Top Affiliate Marketing Conferences of North America in 2022

Throughout the digital landscape, numerous niches have been sparked by the pandemic. Digital marketing has allowed e-commerce to grow to become one of the world’s leading industries due to the massive growth of mobile sales and online marketing. As a result, affiliate marketing is better suited to serving the needs of both companies and potential customers, providing worldwide service.

There have been a lot of conferences and forums about affiliate marketing that have emerged and will attract people from all over the world. We will discuss the top 20 affiliate marketing conferences taking place in the US and Canada today. To ensure everyone is clear on what affiliate marketing is, let’s compare it to other marketing strategies, and examine why businesses have turned to this strategy.

What is affiliate marketing?

Affiliate merchants are interested in increasing their reach and attracting customers that they consider members of their target market. This can be accomplished by hiring affiliate marketers (also known as publishers). Affiliate partners are hired by merchants to launch campaigns through which the affiliate marketers promote the business that hired them through social media, blog posts, YouTube videos, etc. As a result, marketers can earn commissions in different ways, such as costs per click.

Merchants are then encouraged to utilize affiliate tracking software to keep track of all the data acquired through their affiliate program. Merchants use this information to determine how much traffic their marketers drive to their websites, how much revenue they generate, and other important data.

How beneficial is affiliate marketing for businesses?

Affiliate marketing allows you to reach customers via the internet, which is what affiliate marketing is all about. The majority of brands in the world (80%) employ affiliate marketing strategies. On top of this, the mobile industry has grown into a profitable area as half of all affiliate marketing traffic comes from mobile devices. To truly understand this lucrative marketing strategy, it helps to think about the three parties involved in the affiliate marketing industry, and how each of these parties benefits.

Affiliate marketers/publishers are hired to promote products and/or companies whose affiliate merchants they represent. Bloggers (who often offer affiliate links within their posts), YouTubers, and social media marketers all make money by creating content and improving the brand awareness of the merchant who hired them. In addition to passive income, the merchant will reach a new audience within their target niche that would otherwise be difficult to reach. The consumer, in the meantime, gains access to products and services that are within their field of interest. In return for investing in affiliate marketing strategies, marketers are encouraged to produce content consistently, and merchants are guaranteed activity as a result of commissions paid based on completed actions, such as generating leads and driving traffic.

As businesses realize that affiliate marketing lowers their costs while increasing their chances of receiving leads, they have turned to affiliate marketing. It is impossible to deny that this strategy provides companies with an encouraging return on investment (ROI) given its low cost and low-risk format, and of course, the fact that affiliate marketing is an $8.2 billion USD industry doesn’t hurt.

Having this in mind, many businesses have also chosen to work with affiliate marketing software to optimize their promotional campaigns and boost their ROI. Several affiliate networks offer affiliate management software, such as Post Affiliate Pro, that works to track marketing analytics, track the engagement rate of your publishers, and automate commission payments according to each business’ campaign requirements.

Why attend an affiliate marketing conference?

In the affiliate marketing industry, we are witnessing new records this year. Thus, in the US and Canada, affiliate conferences this year will have a wide range of speakers who are affiliate marketing experts – providing you obvious opportunities for networking. This industry requires collaboration in order to raise brand awareness for the merchants, as well as numerous networking events where the chance to develop business partnerships are numerous.

An affiliate marketing event is a priceless opportunity where marketing experts (often big names in affiliate marketing) conduct keynote speeches about marketing trends and new developments in technology. An affiliate conference typically involves a few days of networking designed to connect you with other digital marketers and is bound to provide incredible results in regards to both your business growth and brand awareness.

Top 20 marketing conferences in North America

PI LIVE Advanced

PI LIVE Advanced is a one-day conference focused on helping e-commerce brands to maximize their potential when it comes to their performance and digital marketing strategies. This conference is specifically designed for e-commerce-led retailers and brands looking to optimize their partner marketing, making it the first affiliate network and SaaS agnostic performance marketing conference in the US and a must-attend event. The event keeps your mind whirring and your notepad bulging with visionary thinking, future-gazing, and best-practice strategies.

