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  1. #1
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    Default Affiliate Conferences!!

    I am copying this over as I believe it deserves it's own thread. The affilaite world is changing and conferences should be a part of that. The times of Conferences every other month needs to end. What are we thinking? That is a ton of money! Why are we doing this?

    I have never been to a conference and do not forsee myself changing that anytime soon. As CPA said, I won't jetset all over the world. I won't spend 2500 a ticket to attend. We have lost the spirit that you speak of and thank you for bringing it up Captain.

    Conferences are to me an expensive party that the likes of P.Diddy puts on. That kind of travel money can go to much better things in this industry as arkyt is trying to say. Conferences are getting out of hand with the same people going all the time. How many new affilaites go?

    It is now pretty obvious Conferencing means keep up with the Jonses. Has anyone asked what affiliates want? The rumours are flying now that some special affiliates get their trips paid for. They go free of charge! I guess I am left out of that loop. No one has offered to fly me to a conference.

    Conferences are also on a slippery slope right now IMO. It has become a huge commercial enterprise and we need to simply get back to the basics.

    Never mind what 'event coordinators' or 'cac' or 'cap' or 'gpwa' or any other entity wants. Has anyone asked what 'affiliates' want?
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    Quote Originally Posted by mojo View Post
    Never mind what 'event coordinators' or 'cac' or 'cap' or 'gpwa' or any other entity wants. Has anyone asked what 'affiliates' want?
    __________________
    We regualry poll the attendees of each event and change occordingly.

    I think the wider question of whether they are useful is an interesting topic - I think teh problem is often what is posted is the parties etc but that is maybe only 20% of the event but is the easiest to post etc so if often the thing that rises to the surface.

    Reasons why I think conferences are useful are:

    The sessions - You can learn a lot from new SEO techniques to what is going to be the next big thing which means you can be first to act. If you can take one of these practical items and apply it you can pay for the costs of a conference in a very short space of time.

    Meetings with other affiliates - This is useful in many ways from simple link exchanges to long term partnerships - I for one have formed some really profitable partnerships with people I would never have expected to have happened at an event.

    Meetings with existing AMs - This is a personal thing but I really like meeting people face to face. It helps with trust, but also means you can discuss your sites in an environment where you are both concentrating on one thing and can come up with special deals, promos, improvements, partnerships etc.

    Meeting new operators - We have 50/60+ operators of which many will be new or will have slipped under your raydar - The events give you an opportunity to view each of their offerings, meet the management, AM's etc in one go

    Moral - Many of us work in an enviornment that is not understood by friends and family in addtion to working in your own office by yoursefl. And to hang out with a load of people in your same industry/line of work really helps with moral.

    Rejuvination - One of the things many affiliates say to me after an event is that when its over they feel a genuine boost in that they can't wait to get back to the laptop and implement all that they have learnt and start earning the big bucks

    Make new friends - Sounds silly but I have genuinely made some incredible new friends at these events and although of course you can't justify a trip because of that it is certainly another reason to add to the pile.

    Discussing issues - There are many issues that arise between conference, such as Kentucky, UIEGA, Micro pulling out, etc and having everyone together provides a perfect platform for discussing these topics in large and small groups.

    Parties/Social events - I have to include it as they are a part of the event and they are also a great place to do business and form new friendships/partnerships. We do all afterall work 24/7 non stop and now and again it is great to feel like a true VIP from the movies!

    This list could go on but at the end of the day attending events is a personal choice, based on where you apply your resource and cash and how you like to do business. For some people they just don't work and for others they are incredibly important

    To drop in a few numbers, 94% of our first time attendees come back within 12 months, and the CAP Euro events have grown from 600 to 1600 (over 1,000 affiliates) in just 2 years so there must be something the delegates are finding useful (well I hope!)
    iGB Affiliate - The biggest magazine and events for affiliates in igaming

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    I think conferences are useful. But I also think there are just WAY too many of them now.

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    Agree completely that the industry is completely saturated by conferences.

    CasinoMeister got it spot on in his CAP Solutions Thread.

    Cap London
    Cap Spring Break
    Cac Amsterdam
    Cac Macau


    4 in a year is more than enough, especially as we are faced by a global recession. I would rather programs spend the money on player retention, whereby the casinos and affiliates and the players all thus benefit.
    Exit stage left

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    4 in a year is even too much if you ask me. What is the purpose? What seriously needs to be discussed every 3 months?

    I think the majority of what was said by Alex above is true of conferences. HOWEVER - 90% of that you can do from your office without spending the cash.

    PLUS - we are just bankrupting these Affiliate Programs by sending them to conferences every 2-3 months. It's a bit ridiculous at the moment and I think that most affiliates feel the same way. I'm sure many affiliate programs feel the same way as well since they are mainly seeing the same affiliates over and over again at conferences.

