They say you won’t get far if you don’t step outside of your house and start your journey. However, everyone’s being forced to stay at home right now because of the threat of an illness which baffles the medical community.

This doesn’t mean we should just sit down and look on as the world passes us by! Everyone and everything is turning to the great World Wide Web to continue with their lives. The same goes for marketing events, especially affiliate marketing conferences.

What is an Affiliate Marketing Conference?​

affiliate-marketing-conferences-png.14952

Simply put, this is an event that allows all industry stakeholders to get together. Such events are graced with the presence of not just affiliates, but also affiliate networks, media buying agencies, traffic providers, companies focused on affiliate solutions, industry professionals, direct advertisers, and more.

This is a great venue to network with companies and individuals, as well as learn new techniques and trends. After-parties and one-on-one meetups are a bonus!

Some of these conferences have been temporarily moved to online versions until the pandemic is over. Others are carefully planning offline functions with limited attendance in 2021. The rest are still getting their affairs in order before announcing future plans.

Nevertheless, attending these conferences -- whether online or offline -- can be a huge boost to your affiliate marketing career.

Affiliate Marketing Conferences You Must Attend​

While several conferences have either been postponed or canceled, many are still pushing through. Those who have canceled might move to online events in the future as well, so we will include them here for reference.

1. Affiliate Summit​

This is the longest-running affiliate marketing conference, having been launched in 2003 and still going strong. In the beginning, the Affiliate Summit was only held once a year in the US. Then it subsequently split to twice a year events, one in the East Coast (going from Florida to New York) and another in the Western US (usually held in Las Vegas).

Right now, there are four Affiliate Summit events, spread throughout the year. These are:
  • Affiliate Summit East - frequently held in New York City and gets an average of 6,000 attendees.
  • Affiliate Summit West - held in Las Vegas, with an annual attendance of 5,000 plus.
  • Affiliate Summit Europe - held anywhere in Europe, with previous events located in Amsterdam and London.
  • Affiliate Summit Asia Pacific - held in key cities in Southeast Asia like Bangkok and Singapore.
This event has grown to become the conference to go to for affiliates. Whether you are a newbie, an experienced marketer, or a pro at this game, you’ll benefit a lot from attending the Affiliate Summit.

Aside from the talks by industry experts (where they share trends, tactics, tools, etc.), there are two other features that make Affiliate Summit the best of its kind.
  • Meet Market - this is where affiliates get the chance to meet other affiliates, CPA networks, traffic providers, and more in a relaxed environment.
  • Exhibit Hall - this is where networks and solution providers get the chance to showcase how their offers and products to attract new affiliates.
Because of the pandemic, only the Affiliate Summit West 2020 physical event was able to pull through. The Affiliate Summit Euro version became a remote event, with other events expected to remain remote until event restrictions ease up.

Affiliate Summit West 2021 is free for affiliates, so sign-up now to get updated when the registration opens up.

2. Affiliate World Conference​

Although Affiliate Summit started out first, Affiliate World Conference undoubtedly caught up. Established in 2015, this event blossomed into one of the best affiliate marketing conferences of today. This conference is being managed by iStack Conferences, which also produces the Sellers World and Ad World Conferences.

The Affiliate World Conference is split into two:
  • Affiliate World Europe
  • Affiliate World Asia
The two events get an average of seven thousand attendees coming from more than a hundred countries. They have more than 200 exhibitors and at least 60 speakers who share their expertise.

Aside from the Exhibition Market and the Mastermind Level Content which we have come to expect from conferences like these, Affiliate World features Networking Events and Niche Tracks.