• Date: April 26, 2022
• Location: New York City, NY
• Ticket Variations:
  • Publisher: $495
  • Brand, Advertiser, Retailer: $395
  • Agency, OPM: $545
  • Network, Sub-Network, SaaS (Sold Out): $945
• Top Speakers:
  • Kelly Merkel: SVP, Global Publisher Development of CJ Affiliate
  • Amanda Greenwood: Partnerships Director of Button
  • Paul Tibbitt: President of CJ
  • Todd Crawford: CP, Strategic Initiatives & Co-Founder of impact.com
  • Josh Knopman: Director of Growth & Digital Product from Caraway Home
  • and many more
• Registration: https://performancein.live/new-york/tickets/

Retail Innovation Conference & Expo

This digital marketing international expo is focused on omnichannel strategy, e-commerce, and store design to help you take a closer look at e-commerce and how to turn it into new business opportunities. An event like the Retail Innovation Conference Expo is designed to be a vibrant community-driven space using the latest and greatest tech, allowing ample opportunities for networking and collaborating.

• Date: May 10-12, 2022
• Location: Chicago, Illinois
• Ticket Variations:
  • Expo Hall Pass: Free
  • All-Access Pass: $1,495 (Early Bird until April 23: -$300)
  • Conference Pass $245-$1,095
• Top Speakers:
  • Samir Desai: Chief Digital and Technology Officer Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
  • Robert Wallstrom: CEO Vera Bradley, Inc.
  • Rick Gomez: EVP, Chief Food & Beverage Officer Target
  • Rich Fulop: CEO & Co-Founder Brooklinen
  • Mimi Swain: Chief Revenue Officer Ring
  • and more.
• Registration: https://retailinnovationconference.com/registration/

DMEXCO Digital Spring Summit

Despite all the other annual conferences mentioned in this blog, this one is not located in North America. However, it is entirely online and FREE, so what are you waiting for? You get a chance to listen to digital experts discuss Web3, Metaverse, Blockchain, and NFT technologies at the DMEXCO Digital Spring Summit. Unlike other affiliate events, you are able to hear a full day of inspirational keynotes, lectures, and panel discussions that are available on-demand after May 3rd.

• Date: May 3, 2022
• Location: Online
• Ticket Variations: FREE
• Top Speakers:
  • Elmar Arunov: Research Manager Telekom Labs
  • Tatjana Biallas: Geschaftsfuhrerin
  • FUNKE Medien Niedersachsen
  • Berit Bretschneider: Marketing Direct DACH
  • BookBeat GmbH
  • Clemens Gammer: Co-Founder Project AVE
  • Ellie Hughes: Head of Reputation Freeletics
• Registration: https://dmexco.com/tickets/#/

Social Media Week

This year’s Social Media Week (#SMW) has brought together some of the biggest names and forward-thinking leaders, social media practitioners, and platforms to help attendees learn about the latest trends and ideas in the industry. We encourage affiliate marketing events like #SMW since it helps merchants strategize their social media presence with potential affiliates. The topics include creativity in the digital world, fostering an e-community for brands, and other enticing features of mobile marketing.

• Date: May 9-11, 2022
• Location: New York City, NY
• Ticket Variations:
  • Creator Visionary Award Pass: $99
  • Virtual Pass: $299
  • Standard Pass: $899
  • Premium Pass: $1,349
• Top Speakers:
  • Steve Aoki: Grammy-nominated DJ and Producer
  • Jon Vlassopulos: VP, Global Head of Music Roblox
  • Remi Bader: Content Creator and Curve Model
  • Beverly Jackson: Global VP of Brand and Consumer Marketing Twitter
  • Ali Weiss: Chief Marketing Officer Glossier
  • Josh “The Fat Jewish” Ostrovsky: Entrepreneur, Writer, Marketer, Plus-Sized Model
• Registration: https://event.adweek.com/smw-2022/begin

2022 ANA Email Evolution Conference

Brands looking to enhance their email marketing campaigns should attend this conference. Its goal of the ANA Email Evolution Conference in 2022 is to assist participants in sharpening their email and newsletter compositions in preparation. In terms of learning how to emphasize benefits over features, or writing effective subject lines and headers, this is one of the digital marketing conferences you really don’t want to miss.

