Though I was planning a four part series about DNCruise, I decided to combine my last two thoughts into one blog entry since they were one in the same.  In a nutshell, the success of DNCruise distilled down to the quality of people who attended and to both Patrick and Zezura Ruddell.

Fun and Flavor

We have all been to parties that were no fun.  Dinner engagements where you could not wait for the last dish to be cleared so you can go home.  The people around you at these events are actually more important than the activity or food.  DNCruise was so much fun and the food flavorful, because DNCruisers were “good people”.

Newcomers to domaining and the domain industry were full of great questions. Their enthusiasm and excitement reminded me of “WHY” we are working so hard to make our industry so great.  As for the veterans, I can’t say enough good things.  Humble and kind, I saw many of them take the time to answer some of the most basic of newbie questions with a smile and a word of encouragement.

Whether it be sitting down for breakfast or playing board games, DNCruisers welcomed everyone and anyone.  In the end, DNCruise was a whole lot of fun and flavor.

Patrick and Zezura Ruddell

The fun, flavor, and friendship of DNCruise is really a reflection of its hosts.  Patrick and Zezura Ruddell are fantastic individuals – warm, welcoming, and genuine – which set the tone for the cruise.  We all followed their lead and because of the them, DNCruise was a smashing success.  Thanks Patrick and Zezura for making the inaugural DNCruise so memorable.

Part Two – Why the Training on DNCruise was Exceptional

This is part two of my four part blog series on DNCruise.  I had a fantastic time on the cruise NETWORKING and meeting new people.  Also, I thought the training sessions were equally great.  Here is why.

Learn in Class, Understand Outside Class

One key take away from my many years of education was that learning and understanding, though linked, are not one in the same.  Though learning is important, understanding is the greater of the two because with understanding comes application or utilization of knowledge.

After a couple of years getting by with average grades at college, I required the help of the teaching assistants and the professors after class to get by.  In speaking to these people AFTER a class, I realized that only through interaction could I get nuggets of knowledge, not so evident in class, to allow me to UNDERSTAND.  The great part was that with understanding came outstanding grades.

DNCruise Training and After Class Interaction

For those wanting to not just learn about the domain business but actually understand, DNCruise is the answer.  No other conference has the personalized training format that DNCruise had.  After a session it was easy for anyone to talk directly with session speakers to get more personalized responses.  Moreover, since the speakers were on the cruise for several more days, simply walking up and asking more questions a day or two later wasn’t an issue, in fact it was encouraged.  After session interaction is where the true training magic really happened on DNCruise.

Tomorrow – The DNCruise Fun

“Work hard, party hard” appropriately describes DNCruise for me.  Tomorrow I am going to write about why DNCruise was so much FUN!

Sponsoring of DNCruise

HEXONET is a proud sponsor of Chef Patrick’s DNCruise.  Over the next four days, I will touch upon what I saw and did at DNCruise.  Today is about the fantastic networking at the event.

DNCruise – Bon Voyage

For four days, from October 11 – 15, the inaugural sailing of DNCruise, the first ever domain event held on a cruise-liner, took place on the beautiful high seas of the Caribbean.  Some attendees of DNCruise came for the networking.  Other attendees came for the training.  Unexpectedly for everyone though, we walked away having a great deal of fun as well as making resonating friendships.

Networking Over Flip-flops and Long Islands

Going to many different types of technical trade-shows and events for countless number of years, I really found the networking on the DNCruise refreshing and more satisfying.  Meeting new people in one’s shorts and a T-shirt forces you to drop your guard.  And as a result, introductions were more genuine and friendly.  Though we all still carried our titles, a new and more important title for the cruise was emerging – DNCruiser!

As a DNCruiser, networking went beyond just asking someone what they did for a living.  The same ritualistic question-and-answer dance that I was accustomed to at trade-shows had to be thrown out the window.  One couldn’t simply ask a few questions and then just walk away.  Knowing that you will see these individuals many more times over the course of four days, it became appropriate to ask and be prepared to answer deeper questions.  In the end, every DNCruiser said DNCruise was by far the best networking event they had ever experienced.

Domain Training and Learning on the High Seas

Tomorrow’s post will be on what I learned at DNCruise and why some of my shipmates say DNCruise was one of the best training events they have ever been to.