Inside NamesCon 2026 in Miami: Day Two Awards, Panels, Beanstalk Challenge Winner
MIAMI, FL — The second and final day of NamesCon Global 2026 wrapped up Thursday, November 12, at Ice Palace Studios in Miami, with several industry awards, discussions about artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship, and the much-anticipated conclusion of Rick Schwartz’s Beanstalk Challenge.
After spending much of Wednesday attending presentations and exploring the event, I arrived later on Thursday, catching several of the final afternoon sessions. These included the Escrow.com Master of Domains awards, a discussion about the next generation of internet entrepreneurs, and the closing Beanstalk Challenge festivities.
Escrow.com Master of Domains 2026 Awards
One of the afternoon’s presentations was the Escrow.com Master of Domains 2026 Awards Ceremony, recognizing leading domain name brokers based on the value of transactions completed through Escrow.com during 2025. This year’s top honor went to Andrew Miller, founder and president of ATM Holdings, ending a seven-year run by Andrew Rosener of MediaOptions.com. Keith Richter of Lumis Group placed second, followed by Rob Schutz of Snagged in third. Rosener finished fourth, with Louis Pickthall of BrandForce.com rounding out the top five.
The awards recognize some of the industry’s most active brokers and provide a look at the people behind major domain name transactions. A full list of the 2026 Master of Domains winners is available at DNJournal.
The New Builders: Hosting, AI, and the Next Wave of Entrepreneurs
Another session that caught my attention was “The New Builders: Hosting, AI, and the Next Wave of Entrepreneurs,” featuring Jeff Fischer of GetYourDomain.com, James Lee of WebPros, Bret Miller of ATM Holdings, and Narendar Shankar of Hosted AI. The discussion centered on how artificial intelligence is changing the process of building and scaling internet businesses. Entrepreneurs can now launch websites, software products, and online services with considerably smaller teams and fewer resources than would have been necessary just a few years ago.
I was particularly interested in hearing from Jeff Fischer of GetYourDomain.com and Bret Miller of ATM Holdings, both of whom are involved with firms known for handling some of the highest-value domain name transactions.
The Beanstalk Challenge Finale
The final major event I attended was “Road to the Finale: Inside the Beanstalk Challenge,” featuring domain industry veteran Rick Schwartz and Todd Ryan of ABC Productions. Schwartz, widely known as the Domain King, launched the Beanstalk Challenge to encourage entrepreneurs to build actual businesses using premium domain names from his portfolio. Rather than allowing valuable digital assets to sit unused, the competition challenged participants to demonstrate what could be accomplished through development, innovation, and execution.
The finale also included recognition for the five members of the Beanstalk Challenge judging panel: David Castello of Castello Brothers, Ron Jackson of DNJournal, Ammar Kubba of afterThought, Morgan Linton of Bold Metrics, and Andrew Rosener of MediaOptions. Two of the judges were unable to attend the presentation. Jonathan Tenenbaum of MediaOptions accepted the award on behalf of Rosener, while Beanstalk Challenge organizer Rick Schwartz accepted the award on behalf of Linton.
Overall Beanstalk Challenge Winner
The overall winner was KPV.com, a website focused on physician-prescribed peptide therapy. The project was developed as part of the Beanstalk Challenge, which aimed to demonstrate how premium domain names could become the foundation for new commercial ventures.
People’s Choice Award
In a separate People’s Choice competition, Property.com took first place through public voting and received the Golden Hammer Award. Fools.com and Stud.com finished second and third, respectively. Unlike the overall Beanstalk Challenge winner, which was selected by five industry judges, the People’s Choice Award was determined by votes from the public.
The Bentley and Its $44,000 Auction Price
The winner of the competition will have the option of taking a white 2010 Bentley Continental GTC convertible or accepting a cash prize determined by the live auction instead. The Bentley, which has approximately 3,500 original miles, sold at auction for just $44,000. Depending on its condition, specifications, and maintenance history, I believe the vehicle could potentially be worth $55,000–$75,000. For comparison, a 2010 Bentley Continental GTC Series 51 with approximately 15,000 miles sold for $66,000 at a Barrett-Jackson auction in September 2026.
Closing Out NamesCon 2026
Although I attended fewer sessions on Thursday, the closing afternoon offered an interesting mix of industry awards, technology, and entrepreneurship. The Beanstalk Challenge was what I was most interested in seeing that day. I’ve always enjoyed seeing people take an idea and build something from nothing. There’s a lot of work that goes into starting a business, and I’ve always been fascinated by the people who put in the time and effort to make it happen.
For more from NamesCon Global 2026 in Miami, including highlights from the opening day’s presentations on domain investing, digital ownership, and the future of the industry, read my Day One recap here.
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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