a4uexpo Plans

Other than hanging around stand #5 for most of the two days of the a4uexpo, as well as getting an hour off to do our presentation (Day 1, Platinum Room 4, 14.00), here’s my plans for next week and what I’m looking forward to.

The good lady wife, Lorna, will be taking in her first affiliate event at this year’s expo. We fly out of Glasgow on Monday to arrive at London City at 2pm. Check into Novotel sometime after, then get to Excel to see our stand around 4.30pm. I’m also hoping to scope out the room where we’re doing our presentation to get a mental image and scare myself a bit, no doubt.

After a bite to eat at the hotel, Alan and I intend do a final dry run of our presentation in one of our hotel rooms to the rest of the sunshine peeps. Then it’s off to the pre-event party, sponsored by AffiliateFuture, in the Novotel which is handy. Being sensible, I should be tucked up in bed by midnight in preparation for the big day ahead. If you see me in the hotel bar after 4am, give me a serious talking to!

I do actually hope to catch a few of the other not-as-interesting-as-our-session conference sessions. On Day 1 I’ve picked the following -

WordPress SEO & Optimisation Strategies 
by Joost De Valk
10 Ways to Get the Most Out of your Paid Search Affiliates 
by Duncan Jennings
Extreme SEO Strategies for Affiliates 
by various inc Dave Naylor

I’d also like to catch the Affiliate State of the Nation session hosted by Fraser, but Lorna is flying home Tuesday evening, so I may have to slip away early. In the evening it’s the Thames Cruise sponsored by Platform-A. I’ve been paying AOL around £30 a month for a few years now, so I’m aiming to get some of my investment back at the bar Then it’s back to the Novotel for a few late night cocktails, all welcome!

Day 2 -

Dare to Be Different - Affiliate Programme Brainstorming
by Naomi Brown
How to Manage a Successful Affiliate Programme : Strategies from Award Winning Affiliate Managers
by Zak Edwards and Graham Keen (still waiting on my late call up )
Technical Innovation in the Travel Sector
by various including Pete Norwood
Meet The Super Affiliates
by Kieron Donoghue, Doug Scott and Jamie Harwood

Not sure I’ll manage all of them but will give it a good go! Then it’s off to the Travel Vertical Reception before crossing over to the Fox for a few more sociable beers. If you don’t see me at the bar of the Novotel at 4am give me a good talking to!

If you’d like to hook up for a chat, drop by our stand and say hello. If you want to pre-book a certain time, the boys at Existem have been working hard on the “Connect” system to allow you to book appointments with us. No-one has used it for us yet, feel free to be the first!

Fly home Thursday afternoon, with a monster hangover and a hatful of business cards. More importantly I’m sure,  some great memories and having met loads of old friends and even more new ones!