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Welcome to the The
Lowdown from
DN Journal - your source for notable news
and information from all corners of the global
domain name
industry!
The Lowdown
is compiled by DN Journal
Editor & Publisher Ron Jackson. |
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Mystery
of UFO Seen Over Dubai During 2024 Domain
Days Conference Solved - Mark This One Up to Sedo! |
Mark
"Mr. Premium" Ghoriafi (who we
profiled in an October 2023 article)
made an immediate impression on me the first
time we met 10 years ago. He had just entered the
domain business with .CLUB and showed a fearless
flair for creative marketing (if you have been
around the industry for awhile you likely caught
him dressed as .CLUB's Superman, cape and
all, at major conferences). As we noted in our
story last year, Mark's promotional pizazz
came to the fore years earlier when he traveled
the pro wrestling circuit with sports
entertainment giant WWE, also in the role
of a superhero. I
was starting to believe Mark could actually fly
and after his latest stunt, this time in his
current role as a Premium Broker with Sedo,
I'm sure of it! If you follow our sales charts,
you know Mark's transactions frequently soar to
the top (his $500,000 sale of Bagels.com
earlier this year being a prime example). The
thing that confirmed my suspicion that he could
defy gravity, happened at the recently concluded 2024
Domain Days Dubai conference. Mark was
there to represent Sedo as a featured speaker but,
as usual, he had an even bigger
|
Mark Ghoriafi
Sedo
Premium Broker
|
idea in mind
- one
meant to show everyone in Dubai and
around the world
just how far he and his company are willing to go
bring attention to premium domains people want to
sell or acquire. At this point - words no longer
suffice, so I'll just let you see it for yourself!
|
(Posted
Nov. 11, 2024) To refer others to the post
above only (and not the full Lowdown
column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2024/dailyposts/1114.htm
*****
|
Editor's
note: Our complete review of the
Domain Days Dubai 2024 conference has now
been published in a Home Page Feature Story. Read
it here - The
Definitive Domain Days Dubai 2024 Review - An
Hour By Hour Look at How Organizers Dazzled
Attendees From Around the World |
Domain
Days Dubai 2024 Wraps Up an Energizing Two
Day Run - Here Are Some Early Highlights from the
Big Event |
As I
write this at 2pm Wednesday, November 6, the 2024
Domain
Days Dubai (DDD) conference was
entering the final minutes of a VIP evening Yacht
Cruise that brought the curtain down on the second
annual event at the Marriott
Resort Palm Jumeirah (it is 9 hours later in Dubai
than here). Founder
Munir Badr (also the Founder of AEServer.com),
created DDD to serve domain investors, registrars,
registries, monetization & traffic companies,
Web 3 domains, hosting & cloud providers, SaaS,
and industry enthusiasts based in the Middle
East & Africa (MEA) region. However,
players in those fields from around the world were
also immediately attracted to the event to make
connections in that rapidly growing market. The
inaugural edition last year drew raves reviews,
resulting in huge jumps in both attendance and sponsorships
this year. While the two-day 2024 event is just
winding up it is already being praised in social
media posts by attendees. |
Above
(left to right): Helmuts Meskonis (DomainSummit.com),
Jack Dai (DN.com) and Domain Days
Dubai Founder Munir Badr at the
entrance to the 2024 edition of DDD. The
number of sponsors for this year's event doubled
to more than 40 with DN.com among them.
Photo Credit: DN.com |
|
We
selected a few photos from those to give you an
early inside look at some of the activity at DDD. We
will soon be getting professional photos from the
event and will be putting together a comprehensive
review of Domain Days Dubai 2024 that we expect to
publish early next week.
Above:
After Munir Badr and conference moderator
James Williams (MrConnectivity) welcomed the
crowd Tuesday morning, Nov. 5, 2024, Dr. Marwan
Alzarouni (CEO, Al Dubai Dept. of Economy &
Tourism & CEO, Dubai Blockchain Center)
delivered the Official Keynote address. Dr.
Alzarouni discussed Digital Dubai, AI &
Cyber Security in Dubai. (Photo credit:
Domain Days Dubai Below:
Ten business sessions followed Tuesday including Champions
of DNS: Women Pioneers and Innovators that
was one of the highlights from the morning sessions.
It featured (left to fight) Moderator Tess Diaz
(.it.com), Kamila Sekiewicz (Internet
Commerce Association), Selina Bieber (GoDaddy
Corporate Domains) and Natalija Japerte (it.com
Domains). (Photo credit: Natalija Japerte)
Above:
The busy slate of sessions after lunch Tuesday
included Aftermarket Insights: Real Data &
Statistics from MEA and Beyond. The
panelists (left to right) were: Braden Pollock,
at podium, (LegalBrandMarketing.com) Adel
alTerkait (Domain Name Investor, DALLAL.com),
Ayoub Kehel ( Founder, ArabDomainAcademy.com), Monte
Cahn (President, RightOfTheDot.com) and Giuseppe
Graziano (GGRG.com).
Below: All of the sessions drew a crowd at DDD 2024.
(Photo credits above and below: Helmiuts Meskonis/DNFourm.com)
Above:
Also on opening day Tuesday afternoon, Sedo Premium
Broker Mark Ghorafi (left) and Sedo Senior
Broker Dave Evanson (center), with Moderator James
Williams, provided advice on Navigating
Tough Cross-Border Negotiations: Buyers, Sellers and
Their Differences.
