Antoinette you called the conferences sleazy. Since you aren’t at the shows I don’t think it’s fair for you to pass any judgment. These events are also generally afterhours parties and not really about business but more about socializing. Your opinion seems to be somewhat of a minority, but I would encourage you and the others you talk to that are bothered with any of this to either 1. Don’t come (which you already are doing) or 2. Tell the sponsors with your wallet or voice that you don’t like it.

I think the sponsors are just trying to give domainers what they want. Maybe you are right and this isn’t what people want, but the first event TrafficZ sponsored at TRAFFIC was at Gameworks and from many reports it was a total disaster. The next one was at Hawaiian Tropics in NYC and they received rave reviews from domainers I spoke with. Go figure!

There’s a large contingency of domainers who enjoy poker and go off and do their poker thing all night (with sponsors involved sometimes as well). I’m not a big poker player or gambler so guess where I don’t go. If there were a large enough group complaining or demanding pin the tail on the donkey, I think that the sponsors would jump all over it in a heartbeat. I don’t think that the sponsors are coming up with these event ideas out of the clear blue sky.

BTW there’s also attractive women that come to the show for business and attend after hours events that aren’t ‘hired help’. Hat tip to all my lady domainer friends out there. You know who you are. . . .quietly judging

The reason sponsors feel they must fill their parties with some pretty girls is because this industry is such a testosteroni pizza.

So Antoinette, bring yourself and your friends and all the other gals in the biz and that will change. I guarantee you if they could, sponsors would rather pocket that pizza dough.

See you at DRT ;o)

But, like I said, all I know about domain conferences is what I read on blogs and the pictures that are posted. Maybe it is not representative of what goes on during the conference and after hours.

I just said that the events seemed sleazy. At least when I look over the press for the events and see notices about models and dancers entertaining the attendees, that seems unprofessional. I go to three conferences a year for my main line of work with attendance ranging from 400 to 9,000 people and there is plenty of socializing at receptions but models signing autographs and dance groups? They are totally out of place in a business environment.

I’m just comparing what I’ve read online and discussed with other domainers to other professional conferences I regularly attend where, yes, we both get business done and have a good time!

Pretty funny story. I agree with Ron about G’s writing skills. “Dropped faster than a hyphenated dot-biz.” Delightful.

What would make a social event “professional” and “appealing” for you Antoinette ? Should we play a game of pin the tail on the donkey or maybe charades would be more professional?

Stay home with your cats. No one wants you at a social function anyway.

It sounds like you haven’t gotten any…………….dot coms lately. Don’t be so bitter and loosen up. There’s enough room for business and play. If you don’t like the latter, then go to bed at 8pm. The choice is yours. There are plenty of seminars in the morning you can attend. Although, you might be a bit lonely there. Which brings us back to the original premise of your post. You need to get….

But looking over the activities of these events, they seem unprofessional and unappealing to me personally. I can do everything I need to do online without attending social events with “dancers” or models. And bloggers wonder why the domain biz has such a shady reputation. It’s like a throw-back to the 1960s which is ironic considering it is an Internet business.

There would probably be more participation in these conferences if they were more business-related and there was less organized partying. You lonely male domainers should find a more adult way to meet women in your own hometowns. It just seems rather pathetic.