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Affiliate Summit & People
Special thanks to super affiliate Tim Storm of FatWallet.com who generously sponsored Revenews.com on this cruise.
The 2004 Affiliate Summit is now over but it will certainly live on in the hearts of participants as one of the best events in the performance marketing industry.
This summit makes me think back to days of old where I met early collaborators and innovators back in 2000 on the Affiliate Force cruise. It is strange how fast things change in only four years and how many of the small players have either grown up or died out.
The most important change I have seen (having attended an affiliate cruise the last four years) is the level of sophistication the conference participant’s exhibit. I no longer see bumbling 101-style affiliate marketers or MLM-hopefuls walking around the grounds in hopes of the magical money miracle. What I do see are hard-core, smart and savvy marketers who speak a language all their own.
Late night deal making, arguments on arbitrage techniques, discussion over industry rumors and the spyware versus adware debate raged on into the wee hours of the morning. I hope to explore these issues in the near future but for now let me focus on the lighter side of an event and a lesson learned.
No industry event is complete without its light-hearted moments where marketers put down their pens and PDAs and get to know each other on a more personal nature. Sometimes the results are interesting…
- I found out the affiliate manager, Karen Garcia, for Sherri’s Berries has a degree in physics and used to bombard raw sapphire (about 10-12 angstroms worth) with electrons for various research purposes. Very impressive and it gives Epages, MIT grad Brad Waller, a run for his intellectual money.
- Brook Schaaf once again proved he was the leading industry jester as he pulled off two consecutive practical jokes this year. Having been personally stung by “Brook the Schnook’s” levity in the past I was glad to see Shawn Collins and Jeff Molander on the roasting agenda this year. Collins was treated to a I HateWayne Porter style attack only with hats and the slogan “Shawn Collins is My Mom.”. Jeff Molander received custom wine labels at dinner bearing his mullet-heavy avatar from a private discussion board (the wine was still good). Schaaf has proven that pulling harmless pranks on people can rapidly build rapport and can even become a tradition.
- One of the most interesting personalities was Brian Littleton of ShareASale who entertained everyone in the late hours with incredible piano music. Not just your regular key tinkling, but the kind where you want to record it because it sounds so good! Perhaps it was more notable when Commission Junction’s V.P. Todd Crawford made Lynrd Skynrd requests of Brian and he was able to play them flawlessly! Glad to see competitors can come together if only around some music.
- Tim Storm sold his llamas, Carolyn Tang has three degrees, Beth Kirsch used to work on Capitol Hill for worthy causes, and Todd Crawford went on his honeymoon in India. The list of interesting factoids could go on and on.
What does all of this mean?
Affiliate marketing continues to attract a diverse population of people from all walks of life. These people are creative and driven and attracted to the fluid nature of the Internet and e-commerce. Most importantly it shows that people truly connect and build real relationships when they meet in person and learn about each other as human beings.
E-mail, phone calls, journals and message boards cannot compare to the power of a real-life handshake. Technology cannot replace the value of solid relationships. In a business where people continue to partner with entities they don’t really trust it is good to know there are events where people can meet and forge that trust. Affiliate managers should heed this as advice to get to know their partners as individuals and affiliates should understand that managers are human beings as well.
If you haven’t attended an industry event I urge you to put up some of your earnings to do so. The knowledge, skills and most importantly, the relationships you gain are invaluable. It will not only enrich your business but also your life.
