MERGE! Orlando 2018: Full Schedule

MERGE is a group of DIGITAL ASSET EVENTS with a focus on current trends in a holistic manner, and different technologies, segments, and sectors. MERGE attendees, speakers, and sponsors can audit different but adjacent technology disciplines and build meaningful ROLODEX DIVERSITY while exploring new regions of opportunity.

MERGE will take place within the entirety of the Grand Ballroom space at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista, located in Orlando, Florida.

Registered attendees will be treated to a variety of content that comes from the different shows and events and group meetings that are occurring during MERGE, as well as keynotes, panels and networking activities.

Interested in sponsoring? There are some last-minute options available.

Meanwhile, check out MERGE.SHOW for more information, and stay tuned!

[Please note, Schedule may be subject to small changes]

2:00pm EDT

DISCUSSION Ethereum Deep Dive: ERC20 / ERC721

There are a variety of implementations to Ethereum, and the two prevailing approaches have some very different benefits and behaviors. Learn more in this session.

Speakers

James Drake

CEO, Embermine

Christa Taylor

CEO / Director of Marketing, dotTBA Inc.

Christa Taylor is passionate about new gTLDs and their impact on the internet, she has launched new gTLDs, supported over 50 new gTLDs applicants, ranging from small companies to some of the largest brands in the world, developed business strategies, marketing and promotional strategies... Read More →

Saturday September 15, 2018 2:00pm - 2:30pm EDT
1: ICA Breakout Room Salon 1, Hilton LBV @ Disney Springs (Orlando, FL)

MERGE Blockchain, CryptoCurrency Group

MERGE Subevent(s) Blockchain
Group Blockchain
Session Access MERGE Conference

10:00am EDT

Speaker Green Room and Conference Organizer Space

Need some quiet space for a meeting, catching up on email, or important discussions? This is the place

Sponsors

The Domain Name Association

Sunday September 16, 2018 10:00am - 12:45pm EDT
3: DNA Lounge / VIP Meeting Room Salon 3, Hilton LBV @ Disney Springs (Orlando, FL)

Conference

MERGE Subevent(s) Blockchain, CMS Summit, Conference, Digital Search Summit, Identity, Security, THE Domain Conference, TLDFest, MERGE, Subbox.club
Group Angels, Blockchain, BRG, CMS Summit, Content, Developer, DNS, Domains, eCommerce, Fun, Hedge Fund, DNA, ICA, IP, Journalism, Investment, Legal, Media, Market, Security, Startup Investment, UX, Venture Capital, CryptoCurrency
Session Access Limited
Pass Type VIP

10:45am EDT

Private Venture Capitalists MEETUP

Engage

During, but not part of MERGE, this is a private group meeting. Because of random 'elevator pitch fatigue', these investors are having this meeting and including participants by invitation only.

Investors and start-ups are welcome to request invitations. The team at MERGE are not involved in the selection criteria used for participation by the organizers and have no influence or sway on participation.

The location will be disclosed by the organizers along with the invitations, but it will be at the Hilton.

Click Engage to be put in contact with organizers - they will review and respond where they feel it applicable.

Sunday September 16, 2018 10:45am - 12:30pm EDT
│Conference │ Hilton LBV @ Disney Springs (Orlando, FL)

Private Group Meeting, Private Group

MERGE Subevent(s) Private Group Meeting
Group Investment, CryptoCurrency, Domains, Blockchain, Venture Capital, Angels, Hedge Fund, Startup Investment
Session Access Limited
Pass Type Special RSVP

6:15pm EDT

THE Domain Conference Famous Welcome Cocktail sponsored by SitePlug

Schmooze and network with other conference attendees, sponsors, speakers and guests amidst the lovely glow of our amazing and vibrant sponsor booths.

Enjoy a beverage and some canapes and hors d'oeuvres with some great company at this classic institution of networking.

Sponsored by SitePlug

Sponsors

SitePlug

Sunday September 16, 2018 6:15pm - 8:15pm EDT
THE EXPO HALLS Foyers and Salon 4-5, Hilton LBV @ Disney Springs (Orlando, FL)

Networking, Networking

MERGE Subevent(s) CMS Summit, MERGE, Digital Search Summit, THE Domain Conference, TLDFest, Security
Group Domains, CMS Summit, DNS, Investment, Legal, Preshow, ICA, DNA, Blockchain, CryptoCurrency, eCommerce, Fun, IP
Session Access MERGE Conference
Pass Type MERGE General

9:00am EDT

Domain Name Solutions for Blockchain Challenges

CryptoCurrency Wallet Addresses, Smart Contract Addresses and other resources within the blockchain world use long and complex addresses as reference. Just like IP addresses are more complicated than a human should have to remember, domain names create the important shortcut reference to 'speed dial' those systems that you need to access.

The market for domain names with keywords related to Crytpocurrency and related Blockchain technologies is very robust, and the naming strategies of many of the top Blockchain innovation companies seem to favor a variety of TLD extentions.