• Date: May 16-18, 2022
• Location: Scottsdale, Arizona & Online
• Ticket Variations: The pricing categories are broken up into a few tiers (Client-side, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Individual, and Nonmember).
  • Single Registration: from $1,199-1,599
  • In-Person Corporate Pass (prices also change based on the number of attendees): from $799-$1,699
  • Virtual Options:
    • Single Registration: from $499-$799
    • Virtual Corporate Pass (Unlimited Attendees): from $699-$899
• Top Speakers:
  • Luke Ambrosetti: Head of Solutions Engineering Message Gears
  • Marcel Becker: Senior Director, Product Management Yahoo
  • LB Blair: CEO Platonic Ideal
  • Alex Brotman: Senior Engineer
  • Anti-Abuser Messaging Policy Comcast
  • Jose Cebrian: EVP, Automobility, Travel, and Entertainment Merkle
• Registration: https://www.ana.net/content/show/id/ms-eec-may22-pricing

International Conference on Affiliate Marketing and Online Advertising (ICAMOA)

The International Research Conference organizes numerous affiliate events around North America (US and Canada) throughout the year. The one in Vancouver, ICAMOA, is aimed at bringing academic scientists, researchers, and scholars together to exchange ideas related to Affiliate Marketing and Online Advertising. This conference presents the latest innovations, trends, and concerns to affiliate merchants – this is an opportunity for affiliate merchants to develop an advertising strategy in order to be a competitive brand in their respective industries.

• Date: May 23-24, 2022
• Location: Vancouver, Canada
• Ticket Variations:
  • Non-Student Oral/Poster Presenter Registration: €500
  • Student Oral/Poster Presenter Registration: €400
  • Listener Registration: €300
  • Additional Paper Publication: €100
• Top Speakers:
• Registration: https://waset.org/affiliate-marketing-and-online-advertising-conference-in-may-2022-in-vancouver

Affiliate Summit East

Affiliate Summit East (ASE) attracts some of the brightest e-commerce entrepreneurs, affiliates, media buyers, networks, and tech suppliers, making it a must-attend conference. The online and/or in-person participation in this conference will boost your digital growth, as well as help you drive your business forward and compete in the online environment by learning to optimize your landing pages, drive leads, and keep track of trending verticals. These, and others, are strategies you can practice on a daily basis.

• Date: May 24-25, 2022
• Location: New York City, NY
• Ticket Variations:
  • Networking Pass: $399
  • VIP Pass: $499
• Top Speakers:
  • Geno Prussakov: Founder & CEO of AM Navigator
  • Gary Marcoccia: Chief Business Officer of GravityFed.com, Inc.
  • Jay Cruiz: Chief Sales Officer of AMPIFIRE
  • Amber Spears: Co-Founder East 5th Avenue
  • and many more
• Registration: https://www.affiliatesummit.com/east/register

Strategic Marketing 2022

CMOs and marketing leaders from around the world will meet at the Strategic Marketing 2022 event – a platform that inspires and empowers marketing leaders. As a result of this event, brands are able to build deeper, more meaningful relationships with consumers, create hyper-innovative campaigns, and utilize new digital touchpoints to grow their business. SMO Strategy and growth, purpose-driven marketing, engaging content, and innovative social media content are some of the different aspects of this conference you would benefit from.

• Date: June 1-2, 2022
• Location: San Diego, California
• Ticket Variations:
  • Under the Delegate Passes Category:
    • Basic Pass: $1,799
    • Business Pass – $1,999
    • VIP Pass: $2,499
  • Under the Vendors Passes Category:
    • Basic Pass: $2,299
    • Business Pass: $2,499
    • VIP Pass: $2,999
• Top Speakers:
  • Cristina Diezhandino: Diageo Chief Marketing Officer
  • Tim Ellis: NFL Executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer
  • Karen Walker: Intel Chief Marketing Officer
  • Evan Jones: Fender Chief Marketing Officer
  • Holly Hynes: Wells Fargo Chief Marketing Officer
  • Consumer and Business Banking
  • and more.
• Registration: https://events.reutersevents.com/marketing/marketing-san-diego/register

DigiMarCon Silicon Valley 2022

In person or online, you learn some of the best practices in digital marketing, as well as discuss the latest trends, practical solutions, strategy and networking, of course. Of all the affiliate marketing conferences, DigiMarCon Silicon Valley 2022 heavily focuses on numerous types of marketing strategies and trends: Behavioral & Neuromarketing, Content Marketing, Omnichannel Marketing, and multiple other ways to market to your potential customers.

