Today in The Lowdown: DOMAINfest Global 2012 is now history. The 6th annual show concluded in Santa Monica with a farewell breakfast Friday morning that followed Thursday night's grand finale at the House of Blues in Hollywood. We have exclusive closing day photos and highlights for you. 

The State of the Industry January 2012: 15 Industry Experts On 2011's Most Important Trends and Their Forecast for the Year Ahead

For the 8th consecutive year, we are kicking off the New Year with our annual State of the Industry Cover Story, an endeavor that brings together experts and company leaders from across the industry to get their thoughts on the key trends of the past year and what they believe is in store in the year ahead. 

For 2012 we have gathered 15 top executives, investors, developers and attorneys to share their thoughts. As we do each year, we have assembled a panel that features both esteemed experts who have shared their wisdom with us in the past and new contributors (a half dozen of them this time around) that bring unique insights of their own. 

Full Story Here

 Image: Master isolated images / 
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

By Ron Jackson

When I got an email from Chicago.com owner Josh Metnick with a subject line that said "Something amazing is happening" I naturally sat up and took notice. Not only is Josh a giant in the geodomain space, he is not a guy who is given to hyperbole. Josh wanted to get on the phone to tell me all about it and he did indeed have an amazing story to tell - one that will be music to the ears of owners of top tier .com domain names - especially (but not limited to) geodomains. 

Metnick accidentally discovered that individuals and companies were willing to pay far more than he (or you and I) would have ever dreamed for memorable email addresses that identify where they live and do business - in his case Chicago. As the owner of Chicago.com Metnick found that he had just what they were looking for. 

Metnick shared his discovery with fellow industry heavyweight Ammar Kubba,  the CEO and a principle in Thought Convergence, Inc., whose portfolio of well-known companies includes TrafficZ, Aftermarket.com and DomainTools.com. Kubba said, "Josh mentioned some preliminary numbers and projections, and I thought that he was crazy...but then we talked some more and I started to see the light." Kubba decided he wanted in. The two formed a new company @Identity LLC, to build a platform enabling themselves and owners of other premier domains to tap this promising new source of revenue.    Click here for Full Story 

Josh Metnick
Co-Founder, @Identity LLC

The GeoPublishers.com Expo Makes Its First Appearance on the GeoDomain Stage With an All-Star Cast in Chicago 

By Ron Jackson

The first ever GeoPublishers.com Expo was held Sept. 30 - Oct. 2, 2011 at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago with some of the world's top geodomain owners on hand for the inaugural event. This show followed in the footsteps of the popular GeoDomain Expos that were staged by Associated Cities before that groundbreaking organization was sidetracked by irreconcilable differences among some of its founders.

Many former AC members were involved in putting together the new group and its conference, an event that impressed with exceptionally strong programming and a first rate venue in a great city. Here is our wire to wire coverage of what went down in the Windy City.    

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