This is a guest post by Scott Roberts, the winner of the GeoDomain Expo Ticket.

I’ve had a few days to gather my thoughts and get back into my daily routine since the GeoDomain Expo in Chicago.  I need to offer a big thank-you to Steve Morales and GeoDomainer.com for offering me the chance to attend. This was my first domain industry conference, and it was overwhelming in a good way.  I’d like to share a few observations from a first-timers point of view.

It was noted at the conference and people have written about it since, but it bears repeating; everyone was helpful, friendly and willing to talk.  I found this out from the moment I arrived.  When I walked into the (very
trendy) W with my bags, I wasn’t sure if I was in a hotel lobby or a nightclub.  My confusion must have shown, and Larry Milton from Branson.com cleared things up for me.  During the show I got to talk with Andrew Alleman, David and Michael Castello, Page Howe and many others I’m forgetting to name.

Dan Pulcrano and several other speakers noted the declining fortunes of the newspaper industry.  Dan in particular mentioned the void in news reporting this might create.  It will be interesting to watch this unfold and see how geo site owners rise to the challenge of being true media properties.

The food was excellent and the speakers were great.  I hadn’t intended on bidding at the auction, but changed my mind when I saw Strongsville.com on the list.  It’s a Cleveland suburb with good demographics. Unfortunately Page decided he wanted it more than I did, but it was still an exciting time.

If I took away one thing from Chicago other than enthusiasm, it was a new respect for the power of a pure geo brand.  That brand imparts a huge amount of credibility and a running start to anyone developing one of these sites. I’m looking forward to the future.