Every year, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which is responsible for the management of the Internet’s Domain Name System, holds three international meetings around various parts of the world. What many people don’t know, however, is that ICANN also holds regional gatherings specifically for registrars in particular geographic areas. This affords registrars who otherwise may not be able to attend a meeting the opportunity to get a glimpse into the ICANN world and participate in the policy process.
I was therefore very excited to hear ICANN had chosen Toronto, Canada (where Tucows, the WHIR and many hosting companies are headquartered) as the site for their 2009 North American registrar regional gathering, which took place last week. The gathering provided a great opportunity to meet a wide range of ICANN-accredited registrars I otherwise wouldn’t get to see at an ICANN meeting, including several web hosting companies.
Over the course of the two-day conference, a wide variety of topics were discussed. The conference opened with an overview of the “hot topics” at ICANN, including the upcoming launch of new Top Level Domains, registration abuse policies, ICANN process reform and the new Registrar Accreditation Agreement. Other sessions dealt with the process surrounding the transfer of names from registrars that have been de-accredited by ICANN, presentations from .ASIA and .MOBI on the domain name market, and even a session on the security of the global Internet itself. The event was also a great place to network, as it provided a rare opportunity for local registrars, registries and ICANN staff to come together to discuss business and policy.
If you are a registrar that hasn’t had the opportunity to attend an ICANN event before, I highly recommend checking out the next regional gathering when it comes to your part of the world. It’s a unique opportunity to gain insight into policy matters that will ultimately impact your business.
About Adam Eisner
As Director of Domain Services, Adam is responsible for driving innovation in Tucows' domain name registration business. He has over 10 years of experience in the areas of Internet marketing and services, and holds a Journalism degree from Toronto's Ryerson University.
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