(Photo Credit: Mark Ghoriafi)
Above:
InterNetX CEO Elias Rendon Benger (left)
meets with Munir Badr just before Elias took
the stage for the session show below that closed the
opening day business schedule. This look at Future
Horizons: AI, Web3 and New Domains featured
(left to right): Fred Hsu (CEO, D3), Darpan
Munjal (Founder & CEO, Atom.com), Elias
Rendon Benger and Dr. Kimberly Darwin (Senior
Corporate Services Executive, 101Domain.com). (Photo
Credits: Above & Below - InterNetX)
Above:
Since the closing day two at Domain Days Dubai just
concluded, few photos have been posted online about
the Wednesday activities yet, but Sandy Carter,
the COO at Unstoppable Domains, did put up
this shot from the first major online domain
auction staged in the Middle East. DDD teamed up
with Monte Cahn's RightOfTheDot.com
to conduct the sale. The auction will actually be
continuing for another week so you may still
find something you like in the listings.
While
Domain Days Dubai was about business, there was also
plenty of fun thrown into the mix. These
gentlemen were obviously enjoying themselves! Left
to right are Ryan McKegney (DomainAgents.com),
Alpesh Shinde (GoDaddy) Leo Golan, Deepak
Daftari, Nikul Sanghvi and another
friend. (Photo Credit: GoDaddy). Much
more to come on Domain Days Dubai 2024. Keep an eye
out for our full conference review early next week.
|
(Posted
Nov. 6, 2024) To refer others to the post
above only (and not the full Lowdown
column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2024/dailyposts/1106.htm
*****
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Global
Domain Registrations Rose By 3 Million Since Last
Year But New Verisign Report Shows .Com and
.Net Down, ccTLDs and Non .Com gTLDs Up |
VeriSign,
(the administrator of the .com and .net
TLDs) has released their latest quarterly Domain
Name Industry Brief (DNIB) covering
the 3rd quarter of 2024. This update showed
that the total number of domain registrations
across all TLDs worldwide ended the most
recent quarter at 362.3 million. That is a
slight tick down from 362.4 million at the end of
the previous quarter but 3
million domains higher than the number at the
same point a year earlier, representing a 0.8%
year-over-year increase. .Com
remains, by far, the dominant TLD on the Internet
but .com's total number of registrations continued
a recent trend of slipping from the previous year.
With 156.7 million domains at the end of
3Q-2024, .com was down about 4.1 million from the
same point in 2023, a 2.5% decline. .Net
has continued to tread water each year but wound
up with a slight decrease year over year after
shedding about 100,000 domains to come in at 12.9
million at the end of 3Q-2024. |
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ccTLDs finished the latest quarter
with 140.1 million registrations, 2 million
more than a year ago, representing a 1.4%
increase YOY. New gTLDs enjoyed the largest
jump but, being newer, they are of working
from a much smaller user base than the .coms and
ccTLDs. Still, by adding 5.2 million domains
the new Gs hit 35.4 million domains at the
end of 3Q-2024, giving them an
impressive 17.4% increase year over year.
|
(Posted
Nov. 5, 2024) To refer others to the post
above only (and not the full Lowdown
column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2024/dailyposts/1105.htm
*****
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All
Systems Go for Sold Out 2nd Annual Edition of
Domain Days Dubai - Rapidly Growing Event Will
Include Middle East's 1st Major Online
Domain Auction |
Domain
Days Dubai (DDD) made a great
first impression when conference
founder Munir Badr and his team launched
the event in November 2023. So much so that
sponsorships and demand for tickets for the second
edition of the event, coming up November 5 & 6, 2024 at the Marriott
Resort Palm Jumeirah, exploded.
Though seating was expanded, tickets still sold
out over a week ago and sponsorship
participation has doubled. Munir said more
than 40 sponsors are backing the show
this year. The list we saw included it.com Domains,
AEserver, Sedo, RightOfTheDot™, .One Registry, Above.com,
InterNetX, Atom, Unstoppable Domains, the ICA, Radix
(.store), DN.com and ICANN to name just a few. It
is also interesting to note that attendees and
sponsors are coming from all over the world
even though Domain Days Dubai was created to focus
primarily on Domain Investors, Registrars, Registries, Monetization & Traffic, Web 3 Domains, Hosting & Cloud Providers, SaaS, and Industry
Enthusiasts in the Middle East & Africa (MEA) region.
The fact that so many want to interact with
participants in that region is a testament to the tremendous
opportunities for growth there. Another
unmistakable sign that everyone is getting on
board for Domain Days Dubai is a new partnership
the show has with RightOfTheDot.com
(ROTD) to present the first-ever major domain
and digital asset auction in the Middle East.
The auction will be entirely online and timed,
making proxy bidding essential for those in
different time zones. The auction will start with
a curated selection of premium domain names and
Web3 assets that will end on the closing day of
the conference, November 6. Bidding
is open now with lots closing on the
6th from 12:15–1:15PM Dubai Time
(3:15–4:15AM U.S. EST, 12:15–1:15AM U.S. PST).
Additional names will close the over the following
the week. ROTD's
Scott Pruitt told us, "We’re featuring
some premium .AE domains and other Middle
Eastern-themed names in this auction, making it
truly unique. You can register for the
auction and start bidding here,
and download the catalog here." |
Munir
Badr
Domain Days Dubai Founder
|
This year's
list of speakers
is loaded with industry visionaries and thought leaders who will share their insights and expertise across a range of digital topics.
