I’ve already had several planning meetings this year about conferences and trade shows. There’s another slated for this week. The ongoing discussions usually revolve around which events Revenue will participate in as a sponsor, be an exhibitor at and just how many members of the Revenue team will be attending.

It’s getting tougher to make these decisions as there seem to be more and more shows with compelling speakers, educational sessions and great chances for networking.

From now until the end of June I have a packed schedule of shows to attend, including OMMA, eComXpo, Emarketing West, Ad:Tech San Francisco; the Emetrics Summit, Web 2.0 Expo, Supernova 2007, Internet Retailer and the LinkShare Symposium.

That doesn’t include all the conferences I want to be at but scheduling and deadlines are making it impossible to attend, such as: Search Engine Strategies (New York), DM Days (New York) and Ad:Tech Miami.

Plus, there’s the Affiliate Summit East in early July in Miami. I’ll definitely be there. It’s a must for me and most of the affiliate community as well.

But I’m curious, how much is too much when it comes to conferences and trade shows? What are your criteria for deciding to attend a show? Is it the cost? The location? The speakers? What factors are compelling enough to make you book a flight, shell out for a hotel and leave the comforts of home? I really want to know.

Here’s something you don’t have to leave home to get – the Affiliate Thing podcast with your fabulous co-hosts Shawn Collins and me. This week at noon EST on Wednesday (March 7) we’ll be interviewing Steven Richter, president and general counsel of Media Breakaway. We’ll be asking him about the ringtone issues recently involving CPA Empire, which is a division