Inside NamesCon 2026 in Miami: Domains, Digital Ownership and a Bentley Giveaway
MIAMI, FL — NamesCon Global 2026 is underway at Ice Palace Studios in Miami, bringing together domain name investors, brokers, registrars, technology companies, and entrepreneurs for two days of presentations, networking, and industry events. This year’s conference, held November 11-12 alongside CloudFest Americas, features discussions about the future of domain names, digital ownership, artificial intelligence, and the evolving marketplace for online assets.
While the first arrival parties began yesterday, I arrived today, Wednesday morning, and so far attended three sessions covering different aspects of the domain industry.
Buy What Will Sell in 2027, Not What Sold in 2021
The first session, “Buy What Will Sell in 2027, Not What Sold in 2021,” featured Darpan Munjal, founder and CEO of Atom.com. The presentation focused on how domain buying trends are changing, including the influence of AI-native businesses, naming styles, domain extensions, and buyer preferences.
The Future of Digital Ownership
The second session, “The Future of Digital Ownership,” brought together representatives from Identity Digital, Sedo, GetYourDomain.com, GoDaddy, and ATM Holdings. The panel explored questions surrounding digital identity, domain names, online ownership, and the changing nature of digital assets.
Some particularly ambitious predictions were made about the domain industry in 2027, including the possibility of transactions so large that the recently reported $99 million sale of Shop.com could look like a drop in the bucket by comparison.
The Business of Selling Domains
The third presentation, “The Business of Selling Domains: From the Marketplace to the Showroom,” featured GoDaddy’s aftermarket sales director Wade Smith and his team. The session covered practical domain listing and pricing strategies through Afternic, along with a look at outbound sales efforts for ultra-premium domains through DomainNames.com.
A Domain Auction and a Bentley Up for Grabs
One of today’s major scheduled attractions is the RightOfTheDot domain and digital asset auction, beginning at 4 p.m. on the Biscayne Stage. The auction will feature domain names and digital assets offered to investors and buyers attending the event.
Another particularly interesting attraction is the Beanstalk Challenge, an entrepreneurial competition associated with veteran domain investor Rick Schwartz, widely known as the Domain King.
A white Bentley convertible is on display at the venue and is scheduled to be awarded to the competition’s grand-prize winner during Thursday’s finale. The challenge is designed to encourage entrepreneurs to build actual businesses around valuable domain names, rather than simply acquire and hold them.
The Beanstalk Challenge finale is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, November 12, with the program beginning at 3:45 p.m. and the finale scheduled for 4:25 p.m.
Networking and Industry Connections
Beyond the presentations, the event offers opportunities to meet people throughout the domain industry, explore new business opportunities, and see how companies are positioning themselves for the next generation of internet commerce.
For anyone involved in buying, selling, developing, or marketing domain names, NamesCon provides a firsthand look at where the industry is heading. It’s also a great opportunity to meet, reconnect, and network with some of the most successful and influential people in the domain name industry, including veterans who have been involved in the business since the early 1990s.
John Colascione is Chief Executive Officer of SEARCHEN NETWORKS®, a digital marketing and technology company founded in 2001. An entrepreneur, author, and digital publisher with more than 25 years of experience, he specializes in search engine marketing, Website Monetization, domain names, and online business development. He is the author of Mastering Your Website and publishes commentary on technology, digital marketing, and the evolving Internet economy. Read more at JohnColascione.com.
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