Among those featured on the jam-packed agenda
will be Dr. Marwan Alzarouni, Keynote Speaker and CEO of Dubai Blockchain Center;
Sandy Carter, CEO of Unstoppable Domains; Monte Cahn, President of RightOfTheDot™;
Selina Bieber, VP of International Markets at GoDaddy;
Mark Ghoriafi, Founder of MrPremium.com & Broker at
Sedo.com;
Joe Alagna, CSO at it.com Domains; and Braden
Pollock, a prominent domain name and angel investor
and entrepreneur. Last
year's most popular social event and its grand
finale, the VIP
Yacht Party, will also return under the
sponsorship of it.com Domains and Nova Registry
(.link). The 144-foot Desert Rose mega
yacht will leave the dock at 7pm November 6. This exclusive event is reserved for
VIP badge holders, including sponsors,
partners and top industry executives. The cruise,
with Dubai's stunning skyline as a backdrop,
will be a special opportunity to unwind with colleagues,
make ir strengthen connections and forge deeper
relationships that will be invaluable long after you
leave Dubai. For more information on Domains Day
Dubai visit the conference website here.
|
(Posted
Nov. 1, 2024) To refer others to the post
above only (and not the full Lowdown
column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2024/dailyposts/1101.htm
*****
|
Now
For Something Completely Different - Domain Star
Jen Sale's "Ten With Jen" on YouTube |
It
seems like just about every well-known figure in
the domain industry has their own blog, podcast or
or social media platform. One thing they have all
had in common is a singular focus on domains.
Duh, right? Well, there is one exception
now - all-star broker and Evergreen.com
CEO Jen Sale's refreshing new Ten
With Jen video podcast series on YouTube.
It's domain people but without the domain part! The
vivacious Australian has been a key mover and
shaker in the domain business for close to 15
years now. In addition to handling domain sales
that total well into nine figures, Jen
played an instrumental role in creating the
thriving group for industry women now known as Women
of the Web. It all started when Jen invited a
small group of women to meet in her hotel room.
WOW has since exploded into an essential
organization that meets at the annual NamesCon
conference where Jen's fellow WOW members honored
her in June. Jen's
interests range far beyond the domain world
though - just one example being her co-founding of
GoodJourneying.com,
a site centered on
transformative wellness experiences, health plans,
digital well being, boutique retreats, seminars
and workshops. She is also a devoted traveler
who takes delight in learning everything she can
about the people she meets in far flung places. So,
Jen had a natural desire to learn more
about her many friends in the domain world as well
as a variety of |
Jen
Sale behind the microphone
during a recent episode of Ten With Jen.
|
tech insiders, business leaders
and fascinating folks from all walks of
life. Ten
With Jen is allowing her to do that and,
with domain people serving as her first subjects,
allowing us to tune in and learn
some things we didn't know about our
colleagues.
Her fun-focused approach, boundless curiosity and
unexpected line of questions, coupled with the
brisk 10 minutes (or so) format, makes Ten With
Jen is a tasty treat that even the busiest
people can make time for (however, be forewarned,
the episodes are like eating potato chips, you may
find you can't watch just one).
So
far, Jen has charmed these people into taking a
place on the hot (or at least lukewarm) seat: Jonathan
(JT) Tenenbaum (DomainSherpa.com, Media
Options COO & General Counsel) Braden
Pollock (LegalBrandMarketing.com) Kamila
Sekiewicz (ICA Executive Director) Shane
Cultra (DomainShane.com, DSAD.com, Founder/CEO
of Beehouse Labs) Josh
Reason (Domain Name & Brand Expert,
Josh.co) Ron
Jackson (Editor & Publisher,
DNJournal.com) Leanne
McMahon (Founder, Crunch.id, EU Design
Studio)
Above: Ron
Jackson (DNJournal) ponders a question from Jen
Sale during a recent episode of Ten With
Jen. I was under the impression that none of
the questions would require actual thought!
However, even the ones that seemed easy on the
surface forced you to stop and think a little (I
hate it when that happens)! True to her word though,
Jen made the whole exercise a ton of fun. I'm
not sure domains even came up in the conversation
but we did talk about Muhammad Ali, James Brown, Rod
Stewart, what makes a marriage last, my days in the
military (no one tried to invade the United States
during my tour of duty, something I take full credit
for!), and we even addressed some pressing issues
like "is ham and pineapple acceptable on a
pizza!" If that doesn't make you want to watch
then I don't know what will! If
you don't want to miss an episode (and you
shouldn't) you can make it easy on yourself by
subscribing to the free Ten
With Jen channel at YouTube. We wish our
long-time friend all the best with her new clever
endeavor!
|
(Posted
Oct. 31, 2024) To refer others to the post
above only (and not the full Lowdown
column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2024/dailyposts/1031.htm
*****
|
PIR
Announces .ORG of the Year Award Winner and
Distributes $180,000 in Donations Across 7
Categories |
Public
Interest Registry (PIR), the people
behind the .ORG domain, announced the
winners of the prestigious 2024 .ORG
Impact Awards on October 9th. This 6th
annual celebration recognized and rewarded outstanding
mission-driven individuals and organizations
from around the world for their positive
contributions to society.
The
seven winners – selected from over 1,700
applicants from more than 87 countries
— were announced live at a Washington, D.C.
awards ceremony held at the International Spy
Museum. Alan Cumming, who recently won the
Emmy for Outstanding
Host on the show The Traitors,
hosted this year’s event, where Public |
|
Interest Registry
awarded a total of $180,000 in donations to
organizations from the global .ORG Community
across seven categories:
*Community
Building
*Quality
Education for All
*Environmental
Stewardship |
*Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion
*Health
and Healing
*Hunger
and Poverty |
*Rising
Stars (leaders, under 25, making a
difference in their communities) |
|
In
addition to the category winners, PIR named
Philippines-based nonprofit Yellow
Boat of Hope Foundation the winner of
the coveted .ORG of the Year Award,
recognizing the organization’s work to provide
access to education for children in remote and
poverty-stricken areas by providing boats to
reach their schools.
