Good Morning Folks!!
People come to industry trade shows for a variety of reasons.
Most come because they want to do business, grow their business and look for new
business. Why else would folks leave the comfort of their homes and incur the
expense unless the return was so great, So, without revealing any trade secrets,
that is the basic formula for a good trade show. T.R.A.F.F.I.C. has been built
around that formula. We break bread together, we meet the movers and shakers of
our industry, we drink and network with our fellow Domainers, we listen to
music, we really enjoy the fruits of our labor and we work hard at growing our
businesses, so we deserve to do all that. After that we have some great parties
thrown by enthusiastic sponsors. Friends get together, new friends are made and
new relationships are forged.
However, there comes a point where the partying can not
overshadow the mission. What makes a party a great party is how
much was accomplished during that particular time. Each day has great value and
folks know the difference when it is time for serious stuff and when it is not.
These are serious times, and though we are an intelligent group, nobody reading
this can say with any certainty how this will all play out. I can give you a
host of devastating scenarios that could land any one of us in no better shape
than a victim of Bernie Madoff. It's one thing to make money , it is harder to
keep it. The unexpected is always right around the corner. So the key to times
like this is figuring out the dangers and then taking advantage of the fallout
instead of being a victim of it.
TRAFFIC may have a reputation for a lot of things, but never
has it been said that it was a waste of time or money. The bar has been set high
purposely. Howard and I always recognize the challenge we are up against by
providing the additional value that no one else provides; by being able to
provide an atmosphere that adds up to more than the individual parts. There is a
magic that happens when you get the recipe just right. Think back and ask
yourselves how many deals you made at TRAFFIC? How many were good? How many were
bad? How many are still ongoing? How many friends did you meet at TRAFFIC? How
many associates? Sponsors? The point is that after over 4 years and 14 shows,
you can look back and see if TRAFFIC made a difference in your business and your
lives. Why do I bring this up? Because I already know the answer. Strip those
events and relationships from your lives and see if it would look the same. We
all know the answer.
So while we have been challenged by others trying to imitate
our formula, you have been given a lot of choices, Howard and I have
consistently put out a product that has been beneficial to each of us and has
always moved the industry forward. It's not my style to call folks one on one
and invite them. It is not our style to offer all types of deals. We just have
what we have and have proven our value. We saw what was coming last year and
planned this year accordingly. There is not a more significant place to be on
the planet in April than Silicon Valley. TRAFFIC immediately follows Ad-Tech. If
you have never been to Ad-Tech, I highly recommend that you go. The place is
insane and everyone in the universe is there. When I refer in my posts to the
Noise at trade shows, it is a reference to this show. Not as a put down, but it
is the difference between doing business and just being too busy to do business.
That will only make sense to those that have been to both: the hustle and bussle
of things at Ad-Tech compared to the way we do things at TRAFFIC. Both have
great value. But the difference is what makes TRAFFIC the unique show that it
is. The group we assemble is different than anyone else. It is filtered for
maximum impact.
Let me share something with you. Back at the
first T.R.A.F.F.I.C. show in Delray Beach, Florida, I learned something that has
been the epicenter of every TRAFFIC show since. The composition of those in
attendance is the key to the right formula. It has nothing to do with head
count. It depends on who those heads are and what those heads represent. This
show has always been the domain business for domainers. Sponsors have always
been an integral part of TRAFFIC but it always revolved around domainers.
Attendees were always very successful domainers or those who were on their way
up and wanted to be successful. So our foundation is domainers. When you go to a
domain show and the composition is sponsors, you have a nice show, but a
different type of show. That does not make it bad. It makes it different, and my
job right now is to point out that difference because TRAFFIC is not just
another domain show. TRAFFIC is really the only domainer show. The other shows
are all sponsor shows. Again, not bad, different. So I am a little sensitive
when folks describe all the shows as the same.. If they look similar it is only
because we set the standard and built the framework that many others use. That
is fine. But again, my job right now is to show you the differences. And while
certain elements of a formula can be the same it is the missing ingredients
that make all the difference. It is the things you can't see. That you can't
even articulate. It's a chemistry, a formula, mixed with certain ingredients and
passion. What I am saying is, it is unique.
That's my pitch for Silicon Valley my friends. We don't have
to arm twist. We don't want to get you sick of the emails. My job is to give you
a reason to come to Silicon Valley and the best reason has yet to happen. It
will happen when you come and create the opportunity for yourselves. Fed ex
won't be delivering it, This is a time to seize it.
As I was finishing this up, I was just informed that for the
second year in a row and by an overwhelming margin, TRAFFIC has once again been
voted by domainers at Domain Name Wire as the #1 domain show by more than 2-1 in
a poll of over 400 readers. Matter of fact, the 3 other conferences combined
still trailed TRAFFIC by a whopping 11%.
So, take advantage of the present discount in registration
fees as they are going up later this week. (Friday at 5PM to be exact) Join
Skenzo, Moniker, Rick Latona and dozens of other companies as we raise the bar
once again. In the coming weeks you will start seeing some noticeable
improvements and changes. We hope you notice them and hope you like
them.
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