Stephanie Lichtenstein

My Review of the Affiliate Summit Agenda Part I: Sunday.
The Affiliate Summit agenda is packed with so much to do that it is hard to know where to start. I have attended several Summit Conferences and have an idea of how to get the most out of your time. I will evaluate and select the sessions that I find the most beneficial. I will explain why I find them interesting and what type of person I believe would find use out of attending. Stay tuned for my picks for Monday, Tuesday, and my favourite part the evening Networking Events. Summit will be in New York City for the first time and it is sure to be an exciting conference. See you there!

Summit can be a bit of a marathon so bring some comfortable shoes and plan on arriving a day or two early. The conference officially begins on Sunday but Saturday night is a great time for dinners and there is always a Saturday night event to kick things off. Get there at least by Saturday if you can. (I plan on arriving on Friday).

Each day has a different pace. Saturday is for fun and the conference gets started on Sunday at noon. This is the day to get into things, mingle at the meet market, but is not too hectic. Monday and Tuesday begins earlier with keynotes and the exhibitors. You will be meeting, talking networking, listening, learning, processing, and standing a lot nonstop.

So make sure to take a look at the agenda and have an idea of a couple sessions per day you would like to attend. (Sessions are the most important when you are a newbie and have a lot to learn). Even if you pick a few you may only have time to attend one so know which one is a must for you and get to it. The others you may miss out on for other opportunities that come up. You will run into the right people and things will get busy.

Sunday, August 9
Sunday you get in and the first thing to do is register. You can register normally at a machine with your email. This is how you get your badge to get into the conference. If you got a platinum pass your badge holds your breakfast, lunch, and free drink tickets.

Registration
Location: 2nd Floor Promenade
Time: 8:30am - 6:00pm

On Sunday, the meet market will open at noon. This is the first official place that opens for the exhibitors and attendees. This is a more relaxed way to meet the businesses. I suggest viewing the layout of tables here that way you can see ahead of time who you would be interested in meeting and think of questions you would like to ask them. Meet anyone you want this is a good time to do so. If you are feeling shy ask a friend to make an introduction. No one at Summit will bite, I promise.

Where will we be at the Meet Market?
If you would like to meet us we will be in the “ShareASale square” at Table 11. Our merchant Train Signal will be there with other fellow ShareASale merchants. Train Signal always takes every opportunity to step it up and interact with their affiliate partners. At the conference, we will have great giveaways for our affiliate partners to take home with them. We will also be available to answer any questions or requests. If you want up to date news about Train Signal you can follow them on Twitter: @TrainSignal.

Meet Market
Location: Rhinelander Gallery
Time: 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Sunday is a great day to attend the sessions especially if you are new to Affiliate Summit or Affiliate Marketing in general. You are in the right place; I remember my first couple conferences were mind blowing. The sessions opened my eyes to many new ideas, technologies, and issues going on the industry. If you are a newbie and want to get the most out of your experience, I have just the session for you!

We can give you some new ideas if you are new to the industry or have been in the industry for a while but are still not getting the attention you want. All of the panel including myself will be sharing our experience and tactics on getting noticed in the industry. We have all been in Affiliate Marketing for a short amount of time yet have leveraged our time, connections, and tools to quickly grow in the industry. We will share our expertise on how to get noticed and more importantly how to be remembered.

I am honoured and excited to be a speaker. Affiliate Summit has strengthened many of my professional relationships; My goal is to share what I have learned with others so that they can succeed. The key is to get the most out of the conference experience; the connections born during these conferences are powerful and the ideas are endless. Everyone on our panel is passionate about speaking and sharing our ideas on getting noticed. At our panel you will learn how to leave a lasting impression.

Getting Noticed FAST
Session 1c
Location: Classroom C - Concourse A
Time: 12:00pm-1:00pm

Regardless what your role in the industry is, it’s important to be noticed within the industry. Learn the networking and social media techniques that make it possible.