The
organization started with one yellow boat
that could accommodate 25-30 children. But through
community support, they have grown to over 5,000
yellow boats sailing across the Philippines.
The boats have become a symbol of “Bayanihan”
– a Filipino concept of cooperative giving – and
inspire more community members to get involved by
donating school supplies and even building a new
school for the children.
The
.ORG Impact Award judging panelists were inspired by
how the organization’s work brings the entire
community together to solve a common problem –
which embodies the spirit of the .ORG Impact Awards.
As the 2024 .ORG of the Year, Yellow Boat of Hope
will receive $50,000 in donations.
(Left
to right): PIR President & CEO Jon Nevett,
President, CEO and Co-founder of Yellow Boat
of Hope Foundation, Dr. Anton Mari H. Lim who
accepted the 2024 .ORG of the Year Award, and
Impact Awards Host Alan Cumming.
Jon
Nevett, President and CEO of Public Interest
Registry, said “The winners of the .ORG Impact
Awards are the very best of the .ORG Community
and work tirelessly to create positive change every
day. Public Interest Registry is thrilled to uplift
their efforts and humbled by the work they are doing
to build a bright future for us all. I am especially
honored to celebrate this year’s .ORG of the Year,
Yellow Boat of Hope, for their continued
commitment to education access and ability to
inspire an entire community to come together and
make the world a better place.”
In
the six years since the .ORG Impact Awards first
started, Public Interest Registry has
cumulatively donated $685,000 to .ORGs across the
world. This year is a continuation of PIR’s
ongoing commitment to uplifting the changemakers
making the world a better place.
Alan
Cumming noted, “These organizations
are proof of how the Internet can be used as
a force for good—allowing them to share
their mission with the world, connect with
others, and expand their reach. That’s
what we’re celebrating—the power of this
global community, united by a shared desire
to create a better world.”
In
accepting the award, Dr. Anton Mari H.
Lim, President, CEO and Co-founder of
Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation added,
“Education is a universal right, and
addressing its accessibility is a shared
global responsibility. Humanity will never
progress if we look only after our own
backyards. Accessible, quality education
is key to breaking the cycle of
intergenerational poverty. I dedicate
this award to thousands of Hope Paddlers,
not just in the Philippines, but worldwide.
With hope, the impossible becomes
possible.”
Each of the
seven category winners received a $10,000
donation. The honorees were: |
Image
from Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation |
Community Building: Kiva
- An international nonprofit that expands
financial access to help underserved communities
thrive.
Quality
Education for All: Yellow
Boat of Hope Foundation -
In addition to receiving the awards for .ORG of the
Year, Yellow Boat of Hope is also the winner in the
Quality Education for All category.
Environmental
Stewardship: Share
Our Spare - Share Our Spare is a Chicago
community resource of essentials, education and
advocacy for families living in poverty and the
agencies that serve them.
Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion: The
Center for Courageous Kids - The Center
for Courageous Kids is a not for profit medical camp
facility founded by the late Ms. Elizabeth Turner
Campbell and opened in 2008. She was inspired to
create a place where children living with life
threatening illnesses and their families could come
free of charge and have fun, find respite, feel
normal and forget about their everyday struggles.
Health
and Healing: Kids
Operating Room - Kids Operating Room
strives for a world where every child has access
to safe surgery. More children die each year
from surgically treatable conditions than from
Malaria, HIV and TB combined.
Hunger
and Poverty: Solidarités
International - Solidarités
International provides emergency aid for food,
water, and shelter, helping disaster and conflict -
affected communities regain self-sufficiency and
sustainable livelihoods.
Rising
Star: Clinton Okechukwu, The
R.E.T.I.N.A Initiative - The R.E.T.I.N.A
Initiative is an acronym for Restoration of
Eyecare Through Innovation and Awareness. It is
a youth-led nonprofit organization committed to
promoting primary eye care services through
research, advocacy campaigns, outreach programs,
trainings and sustainable eye care innovations that
challenges systemic barriers to preventable
blindness in underserved African communities.
|
(Posted
October 21, 2024) To refer others to the post
above only (and not the full Lowdown
column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2024/dailyposts/1021.htm
*****
|
.ART
Announces Winner of 2024 Digital Innovation in Art
Award & Free International .ARTist Day Online
Conference October 25th |
It
has been a busy week for the .ART
domain registry. On Tuesday (October 15), .ART, in collaboration with
GP
Bullhound Allstars, announced that
ArtCentrica has been
awarded the prestigious Digital
Innovation in Art Award 2024. This year's award celebrates the
groundbreaking advancements at the intersection of technology and art, recognizing the profound
contributions of ArtCentrica to the EdTech sector. Based
in Florence, Italy, ArtCentrica is
an innovative startup spin-off from Centrica,
specializing in the development of an application
that offers an engaging and interactive
educational platform for art students and
teachers. The platform provides access to over
8,000 high resolution artworks,
revolutionizing the learning experience with tools
that allow for deep exploration and analysis of
masterpieces. ArtCentrica’s unique blend of
digital technology, combined with their
educational expertise, is transforming art
education globally. |
(Left
to Right): .ART Founder Ulvi Kasimov,
CEO of ArtCentrica and recipient of
this year’s DIIA Award, Marco
Cappellini, and Editor in Chief of Museum
Magazine, Dean Phelus who
presented the award. |
|
ArtCentrica
Co-Founder and CEO Marco Capellini said, "We
are incredibly happy for this award! It is a
recognition that ArtCentrica is at the forefront of
digital innovation in the art industry, intertwined
with the education sector, by addressing critical
gaps in contemporary education through the
integration of art by means of proprietary
technologies and AI. .ART Registry Founder Ulvi
Kasimov added, "We are incredibly proud to
honor ArtCentrica for its commitment to bridging art
and technology. Their innovation not only enhances art
education but also exemplifies how technology
can open new avenues for creative
engagement."
|
|
The
2024 Digital Innovation in Art
Award was judged by an extraordinary
panel of experts, combining insights from
both the traditional and digital art worlds.