This session will discuss:

The marketplace for Crypto and Blockchain domain names
The potential solutions that come from the existing namespace - and how it will and can evolve for use with Blockchain, IoT, and other technologies
The naming strategies of top Blockchain companies

Speakers

Alvin Brown

Publisher, Kickstart Commerce

Alvin Brown is Founder and Publisher of KickstartCommerce.com and DNAdverts.com — resources dedicated to sharing domain name strategies and best practices to grow business. He is also a Domain Investor and Digital Strategist with nearly 20 years of experience pertaining to search marketing, software engineering, marketing automation, and integrated digital... Read More →

Jebidiah Burnett

Sr. Domain Consultant, Donuts

Dave Evanson

Sedo

Dave Evanson has over 35 years of experience in high level consumer and business to business marketing, strategic planning and corporate sales. He has successfully brokered tens of millions of dollars in premium domain names. Dave focuses on acquiring and selling ultra-high value... Read More →

Jothan Frakes

CEO, Private Label Internet (RrSG Excom)

Jothan Frakes, has worked as a volunteer maintainer of the Public Suffix List since 2008, and works tirelessly to engage, educate and evangelize the use and value of domain names as critical Internet infrastructure.He has held senior management roles in numerous Regisrtty and Registrar... Read More →

Toby Hall

CEO, mmx.co

Toby Hall is a highly experienced marketeer who has supported a series of fast growth public and private businesses in the Internet and natural resources sector over the last twenty years. In this capacity, he has been a strategic adviser to Minds + Machines Group Limited (MMX) since... Read More →

Jodee Rich

Co-Founder, NFT.NYC

Jodee Rich is Co-Founder of NFT.NYC and NFT.LONDON.CEO at PeopleBrowsr - An integrated Social Collaboration, Engagement, Crypto, and Blockchain mBaaS (pre ICO). I am on a mission to drive human Collaboration. The PeopleBrowsr mBaaS unlocks Your Community on Your own Domain. It stores... Read More →

Sponsors

Sedo

Sedo has a Crypto Domains Auction under way from September 13-20, 2018, under way during MERGE:Here is the description from their website: [https://sedo.com/us/about-us/news-press/newsroom/crypto-domains-auction-september-13-20/]Crypto domains have been trending all year long and... Read More →

Monday September 17, 2018 9:00am - 9:50am EDT
0: Escrow.com Keynote Hall Salon 6-8, Hilton LBV @ Disney Springs (Orlando, FL)

MERGE Blockchain, Panel or Presentation

MERGE Subevent(s) Blockchain, THE Domain Conference, MERGE, Identity
Group Investment, CryptoCurrency, Blockchain, DNS, Domains
Session Access MERGE Conference
Pass Type MERGE General

11:00am EDT

Plenary Panel - Cryptocurrency/Blockchain - Practical Benefits and Where To Use It, Where Not To

Crypto and Blockchain offer a number of benefits and advantages.

Blockchain has many benefits. Also, it has many costs and implications. It is certainly more than a buzzword when the time comes to actually do the work, and there are areas where the advantages of Blockchain may or may not be an ideal fit.

Learn from these experts about the interesting ways these are working and how to decide what aspects of projects and systems are a good fit for leveraging some of the benefits of Blockchain - and those which are not ready for the power consumption, processing costs and other considerations.

Moderators

Ken Hansen

Farsight Security, Inc.

Speakers

Bianca Diosdado

CEO, Quire

Bianca Diosdado currently serves as the CEO of both Octagon Talent Solutions and Quire Blockchain Consulting Services. Within 6 years, she tore up the Agency ladder starting as a Technical Recruiter at Octagon Technology Staffing, moving to Director of IT Recruitment and eventually acquiring the company, becoming the CEO. Her passion for technology and education has... Read More →

James Drake

CEO, Embermine

Michael Palage

President, Pharos Global

Michael Palage is on the board of directors of the Blockchain Special Interest Group at the Internet Society (ISOC.ORG).Mr. Palage is an intellectual property attorney and an information technology consultant. He holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering and JD in Law and is a founder... Read More →

Christa Taylor

CEO / Director of Marketing, dotTBA Inc.

Monday September 17, 2018 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
0: Escrow.com Keynote Hall Salon 6-8, Hilton LBV @ Disney Springs (Orlando, FL)

MERGE Blockchain, CryptoCurrency Group

MERGE Subevent(s) CMS Summit, Conference, Digital Search Summit, MERGE, Security, Subbox.club, THE Domain Conference, TLDFest, Blockchain
Group Blockchain
Session Access MERGE Conference
Pass Type MERGE General

3:15pm EDT

Keynote: Chad Bennett - "Blockchain Based Cybersecurity. How cryptocurrency can enable the future of cyber protection."

"Blockchain Based Cybersecurity. How cryptocurrency can enable the future of cyber protection."

Speakers

Chad Bennett

CEO, Chief Architect, Heroic.com

Chad is a technology visionary with 15+ years of professional cybersecurity experience. As CEO of multiple technology companies, Chad and his teams have been recognized three-times as Inc. 500 Fastest-Growing Private Company honorees.

Monday September 17, 2018 3:15pm - 4:00pm EDT
0: Escrow.com Keynote Hall Salon 6-8, Hilton LBV @ Disney Springs (Orlando, FL)

MERGE Blockchain, Keynote

MERGE Subevent(s) MERGE, THE Domain Conference, Subbox.club
Group Blockchain, Startup Investment, CryptoCurrency, Domains, eCommerce, Security
Session Access MERGE Conference
Pass Type MERGE General

10:00am EDT

Embermine ($MBRS / $DOM) Token Holder Meeting and Company Update

Engage

Come hear about the Akyumen device prototypes, the Falcon Tablet and Hawk Phone, and hear about the exciting developments at Embermine, as well as other ecosystem updates.

Speakers