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Reducing Contention Risk Before It Becomes Expensive
On June 16, 2026, at 9:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time, I'll be hosting a private webinar with Ray King, founder of EarlyWarning.Report and one of the few people who has been through the new gTLD process from the applicant side, the operator side, and the exit side.
Ray applied for 10 top-level domains in the 2012 round and exited them successfully at a profit. He also understands something very important about the 2026 round:
In 2012, many applicants used private auctions to resolve contention. Those private auctions created optionality. They gave applicants a way to recover value, partner, settle, or exit when multiple parties applied for the same string.
That option is gone — ICANN has made clear that, in the 2026 round, private resolution of contention sets is prohibited after Reveal Day.
Ray’s work with Early Warning Report focuses on reducing contention risk before applications are filed. That matters because once competing applications are revealed and remain unresolved, the ICANN auction may be the only path left.
That changes the risk profile for every serious applicant. Early Warning Report was created to help applicants identify potential string contention before it becomes public, expensive, and much harder to manage. Their service is a way to identify interest in potential strings before applicants apply, avoid unnecessary contention where possible, and operate within ICANN’s Applicant Guidebook framework.
Ray and his team are not trying to work around ICANN's rules. They are working within them.
The webinar will cover three significant ways applicants can reduce risk in their new gTLD applications. These are practical, timely, and highly relevant for anyone considering one or more strings in the 2026 round.
There is no obligation to sign up for Early Warning Report by attending this webinar.
However, participation will require a mutual non-disclosure agreement. The reason is simple: Ray will be discussing sensitive strategy, including risk-reduction methods that are not appropriate for a public webinar.
In my opinion, this is the best idea I have seen for the 2026 new gTLD application round.
That does not mean every applicant will use it. It does mean every serious applicant should understand it before making final decisions on strings, timing, and contention strategy.
The 2026 round is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. But opportunity and risk are closely tied together. The applicants who do best will be those who gather better information earlier, make disciplined decisions, and avoid surprises where possible.
That has always been true in the registry business. Trust, clear rules, responsible administration, and good execution are what make registries succeed over time.
This webinar is designed for applicants who want to make better decisions before the window closes.
This is not a general educational session for casual observers.
Only registered attendees who have signed the non-disclosure agreement will be allowed.
This meeting will not be recorded.
Webinar Details
Webinar: Private Risk-Reduction Briefing for 2026 New gTLD Applicants
Date: June 16, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time
Guest: Ray King, Founder of Early Warning Report
Access: By invitation only
Requirement: Signed Non-Disclosure Agreement — You can pre-sign the NDA at https://applicantauction.com/sign
Obligation: None. This is an informational session.
Sign up here:
Register for Event
If you are applying, seriously considering applying, or advising an applicant in the 2026 round, I recommend attending.
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