Lessons Learned – How to Prepare for Affiliate Summit East

I have learned many important lessons since my very first Affiliate Summit – Affiliate Summit East 2009. And as it is right around the corner, literally, I wanted to share a few on this very fun Friday!

1. Shutdown and Restart Laptops 2+ Times Beforehand!

Without fail, at every conference, at least one of our laptops insists on installing upwards of 33 windows updates. It is slightly embarrassing to have an exhibit hall open and your laptops are still installing updates…

2. Come Prepared with a Go-To Karaoke Song

Karaoke was one of my favourite events at Affiliate Summit. Even though it is not in the schedule this year, we still seem to find our way to a bar with karaoke. Take a page from Eric & Trisha – they have “Summer Lovin'” down pat.

3. Your Booth Breaks – Be Prepared.

We have yet to setup a booth without some sort of minor disaster. Last year our jeans left a blue tint on the white booth (tip: vinegar will clean it!), two years ago we kept tripping on cords and one year the panels on our booth wouldn’t stay magnetized! Come prepared. Our survival kit includes the following…

4. Bring a Costume.

For my first Affiliate Summit with ShareASale, I didn’t take the whole ‘costume theme’ very seriously. Well, let me tell you, a costume makes the party that much more fun. I ended up running to the store during lunch to find, what I think was, a pair of cowboy boots. This year the theme is “Rock ‘n’ Roll” – so come as your favourite rock star!

5. Use the Map!

The Wynn, Caesar’s Palace, The Hilton New York…all of these hotels are massive. I’m sure the conference center in Philadelphia will be similar. There are numerous times where I have found out, days later, that I had been taking the wrong elevator. One elevator would literally drop you off in front of the exhibit hall, and one would drop you off about a mile away (that might be an exaggeration).