Returning from one of the Domain Name Industry’s premier events (T.R.A.F.F.I.C. West and no, yours truly did not attend), Sahar Sarid over at The Conceptualist legitimately ponders, “What is Value,” asking why this domain name tradeshow is a success for his company and not necessarily so for others.

The Cost of TRAFFIC

To help folks understand why he is asking this question, it is helpful to know, first, that this industry event is not cheap. As of right now, the “early bird” registration fee to attend T.R.A.F.F.I.C. East in Orlando this May is $1,495; after March 1, that price climbs to $1,995. Ouch! And, as Sahar points out, this does not include airfare, hotels, meals and the opportunity cost of attendance (lost revenue due to taking time off from work or leaving one’s business unattended).

The Value of TRAFFIC

At the bottom of the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. website, the words, “Network with the biggest and the best,” appear. This is the seven word hook upon which many of us hang. Who wouldn’t want to be a fly on the wall when Rick Schwartz takes the podium? Anyone out there not want to rub shoulders with the physical embodimonts of success in this industry?

For Sahid, this is a question of Value. For me, like many others, this is a question of potential Return on Investment: what is my business going to get in return for all of the costs of event attendance?

It is not that I am not a hopeful person; I am.

It is not that the esoteric is lost on me; it is not. Certainly there is a cozy and warm zen value meeting folks who do what you do and who love what they do, they way you love what you do. Trust me, I don’t feel like the black sheep of my field lurking on Sarid’s site or reading Rick Schwartz’s Blog. Frank Schilling and I share similiar feathers.

But, I have to ask, what actionable ideas will I come home with? What information will I have as a result of the show that I would not have otherwise or that I would not have in a timely manner? Finally, what can I put to work immediately to increase my cashflow?

And Your Favorite ROI Is… ?

Sahar wants us to look beyond the cash ROI. He acknowledges a complex form of value greater than cash value when he writes, “The more complex form of value is not to judge ROI in only dollars and cents, but judge ROI in the bigger picture.”

And I agree with Sahar, with all of my heart: The T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Event holds much potential value for domainers.

Having good friends and famliar contacts in your industry makes me go gooey inside; I long for the day or evening when I can get together with a group of people who understand the words, “conversion,” “SEO” or “organic traffic.” I long to be able to call someone and say, “Hey! I just bought umpty-frats.com!” and hear that person say, “Holy Crap, park that domain!” instead of, “Okay, show me the money.”

I long for the flow of ideas that happens when friends with similar interests get together (a weekly event over here where 99.9% of our friends are pilots and if we could eat on aviation ideas we’d all be fat).

But I cannot agree with my wallet. I have to ask the nasty cash questions: how long will it take me to make the money back? what cash profit potential does T.R.A.F.F.I.C. hold? what will I learn that I can act on now? I fI cannot positively answer these questions with a cashflow gameplan, I cannot justify spending the money on T.R.A.F.F.I.C. (Well, I could, but my husband would hit the ceiling)

Even Rick Schwartz says, “Nothing happens on this planet until a sale is made.”