This year’s jury included Deborah
Howes, President of Howes Studio and
former Director of Digital Learning at MoMA; Dean
Phelus, Editor in Chief of Museum
Magazine and Senior
Director of Special Projects at AAM; Amir
Soleymani, Founder of Mondoir gallery
and digital art collector; Nik
Honeysett, Executive Director of the
Balboa Park Online Collaborative and former
Director of Administration at the Getty
Museum; Robert Latoś, CEO
of Well of Art and 2023 Digital Innovation
in Art Award winner; Codin Popescu,
Co-founder and CEO at Artivive and 2023
Award winner; Anna Shvets, CEO
of TAtchers’ Art Management and Founder of
the Art Ambassadors Association; and Paul
Nicks, Vice President of Domain
Investors at GoDaddy.
The award was
presented during the GP Bullhound
Allstars gala event hosted at London’s
HERE at Outernet venue, which brought
together Europe’s technology and creative
industries to celebrate innovation and
achievement. ArtCentrica follows in the
footsteps of previous winners like Artivive
and Well of Art, both of whom
have gone on to further innovation and
success in their respective fields. |
GoDaddy
VP of Domain Investors Paul Nicks
was part of the 8-member jury
that selected the 2024 DIIA winner. |
|
.ART wrapped up their busy week by announcing by
announcing an interesting conference that
will be held on Friday, October 25. In honor
of International Artist Day, .ART Registry
will host the International
.ARTist Day Conference, a free,
online event that will bring together some of
the most innovative and inspiring voices in the
global arts community. Since December 2023, .ART has
been organizing “Meet the .ARTists”
webinars, featuring discussions on topics
such as artist residencies, art therapy, women in
the arts, and more. This upcoming conference marks a
special occasion to deepen the conversation and celebrate
artists and their creativity. The
online conference will begin at 11AM ET/5PM CET
on October 25th and you can register
to attend for free . The event
will be streamed live, making it accessible
to art enthusiasts, professionals, and the public
worldwide. Attendees will have the opportunity to
learn from and engage with a diverse group of
speakers whose work bridges the artistic and public
spheres. The live stream will include the
opportunity for viewers to ask questions of the
speakers shown in the photo below. You can get more
information about each of them here.
|
(Posted
October 18, 2024) To refer others to the post
above only (and not the full Lowdown
column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2024/dailyposts/1018.htm
*****
|
Helmuts
Meskonis Acquires ConsultDomain.de For His
Expanding Portfolio of International Domain Name
Forums |
Serial
entrepreneur Helmuts Meskonis, the Founder
of No Stress Limited (the UK-based parent
company of HostMaria.com
and London's Domain
Summit conference), expanded his
Internet holdings by purchasing long established
domain forums DNForum.com
and AcornDomains.co.uk
last
year. A key reason Meskonis wanted the
forums was to help promote his rapidly growing
Domain Summit that just finished another successful
run in August. He obviously likes what
he saw in the forum space because he just acquired
another one, ConsultDomain.de,
once an iconic German online community but one
that has been dormant for several years now. With
the explosion of industry blogs, podcasts and news
sites in recent years, ConsultDomain lost ground
in what became a very tough battle for eyeballs.
Still, Meskonis believes he can reinvent the
site, a belief that led him to spend most of
the past year trying to buy the forum and finally
succeeding at an undisclosed price. Helmuts noted,
"For those unfamiliar with it,
ConsultDomain.de has a storied history,
originally launched in the early 2000s. The forum
was powered by vBulletin before its closure in
2019, boasting impressive statistics: 68,631
topics, 378,408 posts, and a community of 7,087
users at its peak. Its legacy as one of the oldest
domain investing forums in the world cannot be
overstated, second only to DNForum, which also
debuted in 2001." |
Helmuts
Meskonis
|
Helmuts
said, "We
plan to revive the forum by migrating it from
vBulletin to Xenforo, a top-tier forum engine
alongside Invision. This transition aims to
modernize the platform and enhance functionality and
user experience for its community."
Above:
A screenshot from ConsultDomain.de
Helmuts
shared some interesting background on what it took
to finalize a deal for the forum. "The successful negotiation was significantly aided by
industry veteran Frederick "Freddy" Schiwek,"
Meskonis said. " Freddy's extensive experience, including the recent sale of
LuxHosting, Hosting.co.uk and MonsterHost to
World Host Group, has made him a valuable ally in
my quest. His background in domain management and sales provided essential advice and support throughout the acquisition process." Above:
Helmuts Meskonis (far left) and Freddy
Schiwek (3rd from left) on a visit
to the Certum booth at Cloudfest
2024 last March in Rust, Germany. To secure funding for the forum's
revival, Helmuts frequently traveled over the past
year in search of potential advertisers for
ConsultDomain, contacting many German and global domain name industry companies.
His efforts paid off when he gained financial backing from
Andrei
Insarov, founder of it.com
Domains, who recognized Helmuts' passion for
restoring the forum and and its place as a
vibrant community for the one of the industry's most
important regions.
