Ready for the real start of Affiliate Summit East? The reason I have not gotten to the Affiliate Summit Daily Guides is because of a big distraction called Jim Kukral. Did you know he is one of the keynote speakers this year? Not only that but there is his new book out called: Attention! This Book Will Make You Money. Jim these are both impressive accomplishments and I think you got our attention.
In fact this is what many of us have been doing for the past couple days instead of preparing for the show. Karen Garcia put this all together the website for the Affiliate Super Friends. I feel like it’s been time well spent. If you want to know what all the fuss is about you can even LIKE Affiliate Super Friends on facebook now. Here is a sneak peak:
Now that we got that out of the way let’s discuss the agenda for Sunday. If you just arrived the first thing you should do is go to the Registration area and pick up your badge. If you have a booth to setup even though booths begin on Monday the setup begins a day earlier so get to it.
If it’s your first time attending Affiliate Summit Shawn Collins the Affiliate Summit Co-Founder will kick things off for you with some tips. I suggest going to this before you get to the meet market.
This guy will be giving you advice so good luck, I swear you are in good hands:
First Timers Guide for Affiliate Summit
Location: Gramercy Suite
Time: 10:00am-11:00am
* Shawn Collins, Co-founder, Affiliate Summit (Twitter @affiliatetip)
(This Session is Open to all Pass Holders)
Shortly after you are getting settled in the Meet Market opens up at noon. I suggest checking out the table list first to save yourself time. While you are at the Meet Market remember to go to the ShareASale table to pick up your pass in order to get into their party.
The Meet Market has merchants and vendors at tables doing giveaways and making business deals. I will be spending most of my time with my awesome client eAccountableOPM which is at table 17. You can also follow me online live tweeting about their merchant giveaways through @MicroSteph and @eAccountableOPM with the hashtag #ASE10. It’s not only about the giveaways it is also a more intimate setting than the exhibit hall and a great time to connect and begin stronger partnerships with your merchants.
If it’s your first time at Affiliate Summit or their are topics of interest you want to learn more about definitely pick a couple sessions to attend during the conference. Things might get packed but if there is one you cannot miss make sure you are there. Besides the great networking it is always inspiring to continue to grow your knowledge of our always changing industry. Make sure to take your laptop, iPad, iPhone, or even a notepad to take notes. Then you can apply what you learned at the conference to grow your own business or you can take it a step further to share information with others on your blog.
Below are two great examples of sessions you can attend. Both completely different topics and with superb speakers. One is about innovation in the industry with Joe Stepniewski the Co-Founder of SkimLinks which recently won the Technology Genius Award of 2010 at the LinkShare GoldenLink Awards Ceremony. I would love to hear what he has to say about the future of the industry.
Innovate! New Exciting Applications of Affiliate Marketing
Session 1c
Location: Sutton Complex (Beekman & North)
Time: 12:00pm-1:00pm
Joe Stepniewski, Co-Founder, Skimlinks (Twitter @digijoe)
(This Session is Open to Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Pass Holders Only)
The second panel I am recommending is Podcasting 101. This panel is at the beginner level and shows you how to get into the world of podcasting. Hear from experts and the GeekCast.fm regulars that you love to listen and learn from. Then take that knowledge and go share your own passions with others. They know and they show you the easy steps to make it work for you. Not to mention the panelists are fantastic. You’re in for a treat two of the panelists are Affiliate Super Friends, these ladies mean business:
Podcasting 101
Session 1d
Location: Sutton Complex (South & Regent)
Time: 12:00pm-1:00pm
* Lisa Picarille, Consultant, LisaPicarille.com (Twitter @lisap) (Moderator)
* Daniel M. Clark, Owner, Host, Geek Dads Weekly (Twitter @danielmclark)
* Trisha Lyn Fawver, Client Support, For Me To Coupon (Twitter @TrishaLyn)
* Joe Magennis, Principal, Baseballisms (Twitter @joemagennis)
(This Session is Open to Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Pass Holders Only)
Now that you have your mind full of ideas you can head back to the Meet Market to network or invite someone to lunch with you. Don’t waste a moment during this show. If you have a press pass you can go to the blogger’s room and keep track of your new ideas. If you still want to check out more sessions there are a couple social media sessions that may be of interest to you. I run social media management for companies and always love to hear what others have to say about their own experiences.
I am also excited to see more people talking about mobile because that is where a lot of new possibilities are already growing. We depend on our cellphones so much that they have become a big part of the new media game. Always strive to learn more and keep up with the latest trends.
