[Potsie]

Please do not take offense to my newbie status. I am fairly new at the affiliate marketing game and I am intrigued by the summit.

Do you find that this helps your business?
What does it do for you specifically?
What are the main activities?

I don't know anything about it and I am thinking of attending next year. I need more write-offs and what better way than traveling? Thank you in advance for your responses!

[Howard Gottlieb]

The amount you get out is directly proportionate to the amount of effort you are willing to exert. The most knowledgable folks in the industry are there, You just need to figure out how to learn what you need to learn. Sometimes that's easier said than done.

But if your goal is to be around the knowledge base of the industry it will be there.

Of course there'll be a whole bunch of people walking around with no clue too : )

[Potsie]

So it's more of a networking type of thing, glean info that you've always wondered about from those who have already been there. Sounds good already.

Are there seminars or something like that or just social mixers etc. Thanks!

[Billy Kay]

They have a forum here and their own website - you have some reading to do

[Howard Gottlieb]

It's a little bit of everything.

[Rainmaker]

Hi Potsie,
Welcome to ABW.

It's WAAAAAAAAAAAAY worth attending EVERY summit. I constantly hear from affiliates that they learn a tremendous amount that helps them grow their business. The networking is fantastic too. It's often really nice to get to know the managers who you'll be working with on some personal level.

Here's some posts I wrote reflecting back on my last Affiliate Summit.
http://www.rainmakerinteractive.com/ii/category/as2007e/

~Bob

[loxly]

Originally Posted by Potsie

Are there seminars or something like that or just social mixers etc. Thanks!

Did you even look at their website yet?

[Potsie]

Originally Posted by loxly

Did you even look at their website yet?

I admit that I have not. I am really looking for affiliates who have benefited from the experience of attending. The actual format is not as important as the actual impact of attending.

[loxly]

Take a look and you will see that affiliates have seminars they can attend, there are 2 tracks, one for merchants and one for affiliates.

Affiliates benefit greatly from attending.

[Alan Hamilton]

Originally Posted by Potsie

Please do not take offense to my newbie status. I am fairly new at the affiliate marketing game and I am intrigued by the summit.

Do you find that this helps your business?
What does it do for you specifically?
What are the main activities?

I don't know anything about it and I am thinking of attending next year. I need more write-offs and what better way than traveling? Thank you in advance for your responses!

It's all relative to what you want to accomplish with affiliate marketing Pots. Meeting others in this or any other industry (be it online or offline industries) is a huge key to networking success and knowledge. The more people you meet (know) the more opportunities that seem to "present" themselves. Those opportunities don't happen behind a screen. They happen when people meet, shake hands, share conversation and discuss ideas.

By all means read up on the Summit agendas so you get the full picture about what it's all about and then you can make an informed decision. Best of luck.

[Shawn Collins]

Originally Posted by Potsie

Are there seminars or something like that or just social mixers etc. Thanks!

You can see videos of the sessions from the Affiliate Summit in Miami last July at http://www.affiliatesummit.com/videoaccess.php

THere are a couple dozen of them on there.

[Donuts]

I highly recommend going. I learn new things there and meet new people and deepen existing relationships and I have a blast!

[sjangro]

I'm echoing what's been said already here, but it's worth it on so many levels.

As a noob, you'll learn a ton just from being there even if you don't meet a single person (which is difficult) -- going to the sessions, listening to conversations at lunch and over drinks.

And even though it may seem intimidating, don't be a wall flower. Meet people, make contacts and even friends. That's the gold at these events.

[AlexBet]

You should definitely attend the Affiliate Summit. No matter if you are an affiliate, a merchant, or a vendor, there are great opportunities for you. I HIGHLY recommend it.

[FourthWorld]

Is there a calendar with the various affiliate conferences on it? I usually find out about things like Affiliate Summit long after I've already scheduled something else, and it'd be great to meet some of the folks here in person.

[Shawn Collins]

Originally Posted by FourthWorld

Is there a calendar with the various affiliate conferences on it? I usually find out about things like Affiliate Summit long after I've already scheduled something else, and it'd be great to meet some of the folks here in person.

I can't speak for any other scheduled events, but our next stop is Affiliate Summit 2008 West in Las Vegas - Feb 24-26, 2008.

[MichaelColey]

As far as I know, that's the only affiliate event whose 2008 dates have been released.

