What you need to know about NamesCon 2020…

Excitement and anticipation greatly build, and could be felt on this beautiful 70 degree day here in Austin, Texas, home of NamesCon 2020.

I ventured downtown after a late lunch meeting to take full advantage of pre-registration — securing my conference badge and additional details, and getting acclimated with conference layout.

I arrived onsite as the Omni Downtown Hotel was undergoing major transformation in preparation for NamesCon Global: The Domain Economic Forum.

I thought I’d take a moment and share a few insights discovered in preparation for the next few days.

Parking at NamesCon 2020

If you are lodging at the Omni Hotel Downtown or using rideshare services to arrive onsite, then skip this section. 😉

One thing to note about NamesCon is parking at the Omni Hotel Downtown, side streets surrounding the hotel, or across the street on the west side of the hotel can be quite challenging, especially during business hours.

So, if you’re a local with the expectation of driving and parking onsite, your best opportunity exists a block northwest of the Omni at 9th and Brazos in the 823 Parking Garage (see pics). Enter the parking garage from 9th, which is a one-way street driving east.

Max parking cost for the day is $27, and after speaking with parking management, it’s best to arrive prior to 9am.

Based on data, the parking garage hits max capacity between 9AM-12PM, which may mean parking more than 2-3 blocks in all directions of the hotel if you don’t arrive before 9AM. 😉

Nevertheless, 823 Parking Garage is a quick 1-block walk south to the Omni Hotel Downtown.

Enter Omni Hotel Downtown from North or Northwest entry

Although entry can be made from all sides, the best place to make entry is the North or Northwest corners of hotel.

The picture below is me standing facing Northwest towards Brazos (with 823 Parking Garage one block north) at the hotel’s Northwest entry. The North entry is to the right of picture.

If making entry from the Northwest, you’re greeted with Exhibition Hall or Galley of sponsors on either side, helping to “Keep Domaining Weird”, a head nod to “Keep Austin Weird”.

Keep walking towards centered staircase as you pass sponsor booths, and you’ll soon pass the NamesCon Information and Registration stations — pick up your conference badge and details here.

Walking up the centered staircase, rooms for Keynote Hall, Breakout Sessions, and Meetings are to your right. I took a quick peek into the rooms as they were being setup, far from completion.

Closing Thoughts: Twas’ the Night Before NamesCon

We’re only hours away from witnessing and participating in the flagship event of the domain industry.

I’ll do my best to take copious notes as I attend keynotes, sessions, and events, and share via social networks as well as daily recaps here at KickstartCommerce.com.

I’m excited about the relational connections to be made and strategic partnerships to be realized this year from attending NamesCon 2020 in Austin, Texas.

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for more updates bright and early tomorrow morning!