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Hi Spear,
well after checking my stats today I’m changing my mind again.
I get so damn disgusted with this niche sometimes I just want to puke.
that’s all I’m going to say right now.
This is one of the most inexpensive events in the industry. Speamaster is correct. Most of the other events in this industry cost well over $1000 to attend.
This is a fast paced event that focuses on performace. Both affiliates, casino operators and marketing firms that come here discuss ways of increasing traffic and conversion rates.
For an affiliate, this is an investment in one’s time and money to increase:
– TRAFFIC
– CONVERSION RATES
– CUSTOMER RETENTION– and Network
If you know all there is to know about :
– SEO
– e-mail marketing
– Pay-Per-Clicks
– what companies like Virgin are up to
– Alexa
– Television Advertising
– marketing campaigns
– contextual marketing
– etc etc etc…..If you know all there is to know about this, then, I agree, DON’T COME to this event. Because by saying this, then you know more than the EXPERTS in this industry that are speaking, which I find hard to believe.
For example, there is NO way that anyone knows more about Alexa than Bruce Gilliat (the CEO), who is speaking at the event. (I’ve been trying for 3 years to get this guy. I finally got him. This is a unique opportunity to meet him).
We select hotels that are inexpensive for the affiliate to stay at. We want the total investment for the affiliate to be about $1000. Within a few months, they should make their money back in multiples from what they learn and who they meet. Many affiliates who attended can attest to this and even CAP supports the event.
You will be provided plenty of food during the event and beer at the end for the panel session.
Anyone that thinks the Excalibur has graciously given us the space and provided you meals as charity is sorely mistaken. There are HUGE costs running this event.
This event will get 250-330 people. This is not an event with thousands of people coming. If there were thousands of people, the econimics would be far different.
Also, more affiliates have registered for this event than any other Casino Affiliate Convention before. Normally, we get 25-35 affiliates. I expect about 40-50 at this event.
We kept the cost at a level that brings SERIOUS affiliates. My experience has shown me that if I paid for the hotel room, airfare, food and the pass for every affiliate that wanted to come to this event, most of the affiliates would complain they couldn’t afford the taxi fare to the airport.
FYI, sponsors and exhibitors have passes for select affiliates to attend. If you are invited, most likely you are an affiliate that performs. If you are not a performer, it is unlikely they will provide you with a free pass. Hence the need for investing time into LEARNING at this event.
2 other items:
1) Dominique: The cost for Sporsoring/Exhibiting at this event over the years has not gone down, it has gone up.
2) bbs1web: I just checked airfare from Charlotte, NC (where you are to Las Vegas)- Its $266 on Orbitz….Not $550. Check http://www.orbitz.com and save some $$$ with your airfare.
Marc Lesnick
Conference Organizer
http://www.CasinoAffiliateConvention.com1) Dominique: The cost for Sporsoring/Exhibiting at this event over the years has not gone down, it has gone up.
Sorry if I was unclear here.
Programs are not sponsoring affiliate’s attendance/trips/hotel costs/gifts/parties/etc to the extent they used to.
I wasn’t speaking about sponsoring the event.
Dominique,
Thanks for the clarification.
We have more exhibitors than ever before. The casinos and sportsbooks have passes for affiliates. Its their option, and some don’t exercise this option.
In the beginning, many affiliate managers were afraid to bring their affiliates to this event out of fear of introducing them to their competitors.
If the affiliate is a performer, more than likely they are signed up for numerous casino affiliate programs. So the argument they made was moot.
It took them time to learn this. Now many are opening up and bringing their affiliates. They’ve learned that you are thankful for this and end up doing three things:
1) Become More Loyal
2) Provide more real estate for their program on your portal
3) Bring them more business.And you you increase in performance, so do they.
If you are an affiliate that performs, really performs….then by all means you should be invited by your top ranking affiliate program. If they aren’t inviting you to this event and sponsoring a pass for you….then that says alot to me and should say alot to you…..you bring them serious $$ every month, and a small investment in your pass for the event would bring more $$. I see no reason why an affiliate manager could not make the investment in the affiliate.
But again, the affiliate HAS to be a serious performer…..not one that makes no $$ and types on bulletin boards all day long. No affiliate manager would invest in someone that doesn’t already have a track record.
Marc Lesnick
Conference Organizer
http://www.CasinoAffiliateConvention.comMarc,
The conferences are always a benifit. And affiliate “should not expect anything” from casino programs. This is a investment in your own business. Which as you said “they should make their money back in multiples”..