    Seems way to redundant to me. I mean, unless AGD speaks at a conference... and then it is well worth going

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    I agree that the conventions are useful if done right. I can't see new affiliates going though. It's too costly for them. I haven't been to one yet, but I am considering going to my first one very soon. I agree that there's too many.

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    Being an outspoken opponent to conferences for years, you know my thought on this! And its gotten much worse the last several years - conferences are way out of control! They have without any doubt become just another way for a select few to turn a profit and for a select group of others to booze it up - both IMO at the direct expense of those who arent attending.

    I've attended 3 conferences in my 7 years in this business - in those 3 events I never attended one session that I would claim was a must see session - NEVER! The networking was without any doubt the most beneficial aspect of the conferences - and that IMO can be done once a year; maybe 2x a year with each event occurring in different regions of the world.

    I honestly think all conferences should be immediately terminated until this industry can devise a more ethical approach to the way it operates and assure fairness and equality for all.

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    I have been to exactly one conference so far, and I value the friendships I made there.

    However, the state of conferences in the industry now is overly saturated. Seems as if there's a conference every other month now, and it's just too much. Why are there so many? There are so many because conferences are cash cows for the organizers.

    As for myself, I would prefer smaller, more local gatherings - the kind of thing Captain's spring break was at the very start, before greed morphed it into something else entirely. A small gathering or two and one big industry-wide conference would be more than enough.
    Janet

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    its really worth going to be honest, at least once a year....you learn a lot from the current market trends, and also, you make good deals with brands

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    I've been to a few conferences and found them, on the whole, very enjoyable and helpful. It's nice putting faces to names and generally chilling out with people you normally wouldn't meet but email all the time. It brings relationships on and propagates new ideas.

    Personally, I love the parties and talks and meeting the affiliate managers but the best thing about a conference is the quality ideas time. You see what is possible and that kicks off new ideas and it gives you inspiration to carry on and change the way you work.

    So, for me, conferences are good but you can overdo it. One a year is plenty although I'm struggling to get away these days with the triplets.

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    I've been to the ICE for the last 4 years and made brief cameo appearances at Cap Euro London in 2007 and 2008. Also attended the CAC in Amsterdam in 2006 and 2007. I would have gone in 2008 also, but my son was born in the April, so that clashed with CAC. I have met some great people through the conferences, affiliates and affiliate managers alike and I have found attending conferences are a great opportunity to expand your friendships and business. However more than 4 in any one year is far too much IMO.
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    You get out of it what you put into it. If you are going to vacation and party, you got it. If you want to learn and listen to athorative speakers, you got it. If you want to network and meet others face to face, it is there. But.... 4 a year? c'mon, give the wallet a break folks. One a year or maybe smaller, regional meetups would work or virtual events. I really think i got a lot out of Barcelona, but, I would not say I got more than I have learned over time by reading online and asking questions at forums and of other affiliates.

    I missed London, but I still made some show deals anyway by talking to programs so in essence, I saved the 2k and still came out ahead.
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    If those who have posted here are representative of those who havent, from what I am seeing I would say that the majority thinks the industry has too many conferences.

    Possibly a poll could be started - maybe that would induce additional people to get involved so that we could get a more accurate picture of what affiliates really want?

    If the trend continued, I would be interested in seeing whether or not the organizers would actually listen to what the affiliates want/need instead of just trying to make another buck.

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    I have never gone to an affiliate confrence and nor will I attend one in the near future. These programs dont really care too much about small affiliates anyway. There should be a way fro small affiliates to attend so they can receive the same treatment as the other bigger affiliates get. Im not saying bigger affiliates havent earned their respects from affiliate program, Just saying it looks like an example of the rich getting richer and the poor staying that way.
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    I agree with most here. I think 2 conferences a year, one in the Spring and one in the Fall. The affiliate programs and casinos spend quite a bit of money on these over the long run.

    Mark

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    Without CAP Barca I would not have met you Chips, can you imagine how life would be without me?????


    Shaun

    Quote Originally Posted by Chips View Post
    You get out of it what you put into it. If you are going to vacation and party, you got it. If you want to learn and listen to athorative speakers, you got it. If you want to network and meet others face to face, it is there. But.... 4 a year? c'mon, give the wallet a break folks. One a year or maybe smaller, regional meetups would work or virtual events. I really think i got a lot out of Barcelona, but, I would not say I got more than I have learned over time by reading online and asking questions at forums and of other affiliates.

    I missed London, but I still made some show deals anyway by talking to programs so in essence, I saved the 2k and still came out ahead.

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    I'm excited about this one because it's local for me so I'm going to be there for sure.