• Michael Buechele, Owner, MikeBuechele.com (Twitter @mikebuechele)
• Trisha Lyn Fawver, Affiliate Manager, Paulson Management Group (Twitter @trishalyn)
• Jen Goode, Doodler in Charge, JGoode Designs (Twitter @JGoode)
• Stephanie Lichtenstein, Affiliate Program Manager, Andy Rodriguez Consulting (Twitter@StephARC)
• Lisa Picarille, Online Marketing Consultant, LisaPicarille.com (Twitter @lisap)

(This Session is Open to Gold and Platinum Pass Holders Only)

If you are not interested in being in the lime light and are more behind the scenes there is another panel you may be interested in. This panel is for online business owners that would like some organizational guidance and tips. Receive advise on reporting, information on your sites, and converting through SEO. Improve your online business and learn from successful panelists like Mike Allen. I know him personally and he can share insights with you on how to improve and track success for your business.

Dynamic Shopping - Content, Conversion, Analytics
Session 1b
Location: Classroom B - Clinton
Time: 12:00pm-1:00pm

This session will discuss dynamic shopping features for affiliate websites: banners vs. dynamic content, duplicate content, SEO & conversion impact, and merchant relationship impact, and reporting.

• Mike Allen, President, Shopping-Bargains.com, LLC (Twitter @mta1)
• Anthony Bajoras, President & Co-Founder, m o v e software
• Sal Conca, Senior Media Manager, NETexponent
• Jessie Jones, CEO & Founder, PopShops.com

(This Session is Open to Gold and Platinum Pass Holders Only)

By now I am sure you have heard about the advertising tax. This has been a very important issue in the industry. I have personally taken this to heart because for many of us Affiliate Marketing is our livelihoods. This tax can affect us all on a large scale and it is not something that can be ignored. It has affected several States and even if it has not touched yours, that does not mean it will not come up in the future.

Stay informed on important matters and pay attention now, do no wait until it is too late. Attend this panel if you are interested in what is going on with the advertising tax and what it means for the future. I definitely recommend attending this panel. Everyone on the panel has spent their personal time educating others and advocating for this cause.

Advertising Tax Impact, Accomplishments and the Future
Session 2c
Location: Classroom C - Concourse A
Time: 1:30pm-2:30pm

Discussion on the Advertising Tax by industry leaders that have played a key role in organizing industry advocates and educating legislators on the impact of state tax nexus legislation.

• Karen Garcia, Partner, GTO Management (Twitter @karengarcia)
• Brian Littleton, President / CEO, ShareASale.com (Twitter @Brianlittleton)
• Melanie Seery, President, Affiliate Voice (Twitter @mellies)

(This Session is Open to Gold and Platinum Pass Holders Only)

WordPress is my friend not really but I like them so much that I recommend them to clients and anyone considering blogging. That being said I recommend this session for those interested in blogging. Blogging is made easy for anyone. I think websites have changed and are definitely more interactive through blogs and social media. This should be a fun, informative, and a light panel to learn from for those thinking about adding a stronger presence to their website.

What the Heck is a Website Nowadays?
Session 3b
Location: Classroom B - Clinton
Time: 3:00pm-4:00pm

Businesses may be changing the way they look at web presence. Can you just have a blog? Is a Facebook presence alone a good idea? Does Web 2.0 mean the demise of websites?

• Kelly Harman, President, Zephyr Strategy
• Melanie Mitchell, SVP, Search Strategy, Digitas (Twitter @melaniemitchell)
• Ramon Ray, Editor, Smallbiztechnology.com

(This Session is Open to Gold and Platinum Pass Holders Only)

Relax and unwind at the Affiliate Summit Social Club. I would suggest plan a dinner with clients or potential people you would like to partner with. Talk to interesting people, ask them questions, and learn from them. Once you are back from dinner or before you head back to your room to change stop at the Social Club and well…Socialize!

Affiliate Summit Social Club
Location: Sutton Complex
Time: 9:00pm - 12:00am

Stay tuned for my Monday and Tuesday Guides. This week I will post the sessions I recommend and why I think they are beneficial to attend. I look forward to meeting with you all at Affiliate Summit East. For real time updates on the conference follow their Twitter account: @affiliatesummit. I also suggest following all of the speakers you are interested in connecting with on Twitter before getting to the conference. Below there is a link to the speakers and if they have a Twitter account the info is linked up there.

For more information on the conference select the tabs below:
Speakers | Agenda | Travel | Exhibitors/Sponsors | Mentors | About the Show