TRAFFIC 2012 – First impressions

Driving to Ft. Lauderdale for TRAFFIC 2012 from Orlando yesterday, took the same amount of time as if I had flown to New York. Experiencing the attitude and temper of Latina drivers doing 90mph a few feet behind you, is a mind-boggling display of road rage.

The cabana networking was probably the best ice-breaker session in years.

Everyone dressed in shorts and shirts suitable for the warm and humid Florida weather. It was great meeting with old friends for the first time.

Adam Dicker of DNForum gave me one heck of a bear hug that Canadians are famous for. It felt amazing to finally meet the owner of the forum I’ve spent a decade at. Adam is a straight shooter and does not appreciate bullshit.

Morgan Linton and his wife Daina introduced me to their business, and I can only say that Fashion Metric will blast off the charts once it goes live, what with some very solid funding it retains.

Donny Simonton of VooDoo.com discussed the “good times” and “fun times” of Parked, and how the PPC focus has changed. Donny has some pleasant surprises up his sleeve for current and future users of VooDoo.com so go sign up.

Sedo arrived with some familiar faces and some new ones that I enjoyed talking to. They are one of the few large companies in the domain industry that actually listen to the feedback of their customers and power users.

While yesterday was a casual meet-up, today’s private meeting allowed me to present a list of strategies and improvements that will increase the seller’s revenue, while stream-lining the selling platform. Stay tuned for better times at ye olde German-owned corporation!

The night’s parties were definitely energetic, dynamic and a great opportunity to chat with everyone else who held a drink.

NameJet’s party, originally planned for 30 RSVP’ed people, was literally crashed by up to 100 TRAFFIC participants. Matt Overman did a great job and provided great hosting and scrumptious food. Matt’s probably the tallest domain personality these days, dwarfing my 6ft 2″ stature.

The crowds moved on to the Afternic party, an event that was full of ambient sound in a space that allowed for meaningful conversations.

I was floored by the kind, gracious and supportive remarks for what I do through this blog and at DomainGang.com. Although this year I am at TRAFFIC to promote my personal web & graphics development business, I was very pleased to hear the commentary about DomainGang; a repository of fun, funny and serious content.

I wish I had recorded the moment that Frank Schilling thanked me for what I’ve been doing all along, for an industry that requires deviation from its own seriousness. Further sharing a quiet conversation with Frank, allowed me to present several key points that will assist improving what is already a remarkable parking and selling platform, InternetTraffic.com. Frank showed me the features of the new application for the platform, and witnessed him communicate in real time with a negotiated sale. All I have to say is, the type and amount of features present in that iPhone app are remarkable, well worth getting an iPhone just to be able to use the app!

Today’s morning was marked by thunderous weather, which did not affect the energy of anyone; the morning sessions started with breakfast and the public humiliation of the Complainant in the SaveMe.com case. Let’s just say that Rick Schwartz takes no prisoners.

The exhibits were low key, with Above.com, Afternic and ParkLogic having the largest displays. GoDaddy’s presence was underwhelming, but the energy emerging among the participants was clearly evident.

The live auction at 3:00pm will offer the opportunity to bid on domains with low or no reserves for the first time; the speed networking session that will follow will allow everyone the chance to meet with peers sharing common goals.

A big thank you goes to domain investor, KW Boswell, whose kind words of honest appreciation provided me with plenty of ego-stroking feedback about DomainGang and Acro.net.