Well, there's ethics and there's money - and where the two mix then it appears that the lines become blurred.
Without wanting to detract from the trust of this thread - this week I've watched several vocal affiliates happy to take part in a "FREE" NFL picks competition sponsored by a sportsbook that is well known for ripping off players !
I do not find that ETHICAL - I think that the acceptance of the sponsorship is a tacit endorsement of
SPORTSBOOK.COM and their bad behaviour - and allows them to promote to other affiliates that they are working with both PAL and GPWA ... thus sucking in more affiliates and eventually players)
... but then there is a potential $3K carrot in prize money dangled in front of affiliate participants, and it appears that the $$$$ signs can over-ride corporate bad behaviour.
Pulling back to this thread, I see no difference between :
- inviting affiliate companies with dubious histories to conferences,
- accepting competition sponsorship from companies with dubious histories,
- accepting advertising from those companies and putting them on your sites.
I said at the start of my post : There's ethics and there's money - and where the two mix then it appears that the lines become blurred - well I try hard to make sure that it does not occur in my neck of the woods.
So to answer the thread - How do I handle rogue companies at conferences?
I don't care - because in MY world they are not a viable business option.
I have nothing to do with them at the conference - I walk past their stand ("No Thank you" if they try to approach) - I will not accept their freebies - and will remove their logo from any conference pass I'm given.
I will not have them on my site - and will not participate in any way with them including freebie competitions