The iBreakfast new gTLD meeting was held in New York last week.
I was scheduled to speak at the conference but due to some family problems I had to excuse myself.
I just saw a report on the meeting and it sounded like successful event.
Here are the relevant parts from the Press Release from the show organizers summarizing the event:
After a touching keynote address by ICANN’s Kurt Pritz, industry leaders shared viewpoints and predictions at Master of Your Domain? New TLD Conference for the first time since historic ICANN Singapore.
Verisign predicted 1,500+ New TLD applications for the first window.
Herrick Feinstein LLP. announced New York City is ready to apply for .NYC.
“The horse is out of the barn. The race is on,” declared Jeffrey Hayzlett, of The Hayzlett Group.
Mr. Hayzlett echoed other speakers’ contentions that it is moot for brands to question the value of New TLDs since the program is going forward.
He concluded that Brand TLDs are a “no-brainer” and that big business should be looking at the generic keywords in their industries as well. Mr. Hayzlett, who is former CMO to Kodak and has been dubbed the “Celebrity CMO” by Forbes, joined MOYD from remote location using Watchitoo, MOYD’s live multistreaming partner.
“I wouldn’t want to be a cheesemaker if Kraft owned .cheese,” remarked special guest, Esther Dyson, of EDventure, and former, founding Chairwoman of ICANN.
“New York City is ready to file its City TLD when the [New gTLD] process opens up next year,” announced Michael McMahon, Esq., also from Herrick Feinstein, LLP. Counselor McMahon is a former Deomocratic Congressman and New York City Councilman.
Industry leaders from Afilias, Neustar, Verisign, Dot Brand Solutions, Aus Registry, Dot Asia Organisation, and Donuts, Inc., discussed their respective experience in the space, technologies, clients, goals, strategic partnerships, user base, and predictions.
Mike Davies, from Verisign, raised expectations for the first application window next year, predicting that there will be over 1,500 applications.
Roland LaPlante, CMO of Afilias, passionately introduced the various TLDs presently utilizing Afilias’ back-end support, stating that his company was created to provide technical solutions for New TLDs.
Ken Hansen, of Neustar, discussed his company’s new Brand Assurance program, as well as the many successful TLDs run by Neustar today, including .Us and .Co.
Edmon Chung, CEO of Dot Asia Organisation, gave an especially enlightening presentation on .Asia, the Asian market, and the import of Internationalized Domain Names, IDNs.
CEO of DotBrand Solutions, Ben Crawford, surprised everyone by bringing Seinfeld ‘Master Of Your Domain’ T-Shirts in celebration of the event and the times.
Several New gTLD ventures gave enthusiastic presentations concerning their imminent applications, including DotGreen Community (.green applicant), Big Room, Inc. (.eco applicant), dotBERLIN GmbH & Co. (.berlin applicant), and Dot Gay, LLC. (.gay applicant). .NYC pioneer and neighborhood advocate, Thomas Lowenhaupt, was present as well.
Wendy Seltzer, Esq. and Barry Werbin, Esq. rounded out discussion about the application process in raising principles of underlying legalities, cost, and trademark issues.
Fittingly, co-host and moderator, Mr. Farkas, read two quotes from legendary Professor and Author, William J. Mitchell that are particularly applicable to the imminent New TLD namespace. This is “an invitation to design and construct the City of Bits (capital of the twenty-first century)…with this new element turn[ing] classical categories inside out and reconstruct the discourse in which architects have engaged from classical times until now.” “This vast grid is the new land beyond the horizon, the place place that beckons the colonists, cowboys, con-artists, and would be conquerors of the twenty-first century. And there are those who would be king.” (William J. Mitchell, City of Bits; E-Topia).
Master Of Your Domain? (“MOYD”) was was produced and co-hosted by iBreakfast’s, Alan Brody, and Smart TLDs’, Paul Farkas. The livestreamed video and speaker presentations will be posted on iBreakfast soon.
MOYD was sponsored by Neustar, Afilias, Verisign, Dot Green, Herrick Feinstein LLP, Definition 6, and Watchitoo.
About iBreakfast
The monthly iBreakfast meetings, started in 1997, are the longest continually running digital media strategy events delivering the latest trends and issues in the industry. iBreakfast reaches over 20,000 Tri-state NY digital media executives through emails, Facebook. LinkedIn and Twitter. The monthly Club meeting showcases the Digital Media’s movers and shakers in the context of the entire technology marketplace. That means the Breakfast Club will feature the people behind breaking news and the technologies about to make a difference. @iBreakfastAbout Smart TLDs
Smart TLDs, LLC., is a strategy, consulting and marketing group specializing in New TLDs for brands, cities, industry associations, public interest groups, and entrepreneurs. @AllSocialTV#
Why are they wasting their time on this .nonsense? It is obvious at this point that the new extensions will be a big .failure and that no one will want one when all is said and done. Wait another 2 years and that answer will be further coumpounded. Dot com is working fine, thank you very much. Don’t these guys have anthing better to do?
Nice little quote buried in there:
““I wouldn’t want to be a cheesemaker if Kraft owned .cheese,” remarked special guest, Esther Dyson, of EDventure, and former, founding Chairwoman of ICANN.”
I’m glad they are looking out for small businesses!
And yea, I’m sure missing out on “xxxxx.CHEESE” is going to make an ounce of a difference.
What a joke. All theatrics to increase applications and make more $$$.
It’s not a money thing, @Geez. A lot of people are quick to say that ICANN will make lots of money with the new gtld thing, but I disagree. I don’t think they will make a penny since, anyone who really sits down to think about it for more than 10 minutes will realize that the the gtld business plan is a flawed one ad worse — is one with no exit strategy that could leave you on th ehook with a losing regisry hemoraging money for years at a time.
No banker will lend on the far fetched plan. Anyone who invests is practically guaranteed to lose his or her hard earned cash.
The new gTLD expansion concept is a foolish plan for fools to foolishly fool each other. Go ahead and buy any single one of them. You will only be helping the .com owner who will end up siphoning off the traffic. As was ponted out elsewhere, it is a giant game of paper-rock-scissors where .com always come out on top. Always. No exceptions.
Also, I agree with the consensus that if there were truly a need, .BIZ would have taken off long ago. Or .US. Or .Net. But Nooooo. All were uber-fails.
What makes these guys at the iBreakfast think their sh*t doesn’t smell? I can smell it from here!
@Money “No banker will lend on the far fetched plan.” There was a time in recent history when banks would not lend on FM licenses, worthless spectrum they called it, AM would forever dominate. When ESPN launched, people said who needs 24 hr sports? ESPN is now a bigger brand than ABC.
I understand that there is not a TLD from either of ICANN’s two limited proof of concept rounds to point to this way, that has gotten a lot of mileage. But ICANN’s role is not to flat out deny market entry to willing participants that seek it or to champion special interest groups motivated to prevent it. Under this logic, we’d have no 24 hr sports…shiver. Another example I like is when Pan Am viciously fought to retain their position as the only airlines regulated by the FAA to cross the Atlantic because for anyone else to be allowed, would be clear and present danger to the safety and security of passengers, you know, the public interest. Pan Am is not flying much these days.
So here’s a thought closer to home: try taking “little” .EDU away from the universities and see what happens 🙂
However, the .edu standards will not be demanded of new gtlds. It’s run by a non-profit for the benefit of its target market.
yes, I agree sa i.e. not demanded…but not prevented either.