Of Special Interest at Affiliate Summit

Affiliate Summit East 2009 starts this Sunday, August 9th and for many folks attending for the first time (and for some repeat folks as well), it can be an overwhelming experience.

There is no shortage of great keynotes and sessions to check out and parties to attend. And, with a sold-out Meet Market and Exhibit Hall, the attendees are going to be very busy.

With that said, there are a few agenda items that I wanted to point out that are of special interest, as they provide additional opportunities to network, have fun and do some good for charity.

Before the show

Loren and Michelle Feldman of 1938Media are auctioning off some fantastic branding opportunities for folks attending Affiliate Summit to raise money to fight breast cancer on behalf of Affiliate Marketers Give Back. The auctions end on Thursday, August 6th, so don't delay in getting your bids in.

Sunday, August 9th

Affiliate Summit will be holding a silent auction to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City during the Affiliate Meet Market. There are some great items being auctioned off including gift cards, advertising opportunities, computers, gym equipment and more. So don't forget to swing by the auction tables to check out what's available and bid high… it's for a great cause.

Affiliate Marketers Give Back will be at table 17 in the Affiliate Meet Market raising money for their 40-mile walk to fight breast cancer. They will be offering limited-edition laptop stickers and Affiliate Summit Breast Cancer Awareness hats with all proceeds to go to the Avon Foundation.

Monday, August 10th

Affiliate Summit Platinum attendees are in for a special treat. Chris Brogan, the keynote speaker on Monday has a new book coming out on August 24th, entitled “Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Improve Reputation and Earn Trust“. We've secured several hundred advance copies that will be given to our Platinum attendees on a first-come, first-served basis as they check-in for the conference. Chris has promised to do a book-signing after his keynote session, which will be taking place in Americas Hall 2 (which is the top floor of the exhibit hall). You don't want to miss this!

Who doesn’t love free business advice from an expert? Well, now is the time to get your critical marketing questions answered and help out a great cause at the same time. Swing by the Problem Solver booth in the Exhibit Hall to have your questions answered one-on-one by marketing experts. If you like what they have to say, pop a tip in their jar. Proceeds go to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York.

Affiliate/Merchant Networking Exclusive Opportunity
Location: General Session Room – Grand Ballroom Suite
Time: 3:30pm-4:30pm
You asked for it, you got it.. a special time for only affiliates and merchants to mingle during Business Card Bingo!

Tuesday, August 11th

Over-indulging on yummy libations and all the great food NYC has to offer? Then get your butt out of bed and exercise! Peter Shankman, founder of HARO is organizing the Affiliate Summit Run for folks that want to get a quick run in before the show. He promises that he'll get everyone back in time for his keynote.. (we hope!)

Get your Geek on at GeekCast.fm Live.
Location: Classroom C – Gramercy
Time: 3:15pm-4:15pm
A mixed bunch of podcasters from GeekCast.fm will have an open, candid discussion about the hot topics in affiliate marketing. Come armed with your questions and satisfy your inner-geek.

The Affiliate Triathlon
The Affiliate Triathlon is a three event contest of skill, determination and dexterity open to all attendees at Affiliate Summit West 2009.
The winning athlete (highest cumulative score across the three competitions) will be awarded a 10′ x 10′ exhibit hall booth (value: $5,195) for Affiliate Summit West 2010 in Las Vegas. (Yes, the booth is transferable, so the winner can sell it at whatever cost they wish.)
The entry fee for the Affiliate Triathlon is $100, which is donated directly to Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City.
Enroll at http://www.affiliatesummit.com/affiliate-triathalon-enrollment/

And there you have it. Want more? Visit the Affiliate Summit Blog for up-to-the-minute goodies.. or follow @affiliatesummit @missyward or @affiliatetip on Twitter..