry from its own sponsors and donors to support the mission. climbers are putting on the line for a cause they believe deeply in promotion this week and descent, which require 6-7 hours daily walk, is going to be very difficult for all of them.

Mount Kilimanjaro Gregg McNair
International PPX

He wrote in a letter that I received today from McNair, "many of us have been stretched to the absolute limit with travel and many displays the last two months, apart from having to work every day in preparation for the ascent."Information on the web, says that "last year was 997 evacuation of the mountain. the number of deaths on Kilimanjaro is unknown, but it is estimated that every year about 20-30" for this is no walk in the Park and all climbers are taking very seriously...".especially me!"

Can view the complete list of who is increasing and make a donation (any amount will be appreciated) one or more of climbers from this page, on the rise - website Kili2010.com .McNair says "each climber was given an ambitious sponsorship to raise $ 1 per uploaded foot - target $ 19,340 total.Ahora none of us have reached that mark but it is not too late to jump on the site and giving children in Africa and Haiti, and at the same time encourage someone to keep worked up this Hill!"

Many companies within the domain industry have gathered around in the water school effort in recent months, including Sedo.com Latonas.com Parked.com, DomainSponsor.com, TrafficZ.com, Neustar, NameDrive.com, TheDomains.com and international PPX, many others, both directly and mountaineers indirectamente.Algunos work for companies in the industry and others are only individual domain investors who wish to help provide safe drinking water in places where it is in short supply ahora.Lo least we can do is to support them from the comfort of our own homes.Tessa Holcomb, who is in the climbing team of Sedo told me that a donation of $ 100 is enough to provide drinking water to two families of six people each (a dozen) life. what there is Nothing could spend $ 100 that would have a greater positive impact than the?

For all current lowdown posts - Go HereSo that we need your help to continue giving domainers the presentation, please email with any interesting information can tener.Si editor@dnjournal.com is possible, including the source of your information so that we can prove it (e.g. a URL if you read in a forum or a site elsewhere).

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Register .se on .com - new report claims victory says .com Losing establish themselves in Sweden

Here is the presentation of DN Journal,
updated daily fill in on the latest buzz going around the domain name industry.

The presentation is compiled by DN Journal editor & Publisher Ron Jackson.

.This record claims victory over .com Sweden as ccTLD Enjoy rapid growth in the main markets around the Globe

It one of the most interesting trends in 2009 was the rapid growth that we witnessed sales of ccTLDs in spite of an economy world goes through one of the worst economic crisis in the last century.  As we noted in our last newsletter, the total volume of sales of ccTLDs $ informed us in 2009 soared 28%'s total for the year 2008.Esto happened while total sales reported for all domain after sales slid 12.5% year on year.Clearly the most important country codes have been outpacing the market as a whole and do a very impressive margin.

Yesterday, I found an article about how to increase interesting extension . au Australia, especially now that registry operators have eliminated some of the severe restrictions on the property. au (resale by mid-2008 domains. au was banned - speak a damper in sales aftermarket!).Today I found myself on an article on increased sales of ccTLDs in another market - Sweden.    

Country code for Sweden is .se and this headline on the registry website .se caught my attention - .se domain dominates the Swedish while .com is receding market .article says that, according to a report released in January 2010 the Government responsible for the Central Bureau of statistics (SCB), "the .se domain is growing stronger while .com is lose its? establish themselves in Sweden".According to the report of SCB?s, it used by enterprises of 2009, 88% of all companies decided to register .se addresses, while 32% chose by. coms.

Danny Aerts, Director General of the .se registry says, ?We see the same trend internacionalmente.País code top level domains like., are growing faster in comparison with generic, such as .com, .net and .org in other markets, así.En Sweden top level domains, .se is the obvious choice of top level for corporate domain."Now we can also clearly see that small businesses and individuals who are increasingly prefer .se other top-level domains."

According to the SCB, Swedes are choosing .com with fewer frecuencia.En 2008, 42% chose .com among companies with more than ten employees, but in 2009 between these companies .com market share dropped by 6% to 36%.Small businesses with fewer than ten employees were in the same direction. in 2008, 34% of these companies chose .com, while in 2009 that number reduced to 28%.

