Three renowned Web hosting experts discuss the merits of attending the largest hosting conference in Europe.

By Derek Vaughan

WebhostingDay 2008 was recently held in Bruehl, near Cologne, Germany. Touted as the largest web hosting event in Europe, the two day gathering presented the opportunity for web hosting professionals interested in the European market to network and learn from their peers. With the dollar / Euro exchange rate being what it is, and the relatively high cost of airfare - does it make sense to attend WebhostingDay in 2009? I asked three renowned web hosting experts who have been around the web hosting industry for many years to chime in on their experience at this year’s show. Cliff Boodoosingh, Senior Editor at TopHosts.com, David Snead, an attorney focused on web hosting and Internet-related law, and Phil Shih, an analyst with Tier 1 Research all attended WebhostingDay 2008. Here are their thoughts on what the show was like, and whether a hosting company should consider attending WebhostingDay 2009.

What was your overall experience at WebhostingDay 2008?

Phil Shih, Tier 1 Research: It was good opportunity to learn about the unique dynamics of the European hosting market, something that I value as an industry analyst. It was also a good networking opportunity and for Tier1 Research, a sales opportunity. Speaking off the record, German beer is fabulous. I highly recommend Weizen.

David Snead, W. David Snead, P.C.: I had a very positive experience at WebhostingDay. It is extremely well put together, at a venue that facilitates good attendee interaction and networking, and is attended by many very bright people.

Cliff Boodoosingh, TopHosts.com: I was impressed with the number of attendees, the scope of web hosting and I.T. topics on the agenda and the fun ”networking” parties that Thomas and his team arranged.

How did the show compare to other web hosting-related shows that you’ve attended?

Phil Shih, Tier 1 Research: As the venue clearly indicates, it was a different atmosphere, but not overly different from an event like HostingCon.

David Snead, W. David Snead, P.C.: This is one of the best organized hosting shows I’ve attended. The sessions were good, but tended to lean a bit towards pitches. Presenters need to be told to ”ditch the pitch” as they are in many other shows. The European perspective was awesome. So many of the shows I attend are very focused on the U.S. It was great to get a new perspective.

Cliff Boodoosingh, TopHosts.com: The show is right up there with other conferences regarding the agenda, but there needs to be some improvement in the exhibitor area. It was too tight and more space would definitely enhance proper discussions.

What was the highlight of the show?

Phil Shih, Tier 1 Research: Being able to meet people in the hosting sector from Germany and all around Europe. It really opened my eyes to how global the market is and how different market dynamics are across geographic lines.

David Snead, W. David Snead, P.C.: The questions that were asked of the presenters after they finished their presentations.

Cliff Boodoosingh, TopHosts.com: Since I’ve seen and heard numerous presentations in the hosting arena, I’d say the highlight for me was just being in Germany for the first time and enjoying that experience. If I had to pick, the opening morning set the tone well with Dr. Jens Bocker as M.C. followed by Jens Schneider of visionapp (SaaS), Q-layer’s Kristof De Spiegeleer (Data Center Virtualization), Michael Korbacher of Microsoft (SMB Opportunities), and Serguei Beloussov of Parallels (Hosting Overview).

What was the lowlight? (if that’s even a real word)