Affiliates Summit - the go-to conference when I started affiliate marketing, 4 years ago. The conference everyone talked about in all communities as a must attend. The problem? When I started out, this event took place only in the US.
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You're probably asking yourself '... but who are you?'. My name is Manu, I'm the founder of WHAT THE AFF, a daily 5-minute-read jammed packed with the latest online marketing news, trends, tech and actionable advice, read daily by thousands of marketers. You can sign up for free right here.

Anyway, 4 years later, I finally attended my first Affiliate Summit, in Amsterdam! I honestly didn't know what to expect but I was very much looking forward to this experience. Let me share my thoughts on the event, as someone who has been in the industry for a few years but never attended Affiliate Summit before'

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The cool things

Meet Market

It's by far what I found most impressive and most valuable. One day full of networking with basically all attendees. Not just that but everyone there is looking to network. It's super focused and I absolutely love that.

We literally did not have enough business cards for everyone that was there. You might say it was our bad but it was impressive.

Affiliates, advertisers and ad networks all in the same room discussing what they do and how they can work together. Do that a hundred times in one day, how can that help?

Clearly the top highlight for me and already a big enough reason to join the one next year.

Steven Bartlett

I am not someone who usually goes to conferences for the speeches. I really like the networking aspect of it more. Meeting old friends and making new ones but, of course, also creating more business opportunities.

That said, Steven's speech on influencer marketing stood out. It was refreshing and eye-opening.

At a time when organic reach is harder and harder to get, and paid traffic becomes more and more restricted, creating an engaged following is something invaluable.

That's where affiliates could learn a thing or two (or more) from Steven. I won't spoil it but I strongly encourage you to check out the recording on YouTube.

Day 1 after-party/meetup with Affiliate Business Club

I'm not a party animal. I like more focused gatherings where people can talk with each other. The meetup put together by Affiliate Summit Europe and Affiliate Business Club was a perfect fit.

It was 2 mins walk from the venue.

It gathered hundreds of people in a cozy venue that was not very loud or too dark. People could grab a beer and just spend time with some of the best in the industry.

It didn't take place super-late that you're already tired from talking to hundreds of people.

Big thumbs up!

The not-so-cool thing

Not everything was perfect of course. My biggest complaint: the weather. Unfortunately, we got unlucky to catch some of the worst weather Amsterdam has to offer that time of the year.

It was purely bad luck and it's a shame because Amsterdam is a lovely city when the weather is good. The one thing that comes to mind is to have it a couple of weeks later if possible. Wouldn't you know it, Affiliate Summit Europe 2020 takes place at the end of the month, from 25th to 27th March.

All in all, is this event worth it?

Absolutely. This was my first Affiliate Summit but certainly not my last. I've already made rough plans for Affiliate Summit Europe 2020. It's just a 2-hour flight for me, so it will be a regular event for me.

I met a bunch of companies I haven't seen in the space before.

More importantly, even more companies heard about us for the very first time too.

Expect to see me and a few others from The WTAFF Crew in Amsterdam next year for a bigger and better Affiliate Summit Europe.

REGISTER NOW FOR #ASEURO20

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