New Lead Generation Models: Social-Mobile-Viral
Session 2b
Location: Murray Hill Suite
Time: 1:30pm-2:30pm
* Declan Dunn, CEO, Dunn Direct Media (Twitter @declandunn)
(This Session is Open to Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Pass Holders Only)
Leveraging Profits Through Social Media Connections
Session 2c
Location: Sutton Complex (Beekman & North)
Time: 1:30pm-2:30pm
* Warren Whitlock, Publisher, BestSellerAuthors.com (Twitter @WarrenWhitlock)
(This Session is Open to Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Pass Holders Only)
There are many other sessions to pick from for the rest of the day: Supercharging WordPress for SEO
Simplify the Web to Achieve Your Goals
More Money, Same Traffic, List Building; Paths
Building Niche Affiliate Sites That Produce Revenue
Affiliate Tactics, Opportunities, and Traffic Comparisons
If any of these catch your interest the times and descriptions are available on the Affiliate Summit East Full Agenda.
If you are new to Affiliate Summit we like to make everyone feel welcome. It is a conference that many people have attended for years and at the same time is growing at a rapid pace with newcomers. Jen Goode does a fantastic job of organizing this program that shows newcomers how to get the most out of their experience. Registration for this has already been finalized for this time around.
Each newcomer is paired up ahead of time with someone to guide them. This year my newcomer is Tammy Marchi from Ghirardelli. When we had our first call I don’t know who was more excited her or me just talking about the conference. It really is the conference I get the most out of each time around. If you are in the newcomer program it is the ideal time to attend the meetup event that will kick things off for you.
Affiliate Summit Newcomer Program Meetup
Location: Gibson Suite
Time: 6:30pm – 7:30pm
(Open to all attendees enrolled in the Affiliate Summit Newcomer Program)
After the Newcomer Meetup there are a couple events going on to follow. One is the ShareASale party and the other is the Canadian Meetup eh. I am sure each one will be a great networking opportunity. The Canadian Meetup is right in the Hilton lobby and the ShareASale event is nearby as well at the Empire Hotel.
Canadian Meetup
* Sponsor(s): AdCommunal/AdCanadian
* Time: 7–? p.m.
* Location: Hilton New York Lobby Lounge
* How to RSVP: Email Owenr@adcommunal.com
* Who is invited?: Everyone.
ShareASale “Under the Stars”
* Sponsor(s): ShareASale
* Time: 8–? p.m.
* Location: The rooftop of the Empire Hotel
* How to RSVP: You’ll need to pickup a ticket to our event at the Meet Market on Sunday afternoon which is from 12-6pm at the Affiliate Summit East in New York City. Bring that ticket along with your Affiliate Summit badge and you are good to go.
* Who is invited?: Anybody who gets a ticket.
For a full list of events you can check out Shawn Collin’s Parties of Affiliate Summit East Official List. Stay tuned for your Monday and Tuesday Guides to Affiliate Summit East 2010.
If you are making a trip out of Affiliate Summit East you should check out some of the Pre-Affiliate Summit Events. There is a lot going on and most people get into town early to get in on all the action. The first thing I would do on Saturday is register early. For details on the conference at a glace here is the condensed version of the Affiliate Summit East schedule.
Early Registration:
Location: 2nd Floor Promenade
Time: 4:00pm – 8:00pm
What else can you do to prepare for the show? You have about a week to get things settled. You can start connecting with people online. We are all some form of online marketers that live behind a computer screen. If that is the case you can find us on the social networks below and connect early.
You can also use the cool Interactive Schedule tool to personalize your calendar. Then share it with others to let them know the best way to find you and set up meetings or you can just use it to get organized and know which events you will be attending. It can link through your Facebook, Twitter, and even LinkedIn account. This is a great way to maximize the conference interactions you will have ahead of time.
Then you are in for a treat if you check out the Audience Conference. I got a chance to attend their first ever event last year and I can tell you it was like no other conference experience I have ever had. First of all there was no blogging or live tweeting going on during this event. So I had to put down my iPhone and listen. Actually listen and I was impressed by what I heard. This year the Audience conference is going to be held at Caroline’s Comedy Club and it will be guaranteed learning and entertainment. It is a more intimate setting and Missy Ward describes it as, “a one day event featuring an amazing line-up of brilliant minds and hilarious comedians.”
Once you have met some great people and had a few laughs you can go catch an early dinner with the rest of the ABW bunch. You have an hour to get from the Audience conference over to the dinner which starts at 6pm. ABestWeb.com is hosting a dinner for their affiliate marketing forum members.
Michael Coley posted, “Come network with other ABestWeb.com members before Affiliate Summit East 2010!”
