it.com Domains at London Domain Summit 2023
- by Ilona K.
On August 22-23, 2023, it.com Domains joined the London Domain Summit – an annual B2B convention for the Domain Name industry – as a Presenting Sponsor.
Our director of sales Joe Alagna, senior channel development manager Tess Diaz, business development manager Natalija Japerte, and it.com Domains advisor Munir Badr represented our company at the summit. Joe Alagna gave a speech during the second day of the summit, which was warmly welcomed by the industry players.
With over 400 attendees, the event welcomed domain registrars, registries, domain investors, hosting companies, domain resellers, domain auction platforms, domain brokers, escrow services, various domain name management tools, services, and more.
A dozen of engaging sessions focused on burning issues in the domain industry, such as domain monetization, Web3, state of regional markets including China and MENA, as well as domain security and brand protection strategies, evolution of domain names and resolving domain name disputes.
On the sidelines of the event, we spoke to Helmuts Meskonis, the founder of the London Domain Summit as well as the owner of AcornDomains.co.uk & DNForum.com.
it.com Domains: how did you come up with an idea for the London Domain Summit? From your point of view – what’s the main purpose of the event?
Helmuts Meskonis: I really love networking, and I always wanted to organize business events, to connect and introduce people to each other. I’ve already hosted several networking events, but I’m particularly fascinated by the domain industry.
Last year, I organised an inaugural London Domain Summit attended by 150 people. They were really engaged and many expressed the interest to come again and even sponsor the event. So here we are for year two.
In entrepreneurship, business connections are a defining factor for success. New connections work not only because you get to know people, but also you get them to trust you. When we’ll be 80 years old, we might not know the latest social media or get the latest tech trends, but the connections will be the ones to stay and even get better over time.
it.com Domains: When it comes to the domain industry, what are the key benefits of b2b conventions? Apart from the networking, of course.
H.M.: Domain industry is an IT industry. IT professionals are often opinionated and tend to get stuck in doing their own business. Events like ours help to get them out of their shell, exchange experiences, and even find new business opportunities. Literally an hour ago, there was a $80M deal agreed between the participants.
it.com Domains: That’s incredible! But even without new business deals, the schedule of the London Domain Summit seems like a treat for the industry experts. How was this year’s agenda different from last year’s one?
H.M.: We’ve taken it to the next level. We’ve had some brilliant experts last year, but this time we saw some heavyweights coming in. And it’s just the tip of an iceberg. Domain industry is huge – every country has a register governing its ccTLD, there are many commercial providers, hosting companies, DNS, and more. But the industry players are cautious of the events and people they want to be associated with. We had to prove ourselves last year to gain attention, and now the industry sees it as worth their time.
it.com Domains: You mentioned a few heavyweights. Whom are you most proud to see joining the summit?
H.M.: Definitely Michael Reidl, the CEO of CentralNic. We also welcomed the representatives of Verisign, the company managing two of the World’s 13 internet root servers. And of course it.com Domains with Joe Alagna giving a brilliant speech. The whole event wouldn’t be possible without them. Overall, the attendee list was truly inspiring.
it.com Domains: From your perspective, what’s the role that it.com Domains plays in this event?
H.M.: Domain industry is quite conservative – there are whales, and there are smaller players. Very few companies are actively fighting for their place in the spotlight, to become more prominent and drive the industry forward. I believe it.com Domains is one of them. Your business model is extraordinary, one of the best amongst third-level domain providers. We had a click, and since then we go hand in hand, we’re on this journey together.
it.com Domains: One last question. Is there any industry trend or topic that was most actively discussed at the summit?
H.M.: New gTLDs. But mainly people want to work, and they want to work together. It’s less about the competition, and more about winning together.
Offering unparalleled opportunities to network, share ideas, make new business connections and learn about the latest trends and technologies in the domain name industry, London Domain Summit became a two-day powerhouse for domain industry experts. The convention has been extended for next year and is currently taking early registrations. See you at the London Domain Summit in August 2024!
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