Thinking ahead to Affiliate Summit East ...
I’ve been pretty busy lately, with recently coming back from Ad:Tech in San Francisco and various small vacations here and there. Then of course, grinding’ my ass off getting a bunch of small projects done before summer starts. It’s cold up here in Canada most of the year in-case you weren’t aware – so we need to get as much sun as we possibly can!
Just the other day, it occurred to me that there’s only a only a few short months left before Affiliate Summit East is happening and that it’s just about time to start thinking about it again.
Last year was a blast, and my first ever conference in the Affiliate/Internet marketing industries so I was pretty green and didn’t really know what to expect. Now that I’ve been to a few other conferences and know a lot more about the industry, its politics and the people involved I’m sure it will be even better than my experience was last year.
This year I’m hoping to conduct a little more business and sight-seeing than partying. I’ve been to New York several times but never really took the opportunity to travel around the city seeing some of the more popular things so that should be fun and also a little easier on the liver than last year. Not to mention the pocketbook – 40$ for two gin and tonics, WTF?!@?
With parties having guest appearances by people like Biz Markie it’s certainly hard to not get caught up in running around town all night partying with your friends. Alas, one should remember that the primary goal of any conference is to meet people, get new ideas, and discuss business whether it be deals, mergers, or simply ideas for the future whether collaborative or not.
Last year I didn’t spend much time at the conference itself, instead I went through the exhibit floor meeting many of the networks and affiliates. However, I was still hesitant as to what I should have been asking or even talking about because I was still relatively new to the industry. So, instead I kind of sat back and watched as my Internet buddies did the talking and I absorbed the information I needed.
This changes as you hit more conferences and meet more people while of course learning more about the industry. This year I expect it to be even better than the past Affiliate Summit’s I’ve attended because I personally know more about the industry as a whole.
Flatly, this year can only be better because last time was fucking rad and I was newb.
This year I intend to meet more people on the floor and probably visit a few or more sessions if I can to see what trends the more experienced people are talking about, and just to network a little further into the scene. While the forum crowd is a great resource and many friends can be made, I’ve certainly met other people on a whim at a conference that have turned out to be better partners or friends.
Looking forward to seeing you all again, I’m sure I’ll think of more to write sooner to the conference.
And now, back to el’ grind.
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