In
addition to the ConsultDomain acquisition
and ownership of the afore mentioned AcornDomains.co.uk and
DNForum.com, Helmuts took another step in
the same direction when he recently launched
DomaineForum.fr for the French community, demonstrating his dedication to fostering domain name discussions across
Europe. Helmuts views this as completing a logical circle of ownership of forums in the top three countries by population in "old Europe":
Germany (83 million), the UK (67 million), and
France (64 million). In
closing Helmuts declared, "This is just the
beginning. Stay tuned and expect the
unexpected!” |
Image
from Bigstock |
|
(Posted
Oct. 14, 2024) To refer others to the post
above only (and not the full Lowdown
column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2024/dailyposts/1014.htm
*****
|
DomainEasy
Launches an Ambitious Platform That Offers a New
Option for Fans of Departing DAN.com |
With
GoDaddy acquiring innovative domain sales
platform DAN.com and merging it into their
own Afternic.com, buyers and sellers saw
one of their favorite venues go away, however new
options are already starting to surface. One
of the most promising among those, DomainEasy.com,
has just launched. Founded by industry veteran Sam
Dennis, DomainEasy will draw immediate
attention with their 0% commission rate for
sellers but that is just part of a comprehensive
suite of features and services the start-up is
offering. DomainEasy
was built to serve sellers, buyers and brokers
in one convenient location. When asked what will
make DomainEasy a better choice than other
options, we received a breakdown on what that they
are offering to each of those users groups, as
shown below: Sellers:
With 0% commission on direct sales (only processing fees apply), you get to keep more of your profits. DomainEasy
also provides flexibility in pricing models, allowing sellers to set fixed prices or offer Lease to Own options, giving buyers the ability to pay over time. Our Inbound Lead Management System simplifies how you handle potential buyers. With customizable templates for inquiries and the ability to respond via email, you can quickly engage leads without spending extra time. Plus, our
AI |
DomainEasy
Founder Sam Dennis
|
powered lead scoring helps you focus on the most promising opportunities.
For sellers managing large portfolios, our bulk upload and domain management tools take the hassle out of organizing and maintaining your inventory. You can also assign brokers for additional help, giving you full control and flexibility over how you sell your domains.
Screenshot
from seller options. Click image to see larger
version. |
Buyers:
At DomainEasy, we provide a seamless buying experience designed to give you flexibility and peace of mind. Whether you're ready to purchase a domain instantly with our
Buy It Now option, or prefer to spread out payments through
Lease to Own, we’ve got you covered. You can also negotiate directly with sellers through our
Make an Offer feature to explore potential deals.
We prioritize secure transactions, offering payment options through major credit cards, wire transfers, and trusted escrow services like Escrow.com. With zero commission fees for buyers, the price you see is the price you pay. Our
Guided Checkout and Transfer service ensures that your purchase is handled by domain experts from start to finish, guaranteeing a smooth transaction and timely transfer of your new domain. DomainEasy takes the stress out of acquiring your next domain by making the entire process simple and secure.
Brokers:
DomainEasy is designed to give brokers full control over their business. Whether you are building your brokerage or managing multiple sellers, we make it easy to offer valuable services to clients and close deals faster.
Brokers can set custom commission rates to attract new business, ensuring competitive pricing while staying profitable. With
direct communication with both sellers and buyers, brokers can efficiently negotiate and close deals.
Our platform takes care of the tech, allowing brokers to focus on growing their business. DomainEasy supports full team collaboration for brokerages, enabling your entire team to manage domains, track leads, quotes, and offers, all from one place. With tools to track offers and manage inbound leads, brokers can ensure they are providing value to sellers while expediting sales, increasing earnings, and building trust with their clients. Having
been given a pre-launch tour of the DomainEasy
website I can tell you I was impressed with the
interface and how easy it is to accomplish the
various tasks you want to get done, regardless of
your role in the domain aftermarket. With the site
now live, you can check
it out for yourself and see how it works
for you. In this Beta stage, I'm sure that Sam
and his team would also love to hear any feedback
you might have on how anything could be improved
and suggestions on other features you would like to
see.
|
(Posted
Oct. 9, 2024) To refer others to the post
above only (and not the full Lowdown
column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2024/dailyposts/1009.htm
*****
|
2nd
Edition of Domain Days Dubai Ready to Go with 2024
Show On Track to Surpass Successful Debut |
The
inaugural edition of Domain
Days Dubai (DDD), an ambitious new
conference designed to serve the growing MENA
region, drew rave
reviews last year. While DDD has a
focus on MENA, the 2023 event attracted attendees
from all over the world as professionals from
other regions came, eager to learn more about the
opportunities that are open to all in the MENA
area. The only difference this year is there
will be even more attendees (as well as speakers
and sponsors) when the 2024 event runs November
5 and 6 at the Marriott Resort Palm
Jumeirah in Dubai. With
just 35 days to go before the show, DDD Founder Munir
Badir told us, "We already have around
185 attendees registered and 40 |
|
speakers
set to appear during the jam-packed two-day
agenda. Sponsor response has also
been amazing with more than 30 companies
supporting the conference. In fact, all
of the cool sponsorship slots like the
event bag, dinner, seat backs, etcetera is sold
out this year."
The increase in
attendance comes primarily from two sources - great
word of mouth from those who attended the
debut edition of Domain Days last year and
the ICANN
81 meeting being held just a few
days after the 2024 show (November 9-14) in Istanbul.
Munir said, "I've had at least 40
people tell me they will be staying in Dubai
for a few more days, then take the
four-and-a-half flight to attend the ICANN
meeting."
