Big Changes in Store for September Domain Summit in London as Show Begins Global Expansion in a New Venue With Geo Tailored Content

By Ron Jackson

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 Center 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."

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."

"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."

"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."

"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."