About 600 people attended last weeks DOMAINfest conference in Santa Monica. While down from previous years 700 attendees, it still makes it the largest conference in the domain name industry
Heres why I think attendance was down by about a hundred1. Still sick from last year
Hey, the memories of last years sickness that afflicted 100+ people is still strong. Even though it could have happened at any event, Im sure it left a sour taste in some peoples mouths
Attendance effect: -202. Waitno Playboy party?
Some people just cant get enough of the Playboy Mansion. Although this years conference still had Playmates, it may not have been enough to make up for not getting to puke into a portable toilet at Hughs house
Attendance effect: -253. Wheres Monte?
OK, Ill bring it up because other people have. And because it certainly had some effect
Attendance effect: -154. 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: -395. 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 dont know about a third of the people at a domain conference, this year I dont know 70% of them
This is a good thing. More people are being brought into the fold.