When and Where: Saturday, August 14th from 6pm to 8pm, at Cinema Brasserie, 2 East 45th St., about half a mile south of the Hilton New York.
If you’re going to the buy.at party afterwards (which starts at 8pm), it’s about a half a mile from Cinema Brasserie. Why yes Michael Coley said it right I am going to the buy.at party after the dinner. Good thing he scheduled it nearby! You can register for the ABW Dinnerhere.
The buy.at network knows how to throw some amazing events. The last one I went to I walked out with the most comfortable buy.at pillow. It stayed with me through many airplane rides until I lost it! Amy Ely wanted to tease us with a picture of the new buy.at pillow on facebook. They were a hit, everybody wanted one and nobody was supposed to take them. Here I am holding my pillow below.
I miss my buyat pillow!
In all seriousness, if you have worked with the buy.at network before, I have and I can say they are top notch people. You want to take this opportunity to meet with the buy.at team as well as their merchants and affiliate partners if you have the chance. This event is by invitation but you can always reach out to them if you are interested in attending at: usevents (at) buy.at. Space is limited!
buy.at Black & White Affair:
Details: Saturday, August 14th from 8-11pm @ Inc Lounge
224 West 49th Street between 8th and Broadway, 2nd Floor of the Time Hotel
Attire: black and white attire requested, casual to semi-formal is welcome
After you have mingled, you should go get some rest. You have three days of Affiliate Summit ahead of you that was just a warm up. If you have booth duty the setup area opens bright and early. If you listened to me you have already registered and avoided all the lines that start on Sunday. Have a head start to your day and happy networking!
Want Press Coverage?
I am covering press during Affiliate Summit East. Before the show If you are having an event that you would like me to include in the Affiliate Summit Daily Guides please let me know. I would be happy to include your networking event in the guides. If you would like to meet me in the Blogger’s Lounge during the show for an interview to be featured in my Affiliate Summit Recap please let me know as well.
Follow my Live Tweets during Affiliate Summit East @MicroSteph and remember tweet with the hashtag #ASE10.
I look forward to seeing everyone soon. Safe Travels!
Hear from the industry’s top advertisers. These interviews share what they have to say about the LinkShare network. Take a moment to check out their programs featured in the LinkShare network. We even got a chance to talk to two innovative Golden Link Award Winners.
Frank Hoffman
How many years have you been working with the LinkShare network? 5
How many LinkShare Symposiums have you attended? 5
What is your favourite thing about the LinkShare network? The great account management and how dedicated the people that work for the company are.
Programs in Linkshare: Shop.Lego.com
How many years have you been working with the LinkShare network? 12+ years
How many LinkShare Symposiums have you attended? 3
What is your favourite thing about the LinkShare network? The breath of publishers that you have to choose from.
Programs in Linkshare: http://jr.com
Brian Hawkins @BrianHawkins Founder of the Boston SEO and Affiliate Marketing Group on Meetup.com
How many years have you been working with the LinkShare network? 4
How many LinkShare Symposiums have you attended? 6
What is your favourite thing about the LinkShare network? The account management
Programs in Linkshare: http://Pingo.com
Brian Seewald Golden Link Winner: Best New Advertiser
How many years have you been working with the LinkShare network? Slightly over a year.
How many LinkShare Symposiums have you attended? First and I got to win an award!
What is your favourite thing about the LinkShare network? The most productive marketing channel that we have and the more time and effort we put into it we get back. A lot of potential.
Programs in Linkshare: http://TheLimited.com
Mark Huang @MacysInc Golden Link Winner: Innovative Advertiser of the Year
How many years have you been working with the LinkShare network? 6 years
How many LinkShare Symposiums have you attended? 6
What is your favourite thing about the LinkShare network? Meeting my partners face to face. I don’t get to see them very often.
Programs in Linkshare: http://Macys.com
Maddie McGregor
How many years have you been working with the LinkShare network? Gourmet gift baskets 3.5 years
How many LinkShare Symposiums have you attended? First
What is your favourite thing about the LinkShare network? The reporting is so thorough I’ve worked with other networks but I feel like I can analyze the programs so much deeper.
Programs in Linkshare: http://GourmetGiftBaskets.com
Matt Herzog Started an Affiliate Hall of Fame at their DealMaker booth
How many years have you been working with the LinkShare network? 10 years
How many LinkShare Symposiums have you attended? 6
What is your favourite thing about the LinkShare network? The ease of making new deals with publishers, that’s definitely the best part. There’s a template in LinkShare that lets you make those deals within minutes.
Programs in Linkshare: http://SmartBargains.com
Up next week are final interviews with the agencies as well as a recap on my first LinkShare Symposium experience.
