I’m on the road today so I thought I would share with you a post 9 years ago. Yup, nine years ago. It’s still as relevant today as it was then. OK, not completely up to date so I added some updates in bold
10 Tips to Help you Survive a Domain Investing Conference
1. Meet as many people as you can but pick a few that you connect with. There are plenty of people to meet at the conferences. Some of them don’t care to meet you and that’s OK because every conference there seems to be someone that you really enjoy spending time with. I’m not talking about the representative from Sedo (she’s a nice young lady as well) but other domainers that have similar interests that you can build a friendship with long after the conference is over. 2019- That young lady is still in domain investing but now is in charge of ICA and her name is Kamila Sekiewicz
2. Drink a water in between the Gin and Tonic: There WILL be drinking and it will go much later than you’re used to (alcoholics, 25 year olds, and people from LA not included) so take it slow. You payed a lot of money and don’t want to have to stay in your room and miss the conference hung over because you chased every Corona with an Irish Car Bomb. 2019 – I now add a pill called Speed Caps which is made for endurance runners that keeps me from getting hangovers
3. Bring Business Cards: They need to have all your contact data and a little something to let them know what your specialty is. Otherwise its impossible to remember everyone you meet. I had a flower on my card and Morgan Linton said something to the effect “you know the worse part about having a flower on your business card? Telling your Mom you’re Gay” 2019- It was difficult but today is a different time
4. If you’re married be careful. Chris Rock said it best “A man is as faithful as his options” When you’re at a conference, those options seem to open up. Add a little alcohol and you could be on your way to dividing your domains with your former wife. There’s nothing sexier than a man with a nice domain portfolio and the ladies know it, so behave yourself. 2019- Still the same and even more so in Vegas. Faithful for 25 years but dirty danced at the Playboy mansion domain party back in the day that pushed the limits. Wouldn’t do again. Mostly because my back is much worse and don’t have the moves
5. Sneak in a nap: It will pay off later in the evening. The parties after the conference are were you really get to know people and make some great friends. It’s hard to do that when you’re yawning all night or even worse, don’t even go out because you’re too tired. It’s amazing what a power nap during the day will do.
6. Hang with Chef Patrick. He knows more people than Bill Clinton and he is always kind enough to introduce you everyone he knows. He purposely switches to a non Alexa toolbar browser when he visits my site to keep the Alexa rank down, but he’s still a great guy. I highly suggest the $200 Chef Patrick Social Deluxe package. It includes meeting Ron Jackson, Rick Latona, two other “A” list domainers as well as 10 “B” level domainers. Certainly worth the money. 2019- Chef Patrick is LONNNNNNNG Gone. Turned out to be a much better donut maker than a domainer
7. Watch the bar tab. There are many companies that are gracious enough to pay the bill at dinner or the bar tab afterward but make sure you don’t assume. Offer to throw some money into the kitty for the drinks and if they refuse then fine, but we had an incident where a bar tab got a little high and one person got stuck with it. Somebody has to pay the bill just make sure everyone agrees who. We don’t want any domainer fights. 2019- Still the same but I have been fortunate enough to be able to pick up a tab now
8. Let Morgan Linton be your tour guide. As much as Chef Patrick knows the people, Morgan knows the sites. It really doesn’t matter which city, he can give you a tour that a professional guide couldn’t match. All you have to do is buy him a few Stellas and the tour begins. My favorite package is the “Since you were Here” package. You tell him the last time you were in the city and he’ll show you all the places that have been built since then. He gives this tour everywhere but Detroit. 2019-Morgan’s retired from tour guide
9. Don’t judge any books by their covers. It’s amazing the diversity of the people at the shows. The guy that looks like a million dollars owns 12 dot infos and the guy that looks like he is barely in college is a domain stud (Merlin). Everyone will tell you what they do but only someone else will tell you how much he’s worth.
10. Talk it Up/Be Social. Want to have a bad time. Sit is your little corner and watch. Instead, share your ideas and thoughts. You might be surprised that the guy on the other end of your conversation is just the person to answer your question or solve your problem. What I took away from TRAFFIC was mostly gathered from talking to people before, during, and after the events. The events were OK but the people attending them were a bevy of information. Utilize it. You only get to see them a few times a year and when you meet a nice person face to face it’s easier to share. I couldn’t believe how nice everyone was at the conference and how helpful. I think I only met one person at these conferences that could care less if I was there but that’s a different story. 2019- And I’ve since told the story of who that person was. And it turned out to be a group not just one person.
Make sure to click on the names to see the current price and to help DSAD continue writing each day.
