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Not
only that, he revealed a different
approach to content for the Domain Summit
conferences, one the aims to have around 90% of
the speakers come from the region each conference in
located in. Things have changed at dizzying speed since the curtain went down on last year's event at
the London Hilton Metropole, so it was clearly
time to catch up with Helmuts again. My first question
was why the 2025 Summit is moving to London's historic Business Design Centre (a building
that has been proudly standing and serving the city's creative community since 1861)?
"The
last two Summits were held at the Metropole in August
each year," Helmuts began, "however September is
a much busier month than August and to be
able to secure ballrooms for September they asked
us to pre-book 400 rooms. That wasn’t
negotiable, in fact - impossible to accomplish at this
stage of our growth when costs like these don't fit
the structure of our event." (Editor's
note: Domain Summit charges the lowest ticket
prices of any large scale event for the domain
services and investment sector. Tickets
for the 2025 Summit are just $50 - an
exceptional bargain made possible by generous sponsors
who are willing to make up the difference and assure
that anyone who wants to come can afford it). Helmuts
added, "The Hilton Metropole venue team I worked
with previously was no longer there, so the continuity
was lost as well. We needed a new home with more
flexibility and less upfront risk. The Business
Design Centre gives us that. It’s centrally
located, well laid out and easily fits in 500
people, allowing us to run things the way we need
to."
Above:
The new home for Domain Summit 2025 - the Business
Design Centre in London.
Below:
An inside view of the two-level exhibition hall,
looking down on the main floor from level 2.
Above:
Domain Summit Founder Helmuts Meskonis on a
scouting mission to London's
Business Domain Centre while looking for the kind of
venue he wanted for the 2025 Summit.
Helmuts
will obviously have a much better feel for the new venue after
running Domain Summit 2025 there September 2
& 3. If it proves to be anything but a perfect
fit, he already had options in mind for the years to
come. "I’ve recently reconnected with Hilton
(on the managerial level) and we could return there in
2026 - and potentially with one or two of their
largest ballrooms," Helmuts told us.
"Alternatively, Domain Summit Europe might
move to another European capital. We’ve received
some very strong proposals - early-stage, but serious
enough to be considered. The future for Domain Summit
Europe is very bright!"
Which begs the next question - Domain Summit has drawn
many Europeans to London for their previous events, so
what went into the decision to take that up a notch by
adding "Europe" to the Domain Summit name for a
UK based event? "It’s part of an earlier plan
with a road map leading to going global,"
Helmuts said. "This September is Domain Summit
Europe. February 2026 there will be Domain
Summit Africa in a 5-star Villa Rosa Kempinski
in Nairobi, Kenya with KeNIC (the .ke
ccTLD registry) co-hosting there. Asia and America
will follow. Each Summit will serve the local
market with similar structure, though with
its own voice, local partners and dynamic."
"For
Asia, we’re working closely with Jack Dai
of DN.com
as ideal co-hosts for Domain Summit Asia,
and Edmon Chong, the CEO of .Asia
has promised all the
"on-ground" support for the event
(we negotiated broad details of this
during the recent ICANN meeting in San Juan,
Puerto Rico). While the terms are not
finalized yet, Jack has already found a real gem
- a stunning venue just outside Hong Kong
- something that will impress even the most
seasoned domain industry executive (both Web2
and Web3)," Helmuts declared.
Above
left: Helmuts meeting with .Asia CEO Edmon Chung in
San Juan. At right: Helmuts chatting
with DN.com Founder & CEO Jack Dai at the
airport after the recent ICANN meeting in Prague.
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Helmuts
Meskonis welcoming at attendees at the
2024
Domain Summit in London (Photo credit:
Rina Rock/.One) |
"For
America, I can’t disclose the city
just yet. So far I have failed twice coming to
the USA. The doers never give up - do we!?
Now, I have found a perfect local partner
for it! What I can say: it is planned
for 2027, it won’t be Las Vegas or
Miami. And we’ve carefully scheduled it not
to overlap or compete with existing public or
members-only industry events. That’s intentional
- I want to add value, not step on
anyone's toes, as it simply isn't
cool. One event that needs more eyeballs is
the one organized by Ish Milly and I am
planning on attending his next event and will
provide full informational support with our
forums."
