Do you ever see advertisements for trade shows or industry conferences and wonder if you should go?
Do you worry about the expense or the time away from work and family?
I used to wonder and worry too, then I found a cure for it; I attended my first industry conference in 2002.
Okay, on the surface, my first Commission Junction University didn’t look like a good investment. The plane ride was fun, the hotel was sumptuous, the food was great, and I met a lot of new people. That sounds like a bad investment, but a great vacation plan.
Once I got home, though, it was obvious that my first industry conference was a great investment. It was so obvious, as a matter of fact, that my wife Arlene accompanied me the next year, and we had forty other students in tow.
The Not-So-Secret Benefits
The real benefits of attending an industry conference or trade show are not always measurable – until you put them into action.
The first benefit is that my conference expenses were tax-deductible, so the event was much more affordable than we thought!
The contacts you make, the new products you see and the ideas you hear – all of these can become immediate improvements in your business plan. The biggest benefit, though, will be your attitude. When you meet that many successful people, you come away realizing that you can be just as successful – because confidence is contagious.
If you are serious about earning a living on the internet, and you haven’t been to any online marketing or social media conferences 2011 is the year you should start. Below I have listed my six favorite industry events, all of which I have attended and most of which I have spoken at.
Best Affiliate Marketing and Social Media Conferences 2011
- The Affiliate Summit is the largest conference you’ll find in the affiliate marketing industry, and it has some of the best speakers and biggest industry leaders available. The Summit is held each year in New York and Las Vegas, and is a clearinghouse for the newest ideas, latest trends and best products.
- The Blog World Expo brings bloggers in from across the planet to discuss content, revenue options and all the newest trends. Someone knows how to use a Twitter account to bring more customers into a shoe store, and he or she is likely to be at the next Expo. You may want to be there, too.
- Webmaster World’s “PubCon” is open to more than just website publishers; as a matter of fact, it isn’t a publishing conference at all. This webmaster’s group originally met in a pub to discuss internet marketing strategies and advanced SEO methods, but ran out of room. Now they meet in Las Vegas, but the focus is the same, and the beer is better.
- Because Commission Junction University was my very first conference, you may think I’m recommending it out of some sentimental kind of favoritism. I actually recommend it because out of practicality. It’s a well-organized, informative event in a gorgeous setting, and it is attended by 700 to 800 industry leaders annually, so it’s beneficial for anyone who makes a living online.
- AffCon is currently free for affiliates because it is a very new event, but that may not be the case for very long. The combination of high level panelists and a plethora of vendors and merchants will soon make this a very popular, and therefore marketable, event.
- The ShareASale Think Tank is sort of an anti-conference. You will still get an opportunity to learn from industry experts and see the most popular vendors, but the ShareASale event also includes great parties, a little sports action, and a lot of emphasis on brainstorming and networking.
Affiliate marketing events aren’t the only ones out there, though, and if you work in another industry altogether, you should find out where those industry events are and plan to attend.
For example, Matt Papas has a website that focuses on weight loss. He ought to attend industry conferences which focus on connecting to people who would like to lose weight and are looking for Medifast promo codes or wondering, does the Nutrisystem diet work?
My wife Arlene is another example of someone who should branch out from internet marketing conferences. Her website, www.epilepsymoms.com, offers support and information for caregivers of epileptic children. Health industry conferences which offer information on the latest treatment options would give Arlene lots of new information which she could then pass on to her website visitors.
So, what industry do you work in? A quick Google search for landscaping trade shows will provide you with a list of upcoming events aimed at your business. You may attend a presentation where you learn to use a Google Plus photo gallery to boost sales, or you might meet the guy who made the auger which will help you plant a tree a minute.
So, Where Are You Going?
If you’ve read down this far, you already know that you will be going to an industry conference. Whether you are looking at internet marketing conferences, plumbing trade shows or social media conferences, 2011 will be a turning point for your business.
Now you have to make the hard decision…
Chicago in the fall or Vegas next spring? This could be tough…
Maybe I’ll see you there.
Your comments, as always, are appreciated.
About the Author
Speaker and author James Martell is the creator of “Coffee Talk”, an ongoing series of interviews with experts in internet marketing. An expert himself, James has been writing, speaking, and teaching people about affiliate marketing since 2001.