Half the fun of working in affiliate marketing comes through all the chances we get to connect with each other. Whether it’s sharing silly stories or swapping success secrets, the industry runs on connections – professional and social alike.
The other half of the fun? That’s making money, of course, and attending affiliate marketing conferences offers the best of both worlds. You get to build your network, have some fun and go home with a pocket full of promising business prospects.
Here are our picks for the top conferences for affiliate marketers in 2017 (events are in chronological order):
ICE Totally Gaming & iGB London Affiliate Conference (LAC)
When: 7-9 February (ICE); 9-12 February (LAC)
Where: London, United Kingdom
Who: Gaming, iGaming & Casino affiliates and operators
Tickets: Free for affiliates; Sign up for iGB LAC here
Advidi members attending: Roy
Why: London Affiliate Conference is run by iGB Affiliate and will feature the iGB Affiliate Awards, while ICE Totally Gaming is one of the largest iGaming conferences in the world (with 28,487 in attendance last year). They’re back to back and take place in the same location (ExCel in London), so this is an easy way to double down on your 2017 conference attendances.
GSMA Mobile World Congress
When: 27 February – 2 March
Where: Barcelona, Spain
Who: Anyone interested in anything Mobile
Tickets: Prices vary; Buy tickets for GSMA here
Advidi members attending: Sietse & Jasper
Why: The GSMA Mobile World Congress is one of the largest mobile conferences in the world. To give you an idea, it’s sponsored by Android, Adobe, Twitter, Huawei, Intel and Visa (just to name a few). The GSMA is a global advocate for the mobile industry, and this event brings together the best of the best. If you work in mobile and want to stay ahead of the curve, this one is a must.
The European Summit – Sitges
When: 4-7 March
Where: Sitges, Spain
Who: Affiliates and advertisers of high-volume digital products
Tickets: You still have a few weeks to get the Early Bird pricing (ends 28 Feb)!
Advidi members attending: Paul, Mikey, Marlou & Seçil
Why: The European Summit is more tight-knit than other conferences on this list; with around 1200 attendees, you can imagine that the focus is relatively narrow here. That makes it a great place to meet new prospective partners and really go into detail with those connections. The three-day event includes a casual kick-off with fun activities followed by two days of B2B networking and product exposition.
The Phoenix Forum
When: 22-26 March
Where: Phoenix, AZ, USA
Who: A small, but dedicated group of Dating affiliates, operators and advertisers
Tickets: Early Bird pricing ended, but room reservations are available now; register here
Advidi members attending: Paul, Mark Kamminga
Why: The Phoenix Forum is one of the longest-running conferences with a focus on Dating, having started in 2000 and continuing strong to this day. The medium-sized conference draws around 1,000 attendees and provides them with the opportunity to network and discuss the current state and future of the Dating industry.
AWSummit
When: 5-8 June
Where: Mamaia, Romania
Who: Dating affiliates and advertisers
Tickets: Free registration
Advidi members attending: Paul, Mark Kamminga, Mark Nolte
Why: With a strong focus on Dating, AWSummit is Romania’s largest conference when it comes to our industry. The flashy event includes a Meet Market for the first time this year, along with an awards show and numerous speakers. Registration is free for affiliates, so if you’re nearby (or fancy a trip to Romania), this is a smart choice.
Affiliate World Europe (AWE)
When: 14-15 June
Where: Berlin, Germany
Who: All affiliates and advertisers
Tickets: Prices keep rising every few weeks – get your tickets now!
Advidi members attending: Stefan, Hardy, Pieter, Mark Kamminga, Patrick, Mikey, Marlou & Seçil
Why: The European counterpart to Affiliate World Asia, AWE is one of two STM-sponsored conferences. Many of the conferences on this list either cover a very broad area of focus (in which a small part is directly related to what we do) or a unique niche that may not apply to everyone. We can confidently say that AWE, along with AWA later in the year, will stand out as one of the most specifically useful events for our affiliates in 2017. We’ve already started our planning for it – it’s going to be huge!
iGB Amsterdam Affiliate Conference
When: 11-14 July
Where: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Who: Gaming, iGaming & Casino affiliates and operators
Tickets: Registration opens soon
Advidi members attending: Roy
Why: Our home town plays host to round two of iGB’s three annual conferences. The Amsterdam edition of iGB Affiliate conferences saw around 4,000 attendees last year, of which half were affiliates. With 100 speakers and 40 in-depth sessions, the event puts a high premium on discussion and learning, with plenty of B2B networking opportunities to back it all up. Don’t forget to visit our office if you come!
