Domainer Mardi Gras is coming soon, and, here behind the scenes, it's shaping up nicely. Accountants, legal professionals, and industry representatives will cover the serious business of risk management. Local experts on New Orleans Mardi Gras culture will show you how to have the most fun during Carnival, so conference-goers won't be at risk of anything less than a first-rate experience.

In short, the first Domainer Mardi Gras will be unique for both business and for pleasure.

A sad reminder of the position of the global economy reared its head in January when Oversee.net, the parent company of DomainSponsor, Moniker, Snapnames and DomainFest, laid off 19% of its staff in a reorganization that was done to help prepare the company for 2009.

In September 2008, Kentucky seized a list of gambling-related domain names, claiming that the domains were being used “in connection with illegal gambling activity” in the state. Having strict regulations regarding gambling, Kentucky seized 141 domains claiming the domains in violation of the state’s laws, and further are a drain on the state’s economy as the funnel money away from in-state betting such as horse races. Word spread immediately throughout the domain name community, with the ICA offering to help the gambling industry with the case.

For the past 18 months, co-founder of Afternic.com Michael Collins served as the Executive Director of the Internet Commerce Association. In this time, the ICA dealt with several large issues, such as the Snowe Bill, and the recent success in the Kentucky Court of Appeals. On January 22, 2009 Collins formally stepped down from his position in an e-mail sent to ICA members. Although he will no longer be serving as Executive Director, Collins promises in his e-mail to continue to volunteer his time for the ICA and urges other concerned domainers to do the same.