Promises to be a big one. Today is the main stage for the ccNSO – the Country Codes Names Supporting Organisation. This is where .au and our overseas equivalents find voice and discuss common issues.

Coffee is getting increasingly difficult to find upstairs. Never a good sign.

I enter “La Pampa” room. “Oh, your from auDA, here take these.” What? Voting placards? PAUL! You didn’t brief me about this! No fear. He’ll arrive soon. Won’t he? Paul arrives and provides a brief: “Just use the green card.” Paul kicks off on the first voting opportunity – green card for the budget overview. Next one is the revenue contribution model. Paul gives me a turn holding up the green card. GO ME!

Quarter time, change rooms. Off to a joint meeting with the ICANN board. And then back to Country Code huddle. Many acronyms discussed with intent. And just exactly what did happen at Montevideo? And who said your allowed to use an asterisk in an acronym – I*? Pronounced iStar, of course. Now that’s innovation!

Half time brings lunch. Sponsored by someone who got poor value for money form their sponsorship. Light entertainment provided in the form of the rush for the bain marie culminating in a sight and sound show when the heating flame spirits flowed onto unsuspecting trousers & shoes. Note to self: no synthetic fabrics.

After lunch the ccNSO has a joint meeting with the GAC (Government Advisory Committee). I sit with C.L.O. Yes, we even have an auDA director who is an acronym. Once again, this is formal place for discussion between two member groups of the multi-stakeholder model.

Next comes a brief chance to freshen up before the evening’s networking events.

On to the bus and down to the waterfront for the ccNSO Cocktail party. There is a terrific sense of fraternity, especially notable between us and our NZ and UK colleagues. The function finishes just in time to make it to Gabriel’s Comedy Night. Remember him? The guy from 18 years ago in Mexico. Well, he manages comedy artists and invites us along. Our contingent of 9 has an hysterical night out. Every joke sounds funny with the right Hispanic accent: “Hmmmm, juicy!”