What YOU would like to see at an Affiliate Marketing Conference

**Matthew Wood** · 05-06-07

I'm taking next week off to sieve through the speaker applications for a4uexpo, however it's the affiliate marketing community that I really look forward to hearing from regarding what YOU would like to see discussed at the event.

I urge you to please spend a few minutes giving this some thought and to either PM me or write here what you'd like to see. I will then dedicate my time to ensuring we meet your expectations.

Please don't be silent on this issue, get involved! This is your chance to help shape the industry whether you're an affiliate, merchant, agency, domainer, network rep, affiliate management company or newbie.

Many Thanks,
Matthew.

**Elaine** · 05-06-07

I would prefer to have the option of which events to attend and pay separately for each one - rather than a blanket fee to cover all sessions - although I do realise that this might not be cost effective, and some sessions could be oversubscribed and others empty.

Each discipline - Affiliate Marketing, PPC, SEO, Merchant Side etc - should, ideally, be split into 2 individual sessions - one aimed at beginners and the other at established affiliates - maybe with questions being submitted, well beforehand, for indepth Q&A sessions.

A forecast as to how the experts! see the Affiliate Marketing industry changing over the next 5/10 years - will merchants get savvy and start taking it inhouse? will some affiliates grow and start bypassing the networks and agencies?

Will AM ever become regulated?

just to be going on with

**Matthew Wood** · 05-06-07

Thanks Elaine, greatly appreciated.

We could have a session on industry regulation; would certainly be interesting - Is it up to the networks to self regulate? or an industry body? - Its an emotional issue however that would need an exceptionally good moderator.

Com'on everyone else chip in

**John** · 05-06-07

I'd like to see a session covering how to build a successful domain portfolio from scratch. Also, whilst the usual SEO/PPC workshops will be incredibly popular, I don't think they offer anything new to the seasoned pro.

Perhaps, as Elaine says above, split each disipline into newbie and pro?

If i'm gonna pay top dollar to attend workshops, I wanna be pretty sure that I'm gonna learn something new to pay for me going, IYSWIM

**sgpratley** · 05-06-07

Splitting it by verticals would be another option?

Agree with Elaine that something around industry regulation is going to be important before somewhere like the IAB or the ASA starts claiming it can do it.

Also, some input from successful merchants would be good. I always take any kind of sales messages with a pinch of salt, but if one of their clients is prepared to back it up with some of their own stuff I'll sit up and listen.

If anyone has ever been to one of e-consultancy's masterclass sessions they know what I mean, most of it is delivered by clients rather than agencies or suppliers.

**Ditzy** · 05-06-07

Originally Posted by Elaine

Each discipline - Affiliate Marketing, PPC, SEO, Merchant Side etc - should, ideally, be split into 2 individual sessions - one aimed at beginners and the other at established affiliates

This is good advice.

I've been in a canny few training sessions which ended up being mega frustrating because they had to be tailored to new members of staff. At the time I was obviously only wasting my employers time sitting swinging my feet but if I'd paid for the sessions I'd have been a tad miffed.

It also means that I could choose a beginner session on things I don't know much about but opt for the more complex session on the things I'm up to speed with.

No disrespect intended to newbies

... we were all new at some point

**sgpratley** · 05-06-07

Good idea. Google do this when they do their 'University' sessions at some of the other trade shows & conferences.

I think that was a problem on the Newcastle event, everyone got something out of it, but at the same time everyone also had patches where they were looking for something a bit more challenging.

A bigger event should mean you can divide into streams more easily.

**Red** · 05-06-07

Originally Posted by Elaine

Each discipline - Affiliate Marketing, PPC, SEO, Merchant Side etc - should, ideally, be split into 2 individual sessions - one aimed at beginners and the other at established affiliates - maybe with questions being submitted, well beforehand, for indepth Q&A sessions.

Completely agree with this as I find that often at sessions that are run at places like the DM show on Internet related areas aren't really very challenging on those who have worked in the area for a few years and are mainly aimed at newbies.

**Matthew Wood** · 05-06-07

Good feedback - We are planning to have up to four sessions for each period enabling you to choose which is more relevant to you, some will be for either affiliates or merchants and all will be labeled as newbite, intermediate or advanced sessions.

**quikfind** · 05-06-07

Originally Posted by Matthew Wood

I'm taking next week off to sieve through the speaker applications for a4uexpo, however it's the affiliate marketing community that I really look forward to hearing from regarding what YOU would like to see discussed at the event.

I urge you to please spend a few minutes giving this some thought and to either PM me or write here what you'd like to see. I will then dedicate my time to ensuring we meet your expectations.

Please don't be silent on this issue, get involved! This is your chance to help shape the industry whether you're an affiliate, merchant, agency, domainer, network rep, affiliate management company or newbie.

Many Thanks,
Matthew.

What about round tables that affiliates and networks can have the chance of speaking one to one about various thinks that might interest them. That way affiliates could have a more personal touch on networks/products/services either newbies or not both could benefit.

We did this in the past with the travel industry and the adult industry and it had very good success

regards
vasilis

**tomj** · 05-06-07

What usually works very well at these types of events are seminars held by Lawyers and accountants covering the legal and financial pitfalls of our business, best practice, highlighting various cases and also taking QA.....

Altho keeping it interesting and non granular is key

**Geoffuk** · 05-06-07

I don't want to take this off-topic, but I've just got a quick question.

I was surprised to hear you talking about Newbies at these events. When you talk of newbies, are these usually employees of companies that have been sent along, or do individuals attend?

My current situation is that i'm just in the process of setting up a niche site, will plans of more for the future. Would this warrent me going along or would it be a bit needless? Would you suggest someone in my situation just took the plunge and went along, or find my feet in the industry first?

Geoff