DDD will
attract Domain Investors, Registrars, Registries,
leaders in Monetization & Traffic, and
well as Web 3 Domains, plus Hosting & Cloud Providers,
SaaS, and Industry Enthusiasts. If you don't
have a Domain
Days Dubai ticket yet, and can
act fast, today (September 30) is the
last day to take advantage of a 25% advance
sale discount. DDD's special hotel
discount rate will be good for a
few more days, ending on October 5th. |
Munir
Badr
Domain Days Founder and
Founder & CEO at AEserver.com |
|
(Posted
Sept. 30, 2024) To refer others to the post
above only (and not the full Lowdown
column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2024/dailyposts/0930.htm
*****
|
Radix
Scores Twin Wins for Namify AI and .Tech with #1
Product of the Day Honor from Product Hunt |
Radix
has found another new way to increase awareness
for their innovative services and top level
domains. Radix, the administrator of ten TLDs
(including .tech, .store, .site
and .online to name a few) also operates
multiple cutting edge services like Namify AI
(based at Namify.tech).
Namify AI is an upgraded AI-powered version of
the well established business name generator that
solves one of the biggest challenges faced by
domain buyers, small business owners, solopreneurs
and startups. That is finding a meaningful
name with an available domain, social media
username and trademark. In
the past, that time consuming process has required
extensive research across multiple websites.
Namify AI addresses the issue with this new
version of the comprehensive name generator that
makes it possible to find the perfect brand name
quickly and efficiently. Radix was confident
enough in the product to submit it to Product
Hunt where Namify AI
immediately won over the huge PH audience, being
voted #1 Product of the Day and #3 for the
week. |
|
That is
a big deal because over 5 million
people visit Product Hunt every month and if a
product is upvoted into the PH Top 10, it also gets
featured in a mailout to over half a million dedicated
PH subscribers. That is no easy task because every
product is competing against a wide variety of
cutting edge products and services that come from
every corner of the tech world - not just one
category from that huge universe. Product
Hunt was founded in 2013 and took off so quickly
that AngelList stepped in to acquire the
company for $20 million just three years
later. For Radix, the Product Hunt win meant a huge
boost in recognition of Namify AI's capabilities as
well as for the Radix TLD where the company makes
its home - .tech.
Namify
AI's infobox at Product Hunt
To
drill down a bit further, Namify AI leverages the
power of AI to suggest brand names highly
tailored to very specific products or business
ideas. It allows users to fine-tune suggestions
based on their brand’s style and tone and
target audience. Additionally, users can include
must-have keywords across all suggestions. Namify AI
supports eight languages, checks domain name
availability, verifies social media username
availability, and offers a free custom logo.
Product
Hunt user and Growth Marketer/Digital Entrepreneur Ali
Mirza commented on the upgraded version of
Namify AI, noting, “I have been using Namify for
the last couple of years and I am a huge fan. The
business names are unique and memorable. Also, the
trademark check feature is amazing. I don't need to
hire a lawyer to do the initial research.”
Namrata
Arya, Head of Product at Namify AI,
said, “Achieving the #1 Product of the
Day on Product Hunt is a remarkable
milestone for Namify AI and Radix. This
recognition validates our efforts to
innovate and spread nTLD awareness. Whether
you're launching a startup, managing a side
hustle, sharing your passion as a blogger,
or running a small business, establishing a
credible online presence is key to gaining
momentum. However, finding a memorable brand
name that doesn’t infringe on an existing
trademark, securing a matching domain, and
securing social media handles can be
challenging, costly, and time-consuming.
Many entrepreneurs settle for
less-than-ideal names, which can impact
their brand perception for years to come. We
are ecstatic about the community's positive
response and are dedicated to empowering
businesses to build strong, unique brand
identities.”
Namify
AI is part of a family of Radix services
that, like Elevate.store, Link.store
and Linklab.site, are key platforms
in their efforts to spread nTLD awareness
and support the Internet community. |
Namrata
Arya
Head of Product, Namify AI |
|
(Posted
Sept. 26, 2024) To refer others to the post
above only (and not the full Lowdown
column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2024/dailyposts/0926.htm
*****
|
.ART
Announces Finalists for 2024 Digital Innovation in
Art Award and Two Special Mention Honorees |
The
.ART
Registry, in
collaboration with GP Bullhound
Allstars, has unveiled the finalists
for the prestigious Digital Innovation in Art Award 2024 (DIIA). This year's
finalists represent the forefront of
innovation, creativity, and technology
in the art world, with projects that push
boundaries and redefine the possibilities of digital art.
Many in the UK and Europe view the GP Bullhound
Allstars awards as a tech world version of the
"Oscars," so sponsoring the DIIA is a
natural fit for .ART. The
finalists were chosen after a rigorous evaluation
by a nine-member independent jury
that provided expertise in museum leadership, Web3
technology, domain industry insight and
international curatorial acumen. For the second
consecutive year Paul Nicks, GoDaddy Vice
President for Domain Investors, represented our
industry on the jury. When their work was done,
the jury had winnowed an extraordinary semi-final
field down to these six finalists: |
|
- ArtCentrica (Italy): Revolutionizing art education with an online platform that offers interactive
tools and access to over 8,000 high-resolution artworks, fostering immersive learning
experiences.
- Ask Mona
(France): Enhancing art experiences with AI-powered chatbots that engage and
inform museum visitors, with plans to expand into educational sectors.
- Barnes Foundation
(USA): Innovating in art education and engagement by utilizing digital tools
to provide interactive and immersive experiences for their diverse audience.
- Guru Experience
(USA): Developing immersive art experiences using virtual reality and other
digital technologies, creating engaging and interactive art exhibitions.
-
SuprSketch Corp (USA): A subscription-based platform with live digital canvases that allows
artists to share their creative processes and engage with their communities in real-time.
- Sureel
(USA): Offering AI tools that ensure fair attribution for creators in AI-generated content,
supporting various digital forms and enabling creators to control their participation.
