Thoughts on affiliate conferences?

Question about what people think of various affiliate conferences

[Shawn Collins]

Has anybody here attended affiliate marketing conferences in the past (AffiliateFORCE, IIR, Refer-it, etc.)?

Anybody plan to go to AffiliateFORCE 2003 this year?

I'm heading there, and curious about who else will be showing.

[lazerzubb]

Hehe, i would probably say pub/bar-Conference is the best one out there, it's just that it's not labeled as it, pretty much most of the discussion in London was about affiliate stuff and how much beer one person could drink (not mentioning specific name ;) )

[Nick_W]

Yep: BarCon

Sunday mornings unofficial affiliates meeting was superb and as lazerzubb says, alot of the talk was on AM and Beer ;)

Nick

[rcjordan]

In past lives, I've been heavily involved in conferences and shows from both sides of the booth. You soon learn that, other than the company-paid-trip angle, that you're skimming the conference and exhibits and really going for the networking. Without hyping pubcon or barcon, it's no secret that the "lure of the smoke-filled room" (as mayor or go60guy once called it) is a big part of the draw.

<added>
>smoke-filled room
Heh! But next one, we need MORE room and LESS smoke, guys. I'm still coughing from pubcon and I don't smoke.

[Shawn Collins]

I'd say the networking (as well as affiliate recruitment) is a big lure of the AffiliateFORCE shows.

For the third year, it will take place on a cruise ship out of Miami, so there's more time with the attendees than your average conference, where people tend to fragment at the end of the day.

The end of the day on the cruise is in the wee hours of the morning, and it's a pretty nice thing to make deals in the warm breeze on the deck of a boat.

[Go60Guy]

I'm leaving this afternoon for the Amazon conference for affiliates. I'll report if anything of value comes from it.

If nothing else, I'll get to see the Amazon Headquarters and listen to Jeff Bezos. We'll see what he might have to say about affiliates.

And, yeah, as Nick-W mentioned, the best so far has been the Sunday morning assemblage of affiliate types (those not overly suffering from the night before) at last year's pubcon. Get to Boston if you can.

[Shawn Collins]

I'd love to hear about the Amazon event.

Please share details about pubcon in Boston.

[Go60Guy]

Brett is on the verge of announcing Barcon, coming up at the end of April. You'll be getting the details.

[eljefe3]

Too bad that pubcon and AFFforce are on the same weekend. I know where the serious affiliate marketers from WebmasterWorld will be and that's in Boston.

[Shawn Collins]

Any chance Barcon won't be at the same time as AffiliateFORCE?

It's a shame if they conflict, because I'd be interested in attending both, but I'm booked at AffiliateFORCE, and a big supporter of the event (my 4th year going).

[BeFer]

I would also be disappointed with the conflict.

I'm likely attending AffiliateForce but would otherwise definitely attend Barcon in Boston since it's a subway ride from home.

[Go60Guy]

Barcon is going to be on the 25th & 26th of April. So it does conflict.