Quote:But again, the affiliate HAS to be a serious performer…..not one that makes no $$ and types on bulletin boards all day long. No affiliate manager would invest in someone that doesn’t already have a track record.Just a thought… but does it not occur to affiliate managers that some people might pay more attention to their programs if they got invited in the first place?
I don’t get diddly squat from any program except general invitations – this despite the fact that:
1. They know who I am
2. They know what I’m like
3. They know my website
4. They know I must be performing if I am still in the business and traveling to conferences and even speaking at themMaybe it ought to be the other way around – programs can offer passes to affiliates in exchange for a guaranteed position on their sites for a period of time – given, of course, that the affiliate is providing factual information about their traffic and conversions, and that the program has an interest in helping that affiliate perform better.
On the other hand, since no one pays me any attention except when I am grilling them at a conference… I pick and choose whom I like on my site – and I may not give the time of day to programs I don’t think perform well.
Catch-22. But it occurs to me that the programs really ought to be working harder to obtain AND retain good affiliates.
Whether to accept trips etc. is variable in my book.
I both accept sometimes and turn people down sometimes.
It depends on the relationship I have with the program, and how I get along with the manager. If I expect great pressure I am not interested in getting freebies.
As far as going to conferences goes, I have started to prefer paying my own way for a number of reasons – one being that I like to attach vacations to them, another that I like to be free to spend my time anyway I like and talk to any program I like. If you let people pay for you they may get posessive and demanding. Like I said, it depends on my relationship with the program.
“Outings” are another story. Whether small outings during conferences or fulfledged vacations – they are sponsored exclusively by one program that is working with you already and I like these and do usually accept.
Accepting a freebie from a program you don’t like to advertise or that doesn’t convert for you is something to be done with caution. You may both end up unhappy. I don’t do it anymore.
Like I said, this event was designed to IMPROVE AFFILIATE PERFORMANCE.
An affiliate starting up with no track record will have to make the investment and come here on their own nickel. The idea is they will earn their money back in multiples over a few months. Many do and keep coming back.
Affiliates that are strong performers with specific affiliate programs should be invited by those affiliate managers. Its an investment of the affiliate program to bring you, in an effort to both improve performance and loyalty.
I would certainly advise you contact your top ranked affiliate manager on the phone and say, “I provide $ZZZ Thousands of dollars per month to your casino, I want to go to this event so I can earn more revenue for both you and me. If you sponsor me a pass, I will provide you with more real estate and more performance.”
If you are an affiliate that performs, the investment to the affiliate manager is obvious. Its that simple. If you are earning thousands of dollars a month for a casino, for them to not invite you would clearly send the wrong message to you.
Take the initiative, give it a try. Call them. EVERY casino/sportsbook affiliate manager knows about this event.
Marc Lesnick
Conference Organizer
http://www.CasinoAffiliateConvention.comI would certainly advise you contact your top ranked affiliate manager on the phone and say, “I provide $ZZZ Thousands of dollars per month to your casino, I want to go to this event so I can earn more revenue for both you and me. If you sponsor me a pass, I will provide you with more real estate and more performance.”
If you are an affiliate that performs, the investment to the affiliate manager is obvious. Its that simple. If you are earning thousands of dollars a month for a casino, for them to not invite you would clearly send the wrong message to you.
No doubt that works.
ALEXA ??? Thats your BIG selling point? WHY would you spend 3 years trying to get this group to speak?
WHICH affiliate programs are planning on attending other than Casino Coins ???
Arkyt, a lot of them are coming, if you read through the “who’s coming” thread you’ll find them.
I don’t have the time to extrapulate them for you. I know you asked before.
It would be easier to answer who isn’t going.
The big selling point isn’t Alexa, it’s getting together with other people in the same industry to share ideas, put faces to names and hopefully to come away with some ideas to help increase incomes.
I’m so sorry I won’t be there this year. I really want to go, but it’s just not in the cards.
Everyone who goes, please tell us all about it when you get back!
Hi again,
thanks for the info Marc but I don’t travel alone, and $550 was about the cheapest package for a hotel and airfare (for 2) from Kansas City, I’m not sure where you got NC from.
In any case, I’d never pay $550 to sit thru lectures if it was JC himself giving them.
sorry but that’s way rediculous in my book.
but if it makes you feel any better; the way my stats look all around (except CR isn’t way, way below like the others), I’m pretty sure I’ve already paid for a few entries.
I guess Marc did not explain this right to you bb1
You don’t have to sit through a bunch of lectures. You can pick and choose which ones interest you.
