Affiliate Summit or stay at home?
That’s the question!
As many of you probably know, Affiliate Summit 2007 East is taking place 8th – 10th July in Miami, Florida but is it really worth it? This is the question I have been asking myself for the past 4 weeks or so and still I don’t have an answer.
The dilemma I have, is that I truely believe to make it worth while the holidays I have to take (remember my affiliate business is not my fulltime job), the cost of flights and accomodation, and of course the expense of ‘networking’, I am also faced with a *$1,449 charge for an entrance pass.
Yes I am aware there are cheaper passes, namely the Exhibit Hall Only pass at *$299, however, this is the pass I had when in Las Vegas in January this year. If I were to be brutally honest, I can’t justify the huge expense just for an Exhibit Hall Only pass as in a strange way, it reminded me of Internet World. It would be acceptable if my travel and acoomodation expenses weren’t so astronomical, or if the damn foreign fraudsters would leave my bank account and cards alone!
When I attended Affiliate Summit West, I went in the cheap seats thanks to a pass provided to me by Jess and although I am fully aware of the free press pass opportunity, I would like to report on the event in an unbiased manner. I am not sure that if I were to take one of the press passes, that it wouldn’t have some sort of effect on my reporting.
So why do I want a Full Conference Pass? Well it includes breakfasts and lunches of course! OK, on a serious note, it also includes videos and access to sessions/serminars available to the rich few. From speaking to those who mixed with the rich in Vegas, these seminars sound interesting, intruiging, thought-provoking and extremely informative when discussing how the Affiliate industry has changed over time, and how some key players expect it to change in the future. This is what I want to hear and see, not a sales pitch from a network whom I am already involved with.
Anyway, I continue to ponder the idea and am aware that as time goes by, hotel prices and airfares will continue to rise in price 
* The entrance prices where cheaper if booked before 30 April 2007.
Credit: Oscar Murgui
Copyright: www.sxc.hu
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The press pass isn’t contingent on providing any certain type of coverage.
Please do submit for press pass and report the show a you see it.
Also, we’re going to have a room set aside for bloggers with Internet connections, work space, and the friendly Jim Kukral to assist if you have any questions
Details at http://blog.affiliatetip.com/archives/jim-kukral-king-of-the-bloggers/
Hi Shawn
Thanks for that. I’d just like to make clear, I was not implying that if I did receive a press pass, it would be expected of me to produce a glowing report. I appreciate that honesty etc is always the best policy, and sometimes constructed criticism is at times, the most welcome advice you can receive. What I meant (and have updated the post now) is that I don’t know if it would actually have an influence on me and my report, not as a result from any pressure from you guys – I know that would never be your intention. You simply let the conferences speak for themselves and as such have let them grow into this international event that they are now.
I am tempted, even if just to meet Jim and others. I will ponder a bit more and will submit my application, if I decided to opt for it, this weekend.
Cheers.