Affiliate Summit East
When: 30 July – 1 August
Where: New York, New York, USA
Who: All affiliates and advertisers
Tickets: Still plenty of time to get Early Bird pricing
Advidi members attending: Mark Nolte, Ivo, Pieter
Why: Round two of the Affiliate Summit Conferences series takes place in the Big Apple, and it’s appropriately sized: more than 5,500 attendees will meet to discuss all aspects of affiliate marketing. It’s a great reason to check out New York if you’ve never been, and all the speakers and knowledge will certainly make your trip worthwhile.
Gamescom
When: 22-26 August
Where: Cologne, Germany
Who: Gaming affiliates and advertisers
Tickets: TBA, but make sure you get the right wristband
Advidi members attending: Mark Kamminga, Mark Nolte
Why: Billed as Europe’s “biggest trade fair for interactive games and entertainment”, Gamescom unites all the major players in the Gaming industry for three days of entertainment and industry insight. Featuring an entertainment area, this conference is a great place to learn about trends in Gaming, with attendees ranging from major mainstream producers to small app developers and affiliates.
Webmaster Access Amsterdam
When: 08-11 September
Where: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Who: Dating affiliates and advertisers
Tickets: Free registration for affiliates
Advidi members attending: Marlou, Seçil, Patrick, Mikey, Paul, Marina, Mark Kamminga
Why: Webmaster Access is the European counterpart to Las Vegas’ interNEXT earlier in the year, with a heavy focus on Dating products and services. If there’s an up and coming trend in the industry, chances are good that you’ll hear about it here first. Affiliates attend for free, which adds a nice incentive! And the location is fantastic, of course.
The European Summit – Prague
When: 14-17 September
Where: Prague, Czech Republic
Who: Advertisers and affiliates of high-volume digital products
Tickets: Follow the FB discussion for ticket details when they’re announced
Advidi members attending: Marlou, Marina, Paul, Mark Nolte
Why: This is part 2 of the European Summit series, with the earlier edition taking place in Sitges. Not only is Prague a wonderful city, the event promises its own array of benefits. Seeing as it’s a smaller event (around 1500 people), it’s a great place to get into deep conversations about specifics – something that often gets missed at other conferences, where brief high-level chit-chatting are the norm.
iGB Berlin Affiliate Conference
When: 1-4 November
Where: Berlin, Germany
Who: Gaming, iGaming and Casino affiliates and operators
Tickets: Registration TBA (opens later in the year)
Advidi members attending: Roy
Why: This is the last iGB Affiliate Conference of the year, capping off a tour around Europe (first in London, then Amsterdam, and finally Berlin). This follows the iGaming theme of the others and pulled in 3,000+ attendees last year (of which more than half were affiliates), a number expected to grow with this edition. If you’re serious about iGaming, all three of the iGB conferences should be high on your list.
Summit of iGaming, Malta (SiGMA)
When: TBA – November
Where: Malta
Who: iGaming affiliates and operators
Tickets: Free for affiliates
Advidi members attending: Roy
Why: The Mediterranean island of Malta boasts hundreds of iGaming operators, making it the obvious choice for a massive iGaming conference. The Summit of iGaming Malta (SiGMA) is free for affiliates and will host 40+ affiliate programs, 60+ speakers, 100+ exhibitors and 3,000+ attendees, making it one of the largest iGaming-focused events in the world.
Affiliate World Asia (AWA)
When: TBA – December
Where: Bangkok, Thailand
Who: All affiliates and advertisers
Tickets: Not available yet, but keep an eye on their page for Early Bird pricing
Advidi members attending: Stefan, Hardy, Mark Nolte, Patrick, Mikey, Arne, Jasper, Ivo
Why: One of the only major affiliate marketing conferences in Asia, Affiliate World Asia is the place to be in December. Whether you’re coming to attend world-class speakers like Neil Patel and Drew Eric Whitman or just want an excuse to check out all that Bangkok has to offer, this STM-run event offers endless value.
Affiliate Summit West & interNEXT
When: (2018 TBA – January)
Where: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Who: ASW serves affiliate marketers in all verticals; interNEXT is focused on Dating
Tickets: Next year’s ASW tickets aren’t on sale yet, but you can start earning a free one now. interNEXT is free for affiliates.
Advidi members attending: We’ll let you know next year!
Why: Although these events have already happened, not including them would be a sin! These conferences are a guaranteed way to get a strong start to the year. Check out our guide to Las Vegas for more information about the event and to prepare for the 2018 editions.
That’s our list, folks! Will you be joining us at any of the above events? We’d like to meet you. Get in touch with your AM or schedule a meeting online!