In addition to the finalists, the .ART Registry
also introduced two Special Mentions for the
first time, recognizing exceptional originality and artistic
contribution. Those went to:
Special
Mentiion - Originality: Beambike (Germany): Commended for its innovative approach to
sustainability by integrating technology with traditional art forms to promote environmental
awareness.
Special
Mention - Artist: SLS Studio (France): Recognized for outstanding artistic innovation of
Solimán López, blending AI and blockchain to create interactive installations that challenge the
boundaries of art and technology.
The
winner(s) will be announced at the Allstars
Gala in London on October 10th, 2024. Last year's
winners included Artivive (Austria), a trailblazer in augmented reality, transforming traditional
artworks into dynamic, interactive narratives, and
Well of Art (Poland), revolutionizing art
education with their innovative Glaze software, which brings heritage oil painting techniques to
the digital classroom.
Ulvi
Kasimov, Founder of .ART Registry, said,
"We are honored to celebrate these remarkable projects that exemplify the transformative
potential of technology in the art
world. These finalists and special mentions reflect the diversity and creativity that is driving the future of art,
and we are excited to see how they continue to shape the industry." |
Ulvi Kasimov
.ART
Registry Founder |
|
(Posted
Sept. 20, 2024) To refer others to the post
above only (and not the full Lowdown
column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2024/dailyposts/0920.htm
*****
|
Nominations
Now Open for ICA's 2025 Lonnie Borck Memorial
Award and Their New Trailblazer Award |
The
Internet
Commerce Association
(ICA), the non-profit organization that fights for
domain owner's rights, is now accepting nominations
for the ICA's 8th annual Lonnie
Borck Memorial Award (LBMA). The
prestigious award was first presented in 2017 in
memory of the late universally loved domain
advocate Lonnie
Borck.
In
the LBMA's first three years its recipients were
chosen based on their "exceptional efforts in
championing the rights of domain name
registrants" and went to industry leaders
from the legal arena. Starting with the 2020
award, the criteria was broadened to
include every corner of the domain industry with
the guiding principal being to recognize a person
who has made "extraordinary contributions
toward fostering a sense of community
within the domain name industry."
Everyone
in the industry (whether they are an ICA
member or not) is welcome to submit
a nomination for the 2025 Lonnie
Borck Award that will be presented at the
ICA's next Annual
Meeting that will be held January
26-28, 2025 at Resorts World in Las
Vegas. Nominations will remain open through
the end of October. The ICA Board will then
review and approve nominees with ICA members then
voting to select the winner.
The
previous winners of the Lonnie Borck Memorial
Award were: |
Lonnie
Borck
|
2017
- David Weslow
2018 - John Berryhill
2019 - Kathy Kleiman
|
2020
- Ron Jackson
2021 - Michael Cyger
2022 - Andrew Allemann
2024* - Jason Sheppard
|
*The
first six Lonnie Borck Awards were presented at the
annual Namefest Global conference but, after
the ICA established their own stand alone annual
meeting for members, they moved presentation of
what would have been the 2023 award to their annual January
event this year. That prompted a label change to
2024 to match the presentation date.
The
ICA has enjoyed extraordinary growth
over the past decade with new members
coming |
|
onboard from every corner of the
industry. In turn, the organization has
continued to
roll out new initiatives aimed at supporting
its members and recognizing outstanding
accomplishments they have achieved. The
latest is the introduction of a new ICA
Trailblazer
Award designed to celebrate
companies and individuals that have
significantly advanced the domain name
industry by creating an especially
innovative product or service with lasting
influence on our business. |
As they
have done with the Lonnie Borck Memorial Award, the
ICA invites you to help determine the
winner of the first ICA Trailblazer Award by nominating those
companies or individuals that you believe are
deserving of the award. Nominations are open to
the entire industry and both companies and
individuals are welcome to nominate themselves if
they feel their contributions are worthy of
recognition. Nominations will remain open until October
31st.
Once the nominations
are in, the ICA board will review and approve the
nominations with the winner of the ICA
Trailblazer Award then selected in ICA member
voting. The inaugural award will be presented at the
January 2025 ICA Annual Member Meeting in Las Vegas
during an awards ceremony that will also reveal the
winner of the Lonnie Borck Memorial Award.
|
(Posted
Sept. 16, 2024) To refer others to the post
above only (and not the full Lowdown
column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2024/dailyposts/0916.htm
*****
|
Radix
Reports Best Half-Year of Premium Domain Revenue
to Date with Sales Topping $5 Million |
Radix
has released their latest semi-annual report on
the registry operator's premium domain sales
results across the 10 TLDs they administer.
Their H1-2024
Premiums Report (.pdf file) details
how Radix generated $5.16 million in Total
Premium Retail Revenue - the best 6-month cycle
they have had to date.
That
number includes $3.83 million in Premium
Retail Renewal Revenue.
It also represents a 12% jump above the
same period in 2023. .Tech was Radix's
highest grossing TLD with $1.58 million in
total revenue. The chart below tracks Radix's
uninterrupted growth in premium revenue over the
past four years, |
|
The chart
below zeros in on revenue from new premium
registrations alone, with .tech again the
leading TLD from that perspective, followed by
.online and .store.
The
picture for premium renewal revenue
(charted below) was bright as well with 62%
of premium domains renewed after their initial term,
72% for second renewals and 84% for
the third and subsequent renewals.
For a much
more detailed breakdown of the premium domain
revenue picture at Radix you can check out the full
report here.
|
(Posted
Sept. 3, 2024) To refer others to the post
above only (and not the full Lowdown
column) you can use this URL:
https://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2024/dailyposts/0903.htm
*****
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