Gearing up for Affiliate Summit

“No matter what’s going on in your life right now, something exciting is looming… in about 15 hours, you’ll be boarding a plane to go to your first major internet marketing conference, Affiliate Summit West.”

Due to some major personal shake-ups, blogging has been slow this month at Chris Bloczynski dot Com (except for Michelle Gartner, who steams through faithfully, once a week on Thursdays… thanks a million, Michelle!). However, having been awarded a press pass to attend the conference, it’s time to get back to regularly scheduled blogging and get my head wrapped back around this exciting experience. No doubt, there will be plenty to write about during the event, and most likely for a week or two following!

So even though blog updates have been infrequent for a week or two, the details surrounding the trip to Vegas have actually come together pretty easily. Here’s an idea of some of the things I’ve been handling as I prepare for the event.

Plan for contingencies when you arrange your flight

The minute I made up my mind to make the scene at Affiliate Summit, I booked my flight. I chose a very early flight, giving myself a couple of hours of “just in case” time to accommodate traffic or flight delays… nothing would be more frustrating than getting jammed up at the airport and missing the opening hours of my first conference. You should always think about this, no matter where you’re traveling. If you’re early to arrive, then you can always try to get an early check in at the hotel, but getting delayed and arriving late will just send your mind spinning before the big day.

Stay at the host hotel

I’m staying at the Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino… the hotel that’s hosting Affiliate Summit. Even though I have a relationship at the MGM Grand from previous visits, staying at the hosting hotel is a good move. If I need to grab extra business cards or drop off an armload of schwag, I can pop right up to the room and do that instead of catching a cab and missing an hour or two of the conference. I suggest that you always choose to stay at the hosting hotel for convenience purposes, even if you’re inclined to stay somewhere else to save a little cash. You’ll probably find that your transportation costs back and forth will eat up any savings you think you’re getting by staying somewhere cheaper, anyways. Plus, if you stay somewhere besides the host hotel, you’ve got to wake up earlier to get ready and make it there on time… who wants to do that?

Bring business cards… lots

Affiliate summit is SOLD OUT. There were 2,500 passes available for attendees, and that’s not counting exhibitors, vendors, hotel staff, or cocktail waitresses (hehe) that you might want to make a connection with. I shared my views last month on why bloggers need business cards, and I specifically had Affiliate Summit in mind when I had them designed and printed. I’m bringing my entire box of 1,000 cards to Vegas with me… I figure that having too many would be better than underestimating and running out on the first day.

Be healthy!

I’m bringing multi-vitamins and protein shakes, and I’m going to be drinking water like crazy. Conference days can be long (and cocktail parties afterwards run even later!), so sleep might be a little scarce. I’m hoping to keep my edge by staying hydrated and keeping my body fueled with vitamins and protein bars so that I don’t tire out so quickly. If you can find an appropriate place to do it, boost your energy with a little stretching to keep the blood flow moving… this can help you avoid a mid-afternoon slump.

These are just a few tips that I think are important to share. I’ll pass on more as I work my way through the conference… in the meantime, does anyone have any conference travel tips to share in the comments?