For several years now domain investors have gathered in a handful of local cities or regions for occasional meetups. High tech hotspots like South Florida, Southern California and Seattle are among the very few areas where the valuable local level networking opportunities have existed. Now, a group of South Florida Domain Pros (SFDP) has decided it is time to take it to the next level by forming a formally structured professional trade association for their region. 

Think what a shot in the arm it would be for the domain industry it would be if every notable city or region had such an organization - a high visibility community based group where local investors, businesses and media outlets could find out everything thing wanted and needed to know about domains from industry professionals in their own back yard. The SFDP effort, which they believe is the first of its kind, is being spearheaded by three domain business veterans - high-end domain broker Scott Ross, Senior Domain Broker Tracy Fogarty from DomainHoldings.com and Above.com's Victor Pitts. They hope to make this model a reality and, if all goes well, see it duplicated around the world.

(L to R): Scott Ross, Tracy Fogarty and Victor Pitts 
are getting the ball rolling for South Florida Domain Pros.

A press release from the SFDP said the group has "designs on regionalizing channels of commerce, leveraging leadership and adopting voluntary standards of professional conduct for professional domain investors, sellers and vendors servicing the trade. If the model unfolds successfully in South Florida, it becomes a scalable blueprint for other regions to adopt, giving voice and stature to an industry that otherwise struggles to be heard."

Co-organizer Scott Ross affirmed, “That’s the end game. United, the domain industry gains a stronger, more respectable commercial presence and political foothold; and speaks louder when and where it matters most. It’s the power of one.  Victor, Tracy and I are the founding caretakers, that’s all. We’re laying out a vision of what we believe is possible and doing the grunt work to create structure, governance, membership programming and a vision statement. As the organization takes root, association members will elect officers and a governing board." 

The South Florida Domain Professionals launch event will be held next Wednesday evening (May 14, 2014). It will begin at 6:30pm with cocktails and dinner at Callaro’s Steak House in downtown Lake Worth, Florida, an oceanside community in Palm Beach County. After dinner, the party unbuttons at the neighboring Propaganda music venue, with live performances from Hi-Fi Gemini (featuring Delray Beach domain pro Rick Waters) and rapidly rising Nashville based rock trio bree, featuring Domain Hall of Famer David Castello on drums, providing the backbeat for his wife singer/lead guitarist, Bree Castello. You can sign up to attend Wednesday night's event (an RSVP is required) at the SFDP website.
Bree and David’s Lake Worth appearance is a stop on their five-month national tour that just got underway Tuesday night (May 6) in Birmingham, Alabama. While you are registering for Wednesday night's event at the SFDP website, be sure to check out the home page video they produced to drum up even more excitement for the group's outing at the bree concert.

The Lake Worth charter membership event is the first of four planned quarterly events and outings intended to tighten relationships between members, open channels of cooperation and commerce, and advance the organization’s core objectives. Individual membership in the organization is open to all qualifying Florida domain professionals and Florida-based company executives and those who attend the Lake Worth event will qualify for a special charter membership rate. Future quarterly events and outings, including meals, will be provided to members at no cost.