What's Going On At Affiliate Summit?

Archives > June 3, 2009

What's Going On At Affiliate Summit?

By James Martell

No matter what type of office or industry you work in, it’s always nice to get away.

Fortunately, Affiliate Summit is a great reason for Arlene and I to take a short vacation and make new acquaintances at the same time. The event takes place every year on the east and west coasts, where thousands of people in the affiliate field connect to share opportunities and ideas.

But Affiliate Summit wasn’t always so large. When Arlene and I attended the event for the first time, only a group of about 220 was present.

We made our way to the Summit as part of a cruise that left from New York and headed to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Interest has grown significantly since our initial visit, with the Summit now considered a premiere industry event.

Shawn Collins and Missy Ward founded Affiliate Summit, which now consists of two annual conferences on opposite coasts. In the past, the eastern event has been held at the Disney World Hilton in Florida, while the western version has been scheduled at hotels like the Riviera, Bally’s, and the Rio in Las Vegas.

Affiliate Summit consists of an exhibit hall filled with merchants, vendors, suppliers and advertisers who come together to form a tradeshow.

This is where I spend most of my time.

The event also features a speaker track that gives attendees an opportunity to listen to various speakers from the industry. The topics cover a broad range of interests, including anything from email marketing, improving your conversion rates to Twitter and so much more.

If you've ever considered attending Affiliate Summit, do it.

Simply put, the benefits to taking part in such an event are tremendous. In addition to gaining a better appreciate for the size of the industry, you will have an opportunity to meet successful affiliates and pick up tips and strategies for fast tracking your publishing business.

You can also make new friends while taking a nice break from everyday stressors, and tour around the world-class host city and do some shopping.

Affiliate Summit boasts a casual atmosphere with line up of great speakers and fun parties, all of which will help to build your level of confidence in the industry.

However, the event can be very time-consuming if you don’t make any decisions beforehand.

By following these four tips, you can better design an itinerary that best suits your needs and goals and have a lot of fun at the same time:

Plan to Arrive a Couple of Days Early - Take some time to explore the city and do some sightseeing. With Affiliate Summit set to take place in New York, the landmarks are endless. Be sure to visit the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Central Park, the World Trade site, and Times Square, to name a few. Take a double-decker bus tour, visit Carnegie’s smoked meat, and test some street vendor delicacies. If you want to experience all that The Big Apple has to offer, see a Broadway show or maybe sit in on a taping of Late Night with David Letterman.
Stick to Your Plan - In order to fully appreciate your break, make a list of merchants you’d like to speak to and attempt to contact them to set up a good time to meet – before you leave home.
Research the Sessions - Check the Affiliate Summit site for a list of scheduled speakers and research each one to determine the best fit for your business. If you find yourself involved in a session that doesn’t meet your expectations, don’t be afraid to switch classes.
Use Common Sense - Merchants can be very aggressive, so stay focused on those who truly interest you. Also, it pays to be cautious when handing out business cards, since most merchants will follow up by phone and email. Enter your name in a few draws as well; we won a Sony Playstation Portable during our last visit.

Affiliate Summit is a wonderful experience that I highly recommend.

While I’m not sure if Arlene and I will be in attendance this year, August 9-11, 2009 in New York City - due to scheduling around our kids - but don't count us out yet - and I can guarantee you Arlene and I will be back in Vegas in early 2010.

Click now to visit; http://www.affiliatesummit.com/

If you see us there, be sure to say hello.

All the best,

New to this page? Sign up for the Martell Newsletter above.