• Date: June 2-3, 2022
• Location: San Francisco, California
• Ticket Variations:
  • Main Conference and Master Class Pass 1-Day Access Pass: $597
  • All Access: $997
  • VIP Pass: $1,197
  • Early Bird Rates – $200 off each pass
• Top Speakers:
  • Lee Owens from Twitter
  • Robert Rose from The Content Advisory
  • Christi Olson of Microsoft
  • Kevin Jonas from the Jonas Brothers
  • Sonal Shah from Paypal
  • Asma Shabab from IBM, and plenty more
• Registration: https://digimarconsiliconvalley.com/register/

eTourism Summit 2022

This is a three-day event that is both in-person (in Orlando, Florida) and online eTourism Summit 2022 connects experienced digital marketers who share their expertise with those wishing to gain knowledge about the current state of the tourism industry within the digital landscape. During this conference, you learn how to budget for whatever your business needs, whether it is PR, media buying, analytics and data insights, or anything else – all to help you adjust to the competitive nature of digital tourism.

• Date: June 6-8, 2022
• Location: Orlando, Florida and Online
• Ticket Variations:
  • In-Person Supplier: $2,995
  • In-Person Marketer: $1,495
  • Virtual Supplier: $195
  • Virtual Marketer: $195
  • Marketer Community Pass: $3,995
  • Virtual Staff Pass: $1,495
• Top Speakers:
  • Bob Allen: Chief Storytelling Officer IDEAS
  • Ktimene Axetell: VP Insights and Client Partner Arrivalist
  • Ana R. Arzate: Marketing Coordinator Visit Laredo
  • Ariel Azoff: Executive Director
  • Brand Partnerships Atlas Obscura
  • AJ Brau: CEO Wander
  • Grey Brennan: Deputy Director Alabama Tourism Department
• Registration: https://www.etourismsummit.com/register/

Sigma Americas Toronto

Sigma, one of the world’s largest gaming festivals, is held in Toronto in June. Sigma Americas was born at the perfect time, with single-game sports wagering taking place in Canada for the first time in history. Sigma Americas aims to be a hub and platform for iGaming’s new frontier. Merchants and marketers alike would benefit greatly from attending this conference – the gaming industry is highly profitable and shows no signs of slowing down.

• Date: June 6-9, 2022
• Location: Toronto, Canada
• Ticket Variations:
  • Standard $89
  • Premium $199
  • Platinum $399
• Top Speakers:
  • Dave Crane: CEO
  • Troy Ross: President of TRM Public Affairs
  • Shelley White: CEO of Responsible Gambling Council
  • Meghan Chayka: Co-Founder of Stathletes Inc.
• Registration: https://sigmaworld.events/sigma-americas-2022

The Social Shake-Up

With the title, you can correctly guess what this affiliate conference is about: social media and the trends that come along with it. The Social Shake-Up is here to reinvigorate your company’s approach to social media. Come to Atlanta, Georgia, and learn how to take advantage of emerging social media platforms and create new strategies as you listen to marketers of Fortune 500 brands and small-to-medium businesses who share their experiences and expertise.

• Date: June 8-10, 2022
• Location: Atlanta, Georgia
• Ticket Variations: Early Bird (EB) Rates expire April 29.
  • Individual All-Access Pass: $1,795 (Early Bird $1,595)
  • Individual One-Day Pass: $1,595 (EB $1,395)
  • Group All-Access Pass: $1,436 (EB $1,276)
  • Group One-Day Pass: $1,276 (EB $1,116)
  • Team 5 Pack: $6,595 (EB 5,695)
• Top Speakers:
  • Tara Aston: Digital & Social Strategist
  • Corporate Affairs of Walmart
  • Steve Denker: Former VP of Marketing/Digital for Turner Classic Movies
  • Daphne Dickerson: Group Director, Strategic Communications for the Coca-Cola Company
  • Beverly Jackson: VP, Global Brand & Consumer Marketing for Twitter
  • Milena Melnikova: Global Digital Experience Director of UPS
  • and many more
• Registration: https://tinyurl.com/8c5srzs8

iPX22

During iPX22, attendees are provided with plenty of coffee to help establish connections and work their way into the affiliate world. Get to know industry leaders, innovators, analysts, and movers and shakers across the partnerships industry in beautiful New York City.