At the end of 2009 there were active .se domains of 936,428, a jump of 12% of the 834,004 which occurred at the end

2009.Suecia is only receiving one of several countries that are experiencing strong growth in use of its ccTLD local.estos ccTLD as well as flourishing IDN use high-growth markets (worldwide) is creating new opportunities for domain investors seek to diversify their holdings.

For all current lowdown posts - Go HereSo that we need your help to continue giving domainers the presentation, please email with any interesting information can tener.Si editor@dnjournal.com is possible, including the source of your information so that we can prove it (e.g. a URL if you read in a forum or a site elsewhere).

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Which is Show Biz: next 5 weeks see 6 conferences in 5 countries & international Waters!

Here is the presentation of DN Journal,
updated daily fill in on the latest buzz going around the domain name industry.

The presentation is compiled by DN Journal editor & Publisher Ron Jackson.

Which is Show Biz: The Next Weeks 5 see 6 domain conferences spread in 5 countries and international Waters!

Although it is not so busy as a crazy stretch in August that saw five conferences domain cramped in just 14 days, the show circuit will be lit by six conferences over the next five weeks.The action carried out on both sides of the Atlantic and will end up playing five countries as well as a wide strip of international waters!

The action starts on Wednesday (September 15) when the 1st Annual Conference of Epik developers starts up in Seattle, Washington.We have a lot of behind the scenes details about this event,

 

runs on Friday (September 17), in a special interview with founding Conference Rob Monster that ran on our latest monthly newsletter true .for, besides information on the Conference, that interview has some very interesting views of Rob on the future development of domain to domain parking.

Next week the marathon continues with not just one, but two shows going on simultaneously - one in Canada and one in Spain .Ambos will start on Thursday 23 September, when the annual Conference in third place of the convergence of domain being carried out in Montreal and kicking meeting (also in his go third round) Thanks III out in Valencia, Spain.Thanksgiving III. keynote speakers will be Sedo co-founder and CEO Tim Schumacher and the Castello brothers (David and Michael).Montreal show continues on 24 while thanks III will run on the 25th.(Update: 16 September DomainConvergence announced the postponement of his show - will be rescheduled for next spring in Montreal - tentative dates are 12 and 13 May 2011).

After a break of 10 days, programming resumes with the first of the three major events of October - DOMAINfest Europe in Prague, Czech Republic 5-7 October.This event, organized by DomainSponsor.com, will involve searching and social experts French van den Beld as its keynote speaker.

French will be joined by a line of all-star speakers and experts (details here) and industry, for the first time in history, free on-site interpreters available to assist guests in non-English speaking German, Poland and the Czech Republic get the most from your experience of DOMAINfest.

Next week, the conference circuit leads to the high seas when Chef Patrick hosts the first domain in a cruise Conference!DNCruise will sail from Miami on Monday 11 October and the nave of Carnival Cruise Lines will make stops in Key West and Cozumel, Mexico before returning to Miami on Friday, October 15 products.my wife Diana and I will be on the boat and, like many people join cruisers, we will stay in Miami for the grand finale in this seis-espectáculo run - T.R.A.F.F.I.C. South Beach.

What I am listening to this event from 17 to 20 October at the fabulous place Hotel Miami world famous South Beach, is shaping up to be one of the best T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conferences ever.

Is the show only be co-founder T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu are putting into this year, and

all the stops to make his return to South Florida are removed (where everything began six years ago) blockbuster .Caballos event wild could not keep me away from true ésta.Por can keep with the latest news from T.R.A.F.F.I.C. South Beach on a special page of Facebook, the organizers have established.

As you can see, will be a lot of great opportunities for the next five weeks out and start building new relationships (or re-enforcing old ones) and put on the latest developments in business by changing the number of calendar days shows constantemente.Con is much easier to find one that is close to you and price range, one of the benefits of strong competition between promoters) always love to our computers and spend time online, but there are still is irreplaceable for meeting face to face if you really want to jump start your business.

For all current lowdown posts - Go HereSo that we need your help to continue giving domainers the presentation, please email with any interesting information can tener.Si editor@dnjournal.com is possible, including the source of your information so that we can prove it (e.g. a URL if you read in a forum or a site elsewhere).

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