Quote of the Day: “It’s not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It’s our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.” – L.R. Knost
Domain of the Day: CannaCash.com A huge problem for the marijuana is the inability to use credit because credit card companies still consider canna illegal since it is on a national level. Canna Cash could be a new token system to facilitate payments
Namejet, Sedo, and other Names Up for Auction
UML.com Great letters and looks like its going to meet reserve
Zoopel.com Has one bid at Sedo’s expiring auction. One of those names you park at Afternic at see it it moves
EZZZ.com Absolutely a collectible since I can’t think of one Western name that would fit these letters
Jeld.com Pretty strong pronounceable 4L.com for under $1000
WHIC.com I have no problem buying LLLL.com that are at auction from domain investors. Some think they wouldn’t sell them if they received bids but I know from first hand knowledge that I get bids on names years after I sold them and they are for a whole lot more than I sold them for at auction
Grandpa.org Org works very well with .org
RacingConcepts.com Love the name. So many different uses from real racing to just making your car fast or cool looking. Under $80 at press time
Controversy.org Another one that works for me on dot org. And we know there is plenty of controversy out there in today’s world.
Godaddy Domains With Multiple Bids
Selecao.com Officially means “selection” in Portuguese but the value is that it also is the name of the “Select” league.
Wamed.com The value is if its capitalized WAMed.com as in Washington Med
Madskillz.com The Z makes it cool
888088.com I think this is the most 8s I’ve ever seen on a 5N.com I would guess 10K plus
Dipple.com My favorite name on the Godaddy list
CancerDonation.com A bit generic but good marketing name for an organization trying to raise money for cancer research
NightPlay.com A few books with the name but could be used for a few other things in marketing.
Kahta.com Nice 5L for under $100 at press time
MotoTribe.com People don’t like to use the word gang anymore so they call them Mototribes
StandingCloud.com Bidders like it more than me and I guarantee one of us is right
EnergyScapes.com Landscaping around solar panels is something more and more people are having to do
PetHealth.org Vet med all the way
FLoans.com Could be floans or FLoans. Either way loans are a good CPC for a lead
Godaddy Domains With One or No Bids
LeCoop.com Upgrade name for a variety of places that make make a chicken coop sound fancy
TranceFestival.com Because we know there are plenty of them around the country
ComeGetThis.com Another marketing name for $12
SeedExhange.org There’s actually a giant site and company that does exactly this and I would think they
WangPoo.com Probably a real Chinese name but I think it sounds funny
CompanionX.com I like it as a “dating” website. Do people call Tinder a dating website or a hookup website?
NorthwestSports.com No bids . Upgrade name for a few companies
PetMex.com Petroleum de Mexico or an upgrade for a few more entitles. No bids
PocketLedger.com Sounds like a productivity app
The Rest of the Names With Bids
111165.com
52Framework.com
52zhuti.com
911116.com
980029.com
ACGApp.com
Ailipin.com
AppStock.com
ArmLLC.com
AromatherapyGoddess.com
AspireFitnessClub.com
AubergeMontreal.com
AutoBees.com
BabySuperCenter.com
BeyondTheNet.net
BoxingFutures.com
BoydFamily.com
BrouweriJlane.com
Canevari.com
CCAMedia.com
ChicBuds.com
ClubDeliBros.com
CodyMays.net
CommentsYard.com
Conpasa.org
Creartist.com
CrownRoundtable.org
CruzAuto.com
CYBCity.com
DayuanDizang.com
DazzMotorsports.com
Dovish.com
Ekrep.com
EnvironmentTeam.com
Ever-Ours.com
EZPaynow.com
FeastFood.com
FinancialLiteracyCaribbean.com
fq110.com
Fulailou.com
GamesBotol.com
Giftez.com
GoBundle.com
Guanyinps.com
Gulf22.com
HaimaClan.com
HelloNewyork.us
HemPoilDrops.com
HikingYoga.com
HomesCom.com
HoodSailmakers.com
iHeartPrintAndPlay.com
Iratde.org
JupiterSolutions.com
KintyreWay.com
Kitchen-Bath-Design.com
Kyotan.com
LawyerSupportedMediation.com
LovePhones.com
MaoFans.com
mp3lollipop.com
NiceAirport.net
NimesAirport.com
NMDI.com
OfChoristers.net
OnlyBot.com
Optibody.com
PandoraOlstOre.com
PayItForwardFertility.org
PeoplePath.com
Praerie.com
Quinary.com
RapidHit.com
RisingFroMashesTheMovie.com
RockBoard.com
RodezAirport.com
Shlvfeng.com
SleepMedServices.com
SnowSugar.co
sunadchaclippo.com
Sunkangbei.com
TheBlueOwlSantabarbara.com
TheGoodNeighborhood.com
Tieqi5.com
UnionsquareAwards.org
Unixro.net
Uricmpr.com
SWGlobal.com
v5fc.com
VapourTech.com
WatchingForRocks.com
WhiteLionsPride.com
WLDG.com
WorkerMall.com
WWQW.com
xlyigou.com
Yaku5.com
Very good post Shane.
But I really would consider dropping the use of an “Irish Car Bomb” (in No.2 point) albeit in humour. Many people were killed and seriously maimed by such terrorist Car Bomb tactics over 30 years both in Ireland and the UK. I’m guessing unless somebody grew up in that environment they would have no idea how insensitive the use of such a phrase would be.
Best regards.