How is their Networking Event different from others? Well, the events (called Mixers) allow you to interact socially with individuals and companies coming from specific categories in a relaxed atmosphere. Past mixers include the following:
  • Mobile Apps Mixer
  • Lead Generation Mixer
  • Brand Owners Mixer
  • Native Ads Mixer
  • Facebook Ads Mixer
And if you think these talks and social functions are too broad for your taste, you can take part in Niche Tracks. These are a series of activities and affairs that focus on a niche you want to follow. Former tracks include:
  • Facebook Ad Buyers Track
  • Mobile Affiliates Track
  • eCommerce Marketers Track
  • Lead Generators Track
  • Native Advertising Track
These activities will surely propel your campaigns forward.

3. Moscow Affiliate Conference​

Also called MAC Affiliate Conference, this is an affiliate conference sponsored by Leadbit and varying partners. It was launched in 2017 as a networking event for the European market. This has now expanded to Russia and CIS markets.

MAC now holds events a few times a year; two are held in Europe (Moscow and Kyiv), and another one in Asia (either India or China).

The best thing about this event is that it can be free for affiliates. All you have to do is register early or find a network, traffic provider, forum, or industry personalities who are giving away Gold tickets.

4. The European Summit​

No, this is not the gathering of world leaders; instead, this is where leaders in the affiliate marketing space get together for a three to four-day event. The European Summit, or TES for short, is an affiliate conference found in 2009.

If you are from Europe, or if you promote in this region, then this is a great opportunity to connect with the right individuals and companies. There are several niche and category tracks to choose from so that you can get the most out of the 3 to 4-day event.

5. DMI Expo​

Short for Digital and Affiliate Marketing International Expo, DMIExpo is one of the hottest annual events. This event is prepped by a team of marketers with more than 22 years of experience in the digital and affiliate marketing space.

The conference is a two-day affair usually held in Tel-Aviv, Israel. It gets an average of 2,800 attendees every year. Aside from on-stage discussions, there are also exhibitor spaces and question-and-answer panels that will help affiliates further expand their marketing skills.

New technologies are often introduced in DMIExpo, especially since companies looking for fresh eyes on their digital solutions frequent this event. Attendees will also have access to the video recordings of the event to help refresh their memory once they’re home, especially if you’ve had more fun than you expected during the afterparties.

6. Mobile World Congress​

Since mobile traffic has increased over the years, it is not surprising that mobile affiliate marketing has branched out to become a whole different playing field. If you’re promoting mobile offers and would like to enhance your game, the Mobile World Congress is the event you shouldn’t miss.

This event, often held in Barcelona, is not just a gathering of companies and individuals in the affiliate marketing space; it is also a gathering of mobile industry stakeholders. These include device manufacturers, software developers, mobile operators, and mobile marketers.

7. iGB Affiliate Conference​

If you’re in the iGaming niche, then this is the convention to attend. The iGB Affiliate Conference is held three times a year in three separate locations: Berlin, London, and Amsterdam.

Being part of the iGB Affiliate event also means being part of iGBLive which allows you to discover and test-drive new iGaming products. Registration is free for both events.

Aside from the exhibit of new games and offers being launched, their content-agenda includes tips and discussions on how to take your online gaming promotions to the next level. The best types of traffic and the most successful strategies in acquiring new players are likewise explored.

8. Leadscon​

As its name suggests, this conference is focused on lead generation. If that is what you’re focusing on, then it will be a good idea to attend Leadscon. It has been a regular affiliate marketing event since 2008, and it usually takes place in Las Vegas.

You can expect experts from all business segments to attend, which include business and finance, education, health, auto, and home services.

New strategies on how to acquire and nurture leads are discussed, with keynote speakers laying out the trends. You can follow a specific track based on your traffic source or vertical of choice to enhance your marketing skills.

Final Thoughts on Affiliate Marketing Get-Togethers​

You can opt to attend one, two, or even all of these conferences! Just make sure that you get the most out of these affairs by sitting in on topics worth listening to, asking questions during the right discussions, networking with the right people, and partying just enough to make your visit worthwhile.

There is always something new to learn, and the marketing landscape is ever so changing. Who knows? One of these conferences might bring you that golden nugget that will turn all your campaigns green.