I
mentioned above that Helmuts would like to have about
90% of speakers at each conference be form those based
in the region. That's a tough target to hit but he
thinks it is important to aim for. "I attend a
lot of events globally (sometimes I feel I'm spending
more time at conferences than in my Maidstone office!)
and one thing stands out: international
attendees want to understand the region they’re
visiting from a business perspective. It’s not
enough to just bring in global speakers - you need
local context."
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"So,
with Domain Summit Europe, I have this vision of
building a speaker lineup that helps people understand
how the European domain name industry works:
its market dynamics, legal frameworks, cultural
nuances, and the business opportunities across the
continent. Also, you should expect meeting
the European leaders here. The same logic
applies to our other Summits. In Africa, the majority
of the speakers will be from Africa (with a
couple exceptions of our Global Partners, of
course, without whom these Summits simply wouldn't be
possible). For me, this is the only way to create
relevant value and lay the foundation for strong,
unique and valuable local events. In Asia,
we’re planning 90% local speakers as well. America
will be the same, with 90% of the speakers from South
and North Americas."
For
a show designed Domain Summit Europe, a strong
focus on ccTLDs would be expected and Helmuts
assures that will be the case. "Yes, definitely.
ccTLDs play a central role in the European
domain landscape. Many serious European domain
investors hold between 10,000 and 50,000 local
ccTLD names - some portfolios even exceed 100,000.
While .com remains the king, including here in
Europe (and is still the most profitable by far), the
local ccTLD market is very active. That said, ccTLDs
tend to move much slower and with smaller margins but demand
for strong geo-targeted names + local SEO domains,
especially in sectors like legal, finance, and
services, is high."
Now
that we have a fresh overview of the direction Domain
Summit is going and know from the event's past that it
is a good bet to deliver on its vision, let's drill down to the
specifics about the upcoming Domain Summit Europe
2025 in London. What is in store for attendees?
"Things
kick off on September 1st with a pre-show,
private group visit to the Team Internet Group office,
where Michael Riedl (CEO of Team Internet
Group) will personally host around 50 attendees,"
Helmuts began. "The same evening, we’re
planning a "Wow" networking drinks event
for 200 people. I can’t share details just yet -
we’re in discussions with a potential sponsor that
operates a gTLD. If approved, it’ll be a standout
activation - unique, high-impact, and fully aligned
with their brand."
Team
Internet Group CEO Michael Riedl, seen above giving a keynote address at the
2024 Domain Summit, will again host a pre-show
get together at the company's
London headquarters on September 1, 2025,
(Photo: Rina Rock/.One).
"September
2nd and 3rd are the core event days at the
Business Design Centre. There will be a large
networking area, a strong exhibitor zone and two
content stages with valuable 20-minute sessions
prepared for professionals across every corner of the
domain industry - registries, registrars, aftermarket,
legal, DNS, startups, and investors. Outside the
venue, the surrounding area is like a dream:
packed with small to large cafes, restaurants, and
pubs - perfect for spontaneous meetings, quiet
deal-making, and informal catchups. A number of
private dinners are already in planning," Helmuts
said.
"On September 4th, we’re working on a guided
London tour for attendees staying an extra day.
Sponsorship for this is still pending, so I can’t
officially confirm it yet - but if it comes together,
it’ll offer a relaxed, valuable wind-down after the
core event."
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Above,
I noted Domain Summit tickets at $50 are one
of the industry's best bargains. I asked
Helmuts about why the cost is so much lower
than stateside events and how he can offer
them at that level. "Europe is unique
in the domain industry," Helmuts
noted, "We’re really spoiled here -
many ccTLDs organize well-funded, high-quality
events for free. These are often annual
gatherings hosted by established and
financially stable ccTLD operators for their
registrars, resellers, and friends. That’s
the norm. Every month there are small to
medium size events that our industry attend
and, most are free, though they are also
usually invitation based." |
Image
from Bigstock |
"Imagine
if the USA states like Texas, California,
Montana or Florida had their own
ccTLDs and organized local events - Europe is a
completely different ecosystem. In the USA, people
often assume that a free or cheap event means low
quality. In Europe, it’s the opposite.
