NamesCon is the domain industry’s premier event where the industry gathers to learn and do a lot of business with one another. I’ve lost count of the number of different conferences I’ve attend over the years and I’ve found there are some techniques that I’ve found really useful in getting the most from them.

I would like to thank NamesCon for the generous offer of a 20% discount off the going rate to WhizzbangsBlog readers. All you need to do is click on the above banner to get the discounted registration rate.

1. Have a clear objective
Don’t attend NamesCon because it’s a great event for parties (they are great!) but attend because you have a clear business objective in mind. It could be you want to achieve a certain amount of domain sales, buy a portfolio, meet specific people or take your registrar account manager out for dinner to thank them for a job well done. Whatever your objective is, write it down and hold yourself accountable to it at the end of the conference.

2. Attendee List
Download the NamesCon App and check out the attendee list. Reach out to  people you want to meet with and with any luck you’ll get a response.

3. Check out the sessions
I know that many people act like they are almost proud of not attending sessions but there’s some really good sessions that shouldn’t be missed. For instance, I’ve been asked to do one of the keynotes (shameless plug) this year and I will literally being putting days of work pulling data together to ensure that its valuable for NamesCon attendees. So always check the agenda and ensure you schedule sessions your interest you in.

4. Your Schedule
Whatever you do…..keep a schedule! Every second is precious at NamesCon and it’s regarded as really bad form if you’re late to a meeting. Everyone is busy so if you’re late then it quite often messes up the other persons schedule and they won’t be happy about that.

I’m typically up at 7am each day and after checking emails I’m at a breakfast meeting at 8am. Unless it’s the last night of the conference I don’t stay up later than midnight. I’ve found that it’s very rare that good deals are done after midnight…..especially if the person you’re speaking with has had a few drinks.

5. Time Zones
Managing time zones for a conference with people flying in from all over the world can be a little daunting. There is ONLY one time zone and that’s the time zone for the conference and in this case it’s Austin, Texas. In Outlook there’s a really good feature where you can turn on another time zone in calendar to help get over the trauma of having 2am meetings in your local time zone!

Thank goodness, my brain has finally caught up with my body after NamesCon. The twenty-four plus hour journey from Vegas flying in a tin can at nearly 40,000 feet is more something to be endured rather than enjoyed. During my time of Internet withdrawal (there isn’t any on the planes across the Pacific) I pondered the question, “Was NamesCon worth it?”

If you judge NamesCon on parties and having a big crowd of like-minded people in one location then you would have to emphatically answer, “Yes”. But NamesCon is more than these two things, for me, it’s was all about business, deal making and getting the roadmap for the year ahead.

You see, the right people were at the right location at the right time and this meant that every conversation became even better than the last. There was a “let’s do a deal” mentality that made it feel like opportunities were falling from the sky….which was quite an achievement since we were all inside.

As many readers know, one of the last things I like doing before I board a flight is to write a blog that I’m on my way. So once again I find myself in the Melbourne Qantas Club but unlike the majority of my trips, this time I’m not alone.

It just so happens I have both Danny and Laci from ParkLogic with me and they have managed to lighten the mood considerably. There’s nothing quite like having a couple of friends that you’ve been working with for over a decade travel with you.

So why are we heading to NamesCon? The simple answer is because everyone that is anyone will be there. I for a fact know that there are an incredible number of industry luminaries flying in from all over the world and they’re all attending because they want to do deals. Sounds good to me.

The question we really need to be asking is what happens in Vegas when you have nearly a thousand incredibly jetlagged individuals all in one place? The only answer to this has to be, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!”

It’s less than a week until NamesCon and I find myself ticking off items on the “todo list”. There’s nothing quite like a big tick next to an item you’ve been working on for the past few weeks.

If you want to attend NamesCon and don’t have a ticket, then here’s something just for you! The ICU registry is giving away two VIP passes to NamesCon. All you have to do is play their slot-machine by going to slotmachine.icu It certainly put me in the Vegas frame of mind 😉

There’s going to be three of us from ParkLogic this time as we have a booth (number 17). Danny Cron who heads up our technical development team is helping to man the booth with Laci (pronounced Lotsi) who plays the role of inhouse DBA and operations.

If you have any questions about how ParkLogic operates or how the platform can benefit your traffic monetization, then Danny and Laci are the guys to speak to. Both would love to catch-up with you so please don’t be a stranger and drop by booth 17. I would also recommend reaching out on the NamesCon App to book a time with either of them.

NamesCon has become the domain industry’s premier conference and without a doubt the place to be if you want to do business in the domain industry. A conference like NamesCon can be a little daunting at first and getting the most out of the event is often the result of good planning rather than luck.

I thought I’d share with you how I approach NamesCon and get the most bang for effort.

1. Have a clear objective in mind. Sometimes this can be to collect information, meet certain people or make a particular deal. Whatever it is make sure that it’s top of your mind.
    
2. Check out the agenda and lock in all sessions that you want to attend. With the calibre of speakers at this years NamesCon, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are quite a number that will add value to your business.
    
3. Check the attendee list on the NamesCon App. Make appointments with people you’re wanting to catch-up with well beforehand. Don’t just “wing it” as everyone is busy at NamesCon and you may discover that the person whom you are wanting to meet has a full diary. They aren’t blowing you off….it’s the reality of a conference.
    
4. I typically get up at around 7am for a breakfast meeting at 8am. I then schedule meetings every hour in the time zone of the conference….this is REALLY IMPORTANT! Since people are flying in from all over the world there is only one time zone that matters…the conference time zone. So get familiar with scheduling meetings outside of your local time zone.
    
5. Typically speaking the registration desk is the only place that is fixed and always present at a conference. Logically, it becomes the default meeting point. I recently had someone say, “Let’s meet at the Tropicana”. Awesome! Where???? It’s a big hotel. Don’t mess up meetings by not being clear where you should meet.