• Date: June 14, 2022
• Location: New York City, NY
• Ticket Variations: Early Bird $149
• Top Speakers: TBA
• Registration: https://ipx22.splashthat.com/

Conversion Conference 2022

This is a gathering of international digital growth experts in the world-famous city of Las Vegas. Conversion Conference 2022 focuses on the art and science of conversion rate optimization, better known as CRO. CRO is what makes your website – especially the landing page – more efficient, with this conference introducing you to business alignment models and optimizing the value of client relationships.

• Date: June 20-22, 2022
• Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
• Ticket Variations: Prices increase after April 29.
  • 2 Day Conference Tickets: $1,097
  • All Access Tickets: $1,447
• Top Speakers:
  • Craig Andrews: Principal Ally of allies4me
  • Jennifer Apy: Chief Marketing & Growth Officer Chief of Outsiders
  • Donna Barkson: Technology Manager – UX of Statefarm
  • Jake Bohall: Co-Founder of Hive Digital, Inc.
  • Elmer Boutin: VP of Operations of WrightIMC.
  • Larry Boyer: Founder & President of New Horizons Advisors
• Registration: https://conversionconference.com/registration/

Marketing Analytics Summit 2022

In the same city of Las Vegas, there is the Marketing Analytics Summit 2022 specifically for digital analytics trailblazers. For anyone connected to marketing analytics, this would be your wheelhouse, as you will gain wisdom from numerous start-up creators and entrepreneurs in the analytic and affiliate industry.

• Date: June 20-23, 2022
• Location: Las Vegas, Nevada and Online
• Ticket Variations: All prices will increase after May 6.
  • Conference Tickets (June 21/22): $1,695
  • 3&4 Day Tickets (Conference + 2 Workshops): $3,495
  • Conference + 1 Workshop: $2,595
  • Workshop Only (2 Workshops): $2,300
  • 1 Workshop: $1,200
• Top Speakers:
  • In-Person:
    • Anil Batra: Managing Partner of Optizent
    • Charlotte Belshe: Senior Director of Marketing Outreach of International
    • June Dershewitz: Data Strategy/DAA Board Chair of Amazon Music
    • Ibrahim Elawadi: Senior Insights Advocate of Greenpeace
  • Virtual Speakers:
    • Simo Ahava: Partner, Senior Data Advocate of 8-bit-sheep
    • James Burnham: Digital Marketing Strategy Expert of Tealium
    • John Carney: Senior Data Scientist Evolytics of Evolving Analytics
• Registration: https://marketinganalyticssummit.com/register-for-marketing-analytics-summit-2022/

Rakuten Advertising DealMaker USA

If you come to Austin, TX, in June, make sure you attend Rakuten Advertising Dealmaker USA. There, you can connect, grow, and learn from 1,000 of the best professional advertisers and publishers who reside within a tight-knit group of dealmakers in the Rakuten Advertising Network. The name of this conference is driving sales and driving commissions. If this interests you, register and check out the ticket prices.

• Date: June 27-29, 2022
• Location: Austin, TX
• Ticket Variations: Need to Register
• Top Speakers:
• Registration: https://dealmaker.rakutenadvertising.com/dealmakerusa2022/begin

SBC Summit North America

Here is another 3-day event for delegates to attend, set in New Jersey. The SBC Summit North America conference is one of the largest sports betting and iGaming markets in North America, housing executives from every major operator to exchange ideas about opportunities that are emerging and how to adapt in order to utilize your strategies in an expanding industry.