Charging high ticket prices is difficult here,
culturally and practically."
Helmuts added, "My initial goal is to grow Domain
Summit Europe to around 2,500 attendees. At
that level, I expect 90% of the tickets to be free.
A few weeks ago, I dropped the ticket price back down
to the early-bird rate of $50. That’s what the
market here responds to, and it opens doors for the
next generation of professionals. Ultimate goal? a
10,000+
event in Europe."
Since less revenue is taken in at the gate, sponsors
play at outsized role in making an event like Domain
Summit work. Helmuts has made some changes on that
front as well. "This year we’ve simplified the
model: we have Global Partners and exhibitors,"
Helmuts said. "No layered sponsorship tiers, no
last-minute add-ons. That structure saves time,
reduces admin, and gives clear visibility into which
companies are making serious moves in the
industry. The past two years I spent a lot of time chasing
small sponsorships - too much time, frankly - and
in 2024 I had to cover part of the event with my own
funds. This year is different. The Global Partners
cover core costs at a fixed per-event rate. Everyone
else exhibits. This model also sends a signal - if you
see a brand in the Global Partner list, they’re
aiming for leadership in their category."
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"Our
confirmed Global Partners are:"
1) it.com
Domains - they continue promoting
and use of .it.com subdomains, but more importantly, they’re
now publicly offering backend gTLD services.
This move has been in the works for years - Andrey
Insarov always had it on the
roadmap, though most people didn’t see it
coming.
2) Freename
- One of the key players and leaders in the Web3
space. The competition there is fierce, which
is exactly why the products are evolving so
fast. From an end-user side, this level of
innovation benefits us all (including me).
3) Site.pro
- an established, solid and trusted white-label
website builder that’s now introducing
real AI into its product. Their newest
focus is practical "ai" (LLM, in
essence) - helping users build
production-ready websites, not just
prototypes. They’re quietly becoming a solid
partner for hosting platforms looking to offer
more value. And, besides their great
product, the pricing is more than just
competitive."
Helmuts
said he would like to add two more
Global Partners, so feel free to contact
him if this is something you would
like to explore for your company. |
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"We’re
also in discussions for sponsorship of specific
activities - for example, coffee sponsorship, lunch
sponsorship, etc. Since the Business Design Centre isn’t
a hotel, there’s no built-in free food, so these are
great opportunities for visibility with high foot
traffic," Helmuts noted.
"On the exhibitor side, we’ve confirmed
companies like Sedo, Open-Xchange,
Above.com, 10Web, Fruits.co,
Nicky and more are coming onboard. We’re
expecting a diverse mix of service providers - from
marketplaces and registrars to DNS, cloud, and AI
tooling companies."
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While he has made
great strides since launching Domain Summit,
Helmuts admitted that his obsession
with making it a success and dealing with the
occasional expensive mistakes that all
entrepreneurs make, left him feeling a bit
weary. However, he soon found new sources
of inspiration that showed him what is
possible and strengthened his determination
to take Domain Summit into an even
higher orbit. "After attending beyond
amazing events like Cloudfest in Rust,
Germany (with 10,000 IT people), I
started attending a number of closed and
private events that are designed for professional
event organizers. A large percentage of
the top-tier events companies are actually
based here in the UK. They live what I
preach - you can't network and grow on X,
Clubhouse or Linkedin groups. In-person
events are crucial for growing your business
and finding those c-level relationships,"
Helmuts declared.
His dream now is to create four major
domain name events that will span the globe.
In
closing, Helmuts said, "I’m loyal to
events that generate real business for the
industry, and gentlemen-like professionals.
I am committed |
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to
growing Domain Summit in a way that helps
everyone involved - sponsors, exhibitors,
speakers, and attendees. Connecting people is
my fetish and watching deals happen at
these events is what keeps me going.
It’s a lot of work, but seeing those
connections form is what makes it all worthwhile!" |
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