Most are at the same location and time every year, though:

January - San Francisco - LinkShare Summit
January/February (2/24-2/26 this year) - Las Vegas - Affiliate Summit West
June - New York - LinkShare Symposium
July - Varies - Affiliate Summit East
August - Chicago - Performics Client Summit
September - Santa Barbara - CJU
October - Varies - ShareASale.com Think Tank

Those are the ones I go to.

[Alan Hamilton]

Originally Posted by sjangro

I'm echoing what's been said already here, but it's worth it on so many levels.

As a noob, you'll learn a ton just from being there even if you don't meet a single person (which is difficult) -- going to the sessions, listening to conversations at lunch and over drinks.

And even though it may seem intimidating, don't be a wall flower. Meet people, make contacts and even friends. That's the gold at these events.

But if you run out of Red Bull, don't ask Coley cuz he won't share!!!

[MichaelColey]

I'm drinking one in your honor right now, Alan.

I shared with everyone who asked. (I was actually even going to call you to see if you wanted one, but I didn't have your iPhone number.)

P.S. I plan on bringing some Red Bull to Scottsdale. And I'll share. If you ask.

[sjangro]

Originally Posted by Alan Hamilton

But if you run out of Red Bull, don't ask Coley cuz he won't share!!!

I think I drank Miami out of red bull in July!

[MichaelColey]

Affiliate Summit can be brutal if you're used to getting to sleep regularly. The conference is basically three days, plus there's usually stuff going on a day or two before and a day after. There's plenty going on every night. I don't see how anyone gets through it without massive amounts of Red Bull or some other form(s) of caffeine. Don't tell Alan, but that's about the only time I drink it. (At home I just take a nap if I'm tired.)

[BatteryFuelPatrick]

I've been to only one and here is my opinion:

You get some benefit from the seminars, from the lunch, and from the booths that are set up. The speed networking events - ehhhh. Not so sure about those. I got alot of business cards but 95% of them were a waste.

You get alot more out of what happens after hours and at meals. You can make good friends over food and wine. If you know somebody there try to NOT spend time with them. Find out new people and new chances to talk. This is a hard thing for most people to do . But I am a pretty loud guy/large personality (my eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeego) and I have no problem being intrusive. I would sit at tables where I knew nobody and walk away with 8 new QUALITY friends. Much better than the speed networking (to me).

After hours you get to sit around with people in a relaxed (alcoholic) environment. These are where you make the really good bonds. People are more honest and willing to share their knowledge. Once you leave you will interact with these people and, if you have made good friends, they will help you with no questions asked. Recently I did some work for somebody that is going to cost them a decent chunk of change on a recurring monthly basis. I didn't bother getting a payment up front. I just did it no questions asked. At the same time this person knows my entire family as we have all dined together - completely outside of Affiliate Summit.

Not to mention the parties usually just plain kick ass. If it was not for Andy I would not have had a scantily clad waitress bring 10 bottles of alcohol to our table at a club and sit on my lap and make drinks for everybody. This was after our entire group completely bypassed the line to get in. Lox is always walking around taking great pictures. Watch out for BillyKay. He was taking pictures in the men's bathroom. I learned alot from Snib's wife about healthy eating. Just all around great information.

Patrick
(where is my pimp icon - oh well - here is the next best thing)

[Shawn Collins]

Originally Posted by patrick24601

The speed networking events - ehhhh. Not so sure about those. I got alot of business cards but 95% of them were a waste.

We actually stopped doing those after the Jan 2006 Affiliate Summit in Las Vegas.

It worked when we had a smaller crowd, but was problematic on a number of fronts as the crowds grew larger.

[BatteryFuelPatrick]

Thanks for the update Shawn. It might be able to work again if people came with a list of needs and wants. But when I am networking as fast as possible to fill my 5x5 board or whatever it was there is nothing of substance being exchanged. Maybe you can start it up again in a different format.

[loxly]

Yup Loxly and Billy are dangerous with cameras And Patrick is correct, as much as I love to spend time with the people I know and love at Summit, I am the first to tell my affiliates and friends "Go talk to people you *don't* know yet!" Then introduce them to the people you *do* know and you can all hang out and get to know each other.

Momma Loxly's team all know each other... if they don't I make them go meet... lol.