    AFFILIATE CONVENTION 2009
    Increasing traffic and conversion rates leads to increased revenue.
    Event Info Host: Ticonderoga Ventures
    Type: Meetings - Convention
    Network: Global
    Time and Place Start Time: Thursday, June 18, 2009 at 8:00am
    End Time: Friday, June 19, 2009 at 5:00pm
    Location: Downtown Marriot
    City/Town: Denver, CO
    Contact Info Phone: 2127221744
    Email: info@affiliateconvention.com
    Being that we live around the globe, I don't see a problem with having more than 2 a year in places where it's convenient for the majority to attend. Those that want to go can and those that don't wont. No one is being held hostage to attend are they?

    I know personally that I don't hold it against a program just because they can't afford to show up at the all. Conferences are extremely important for many of the reasons given in this thread and until you go to one you won't have a clue or the experience to judge if it right for you or not.

    I don't attend them just to be jetsetting all over the globe (as I hate international flights), but because I didn't start making money and contacts that are necessary to be an affiliate until attending I feel it important for me. Even if it was for that reason it's no body's business as long as I'm paying for it.

    The information I've gotten from attending conferences is invaluable and I see it as an investment.

    I've had programs pay for my travel pre UIGEA so what? How can any of you tell a program how to spend there money? And for those that feel it could go to other/better uses I say like what, an affiliate bailout or something like that?

    I think we need to go back to our own "GLASS houses" as we have major industry issues like regulation and other stuff so let's focus on something important and not stir the pot over friggen conferences that YOU are not paying for or being forced to attend.

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    There should be a way fro small affiliates to attend so they can receive the same treatment as the other bigger affiliates get.
    I agree. I have never attended any conference and dont see myself attending one anytime soon. Alot of affiliates, affiliate programs spend so much money to attend a conference which IMO that money could be put to better use to help everyone fairly, like ones that cant make them.

    I have been denied proposals in the past then see on other forums the next day a deal similar to what I had asked for, is that fair? No

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    I've had programs pay for my travel pre UIGEA so what? How can any of you tell a program how to spend there money? And for those that feel it could go to other/better uses I say like what, an affiliate bailout or something like that?
    How does that work? Do you ask programs to pick up your tab? Or they offer it?

    I wouldn't do that myself because I don't think it's fair to others that can't attend.

    Better uses include player incentives, affiliate incentives - for everyone - and site upgrades that benefit everyone, players and affiliates alike, not just a few jetsetters. No one is telling anyone how to spend their money here, just pointing out some suggestions. That's what affilates do at affiliate forums.

    Add: If Affilate Programs want to pick up the tab for some, why not a fair contest where all afflialtes get a fair chance to win a paid trip. Just another suggestion.
    Last edited by mojo; 10 February 2009 at 8:16 pm. Reason: add

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    From an affiliate manager's point of view, I think there are too many conferences..

    IMO there should be about 2 or 3 big ones per year MAXIMUM, and if someone wants to organise smaller localised get togethers (notice how i didnt call it a conference) then fine.. because they give the affs who live near each other an opportunity to meet up and talk ideas.. you may notice that while in discussion you can bounce ideas off other people to think of new ideas.. this is the wonderful thing about social gatherings.

    It also makes it extremely hard for us aff managers (or our bosses) to choose which we go to (or get sent to) since conferences in different places attract different affiliates etc. And not to mention the cost. For us it costs at least 2k to get anywhere in the world (where the conferences are held), not to mention accommodation and food and the currency exchange. Eg 1GBP = ~2.5AUD.. Thats hectic! No wonder the company only ever sends one of us! And think about the programs in South Africa who convert Rand to say GBP..

    That cost of traveling to 1000 conferences per year could be better spent on other things like have been mentioned previously to benefit ALL affiliates, and not just the ones who go to the conferences..

    PLUS, if there are less conferences, there is more chance you are going to get to meet the person you were wanting to meet at the conference you choose to go to since there is more chance of them actually being there because there are less to choose from..

    Quote Originally Posted by pumacat
    There should be a way fro small affiliates to attend so they can receive the same treatment as the other bigger affiliates get
    You can't be serious? Not trying to be offensive, but the badges you wear do not display how much money you make, or how much traffic you send etc etc.. Any of that information is freely given by you and you only. So how else would anyone know that you are a smaller affiliate, if you are one, unless you tell them? You get the same treatment as everyone else.. Why wouldn't you?

    Everyone can attend.. there is no pre-requisite to say that you must earn $100,000 per year before being able to attend a conference.. In fact, after only being to 2 conferences I would say that they benefit the smaller affiliates more in regards to learning new things.. And the way they benefit all affiliates in general is that you get to meet with your manager face to face, which in my opinion can be priceless.. I know I would prefer to meet you face to face than sit behind a stupid monitor all day. Sitting is tiring sometimes. And definitely not any fun.
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    Best Affiliate Manager - CAP Awards 2008
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    Best Casino Affiliate Manager - iGB Affiliate Awards 2010

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