• Date: July 12-14, 2022
• Location: Secaucus, New Jersey
• Ticket Variations:
  • Wednesday/Thursday Pass $595
  • All Access Pass $795 (Early Bird Ends May 31 $595)
• Top Speakers:
  • Amy Howe: CEO of FanDuel
  • Adi Dhandhania: Chief Operating Officer
  • North America Interactive of Bally’s Corporation
  • Ernie Stevens III: Founder & CEO
  • President of Indian Gaming Esports Association
  • and plenty more
• Registration: https://sbcevents.com/sbc-summit-north-america/ticket-options/

INBOUND Conference

HubSpot’s INBOUND brings together thought leaders from over 161 countries to discuss marketing, sales, customer success, and revenue operations. Although officially held in Boston, this event can be attended in-person or online. This three-day event is jam packed with a full schedule of interesting speakers and events. Affiliates and marketers can hone in on their skills by attending different talks about SEO, virtual marketing, business growth, customer experience, sales automation and more. We only outlined the first day. There is plenty more to choose from with over 200 speakers at this event! This is one affiliate marketing conference you don’t want to miss.

• Date: September 6-9, 2022
• Location: Boston, MA
• Ticket Variations:
  • General Admission:
    • Tier 1 – $399
    • Tier 2 – $599
    • Tier 3 – $799
    • Tier 4 – $899
    • Tier 5 – $1,199
    • VIP Pass – $1,499
• Top Speakers:
  • President Barak Obama
  • Mandy Bowman: CEO of Official Black Wall Street
  • Neil Patel: NP Digital
  • Jehron Petty: Colorstack CEO
  • Oscar Robles: Hubspot Sr Marketing Manager
  • Erica Yoon: Reddit Sr. Marketing Manager
  • David Meerman Scott: Freshspot Marketing
  • Stephanie Randle: VP at Lifecycle Marketing
  • Alex Moore: Stratagon Sr. Partner
  • Ty Heath: Director of Market Engagement at Linkedin
• Registration: https://www.cj.com/cju#pricing

CJU22

Fair warning: registration for this event requires company email recognition, exclusive to active CJ clients. CJU22, created by CJ itself (formerly Commission Junction) is a conference designed for CJ members to interact and network – in order to build connections and create business opportunities. CJ launches a social community and event app every June.

• Date: September 12-15, 2022
• Location: Santa Barbara, California
• Ticket Variations:
  • Single Rate: $1,495 (EARLY BIRD is $1,295 until May 3)
  • Group Rate: $1,165.50 (10% discounts to groups of 5+)
• Top Speakers: TBA
• Registration: https://www.cj.com/cju#pricing

Strategic Marketing 2022

CMOs and marketing leaders from around the world will meet in New York at the Strategic Marketing 2022 event – a platform that inspires and empowers marketing leaders. As a result of this event, brands are able to build deeper, more meaningful relationships with consumers, create hyper-innovative campaigns, and utilize new digital touchpoints to grow their business. SMO Strategy and growth, purpose-driven marketing, engaging content, and innovative social media content are some of the different aspects of this conference you would benefit from.

• Date: Oct 20-21, 2022
• Location: New York, New York
• Ticket Variations:
  • Under the Delegate Passes Category
    • Basic Pass: $1,799
    • Business Pass: $1,999
    • VIP Pass: $2,499
  • Under the Vendors Passes Category
    • Basic Pass: $2,299
    • Business Pass: $2,499
    • VIP Pass: $2,999
• Top Speakers:
  • Ramon Jones: Nationwide Chief Marketing Officer
  • Karin Timpone: MLB Chief Marketing Officer
  • Michelle Crossan-Matos: Samsung Chief Marketing Officer
  • Ayana Green: UPS Vice President
  • Linda Boff: GE Chief Marketing Officer
  • Jim Mollica: Bose Chief Marketing Officer
  • and more
• Registration: https://events.reutersevents.com/marketing/marketing-new-york/register

Conclusion

Affiliate marketing conferences provide a space for affiliate merchants and marketers to network and promote themselves. This is not a business opportunity you can afford to pass. You get to meet successful and important people in the affiliate marketing industry that can accelerate your own growth. Some of the biggest affiliate marketing events are coming back, in this post-covid world and there have been numerous aspects of the affiliate business that have developed over the previous couple of years, ready for you to tap into.

Keep an eye out for these networking events, they are priceless. Keynote speakers are invited to share their knowledge, and expertise, and to discuss affiliate marketing trends that could affect your niche industry, so prepare your summer and schedule a few of these conferences in your calendar, you won’t regret it.