Fewer people turn out to this year’s event but it remains the industry’s biggest conference.
About 600 people attended last week’s DOMAINfest conference in Santa Monica. While down from previous years’ 700 attendees, it still makes it the largest conference in the domain name industry.
Here’s why I think attendance was down by about a hundred…
1. Still sick from last year.
Hey, the memories of last year’s sickness that afflicted 100+ people is still strong. Even though it could have happened at any event, I’m sure it left a sour taste in some people’s mouths.
Attendance effect: -20
2. Wait…no Playboy party?
Some people just can’t get enough of the Playboy Mansion. Although this year’s conference still had Playmates, it may not have been enough to make up for not getting to puke into a portable toilet at Hugh’s house.
Attendance effect: -25
3. Where’s Monte?
OK, I’ll bring it up because other people have. And because it certainly had some effect.
Attendance effect: -15
4. Domain parking still falling (despite some new faces here)
There are some new faces at the conference. In fact, a lot of them. But falling revenues certainly takes out a chunk of would-be attendees.
Attendance effect: -39
5. Some blogger from New York thought it would be OK to leave his 8-month-pregnant wife to go to DOMAINfest in California. He was mistaken.
Attendance affect: -1
OK, in all seriousness, the one observation I heard over and over at the conference was: man, there are a lot of new faces here. One person told me “while I usually don’t know about a third of the people at a domain conference, this year I don’t know 70% of them”.
This is a good thing. More people are being brought into the fold.
Adam says
what do these people do. If they are employees they just add to that sucking noise you heard at the show.