Founder Helmuts Meskonis moved from the Hilton London Metropole to the Business Design Centre after pricing disputes. The venue handled 44 business sessions across two stages (Executive Stage and Growth Stage), where almost 50 important domain industry figures presented as speakers.
Three partners funded the expansion: it.com Domains, Freename, and Site.pro. This backing and immense success led Domain Summit go global. Africa is getting a similar event on February 23-24, 2026, in Nairobi, Asia follows in November 2026 in Chiang Mai, and last but not least, the US gets one in 2027.
ICANN's VP for Europe, Chris Mondini, talked about the next gTLD round. Michael Riedl from Team Internet keynoted. Brokers Larry Fischer and Dave Evanson shared details from their million-dollar deals.
Real Sessions, Real Data
Joe Alagna from it.com Domains explained how to become a TLD owner. Lars Jensen from ShortDot Registry covered acquiring and operating multiple TLDs. Philippe Boos showed how Domgate manages 1,200 ccTLDs.
Speakers shared actual numbers. Revenue data, conversion rates, and specific strategies. David Barnett covered brand protection against domain fraud. Freddy Schiwek compared commercial versus self-developed hosting platforms.
Freename founder Davide Vicini discussed bridging traditional and decentralised domain systems, which grabbed lots of interest from audiance. Blockchain domains offer permanent ownership instead of annual renewals. The model is pulling interest beyond early adopters.
Extensions Matter More Now
The difference between .com, .net, and .orgaffects business decisions. Companies choose between traditional stability and newer alternatives that signal specific industries.
.com has 154 million registrations. .ai quadrupled to 598,000 domains in three years. Traffic to AI sites jumped 786% between October 2023 and September 2024. Tech startups grabbed .io (1.6 million domains) because Input/Output resonates with developers.
ICANN's 2026 application round adds more options. This year’s London Domain Summit will cover which new extensions make sense and whether TLD owners should expand portfolios.
What 2026 Domain Summit Covers
ICANN's 2026 gTLD application round will dominate discussions. The 2012 round brought .app, .blog, and .shop. This time expect AI, Web3, and emerging tech extensions.
Security gets attention. Registry lock services, two-factor authentication, and DNSSEC remain underutilised. The EU's NIS2 Directive forces upgrades.
This event would be the year’s biggest platform where serious domain investors can meet brokers who move six and seven-figure sales. Market projections put the global domain market at $3.57 billion by 2033. The aftermarket could jump from $640 million (2024) to $1.17 billion (2033). Domain Summit tackles these topics for people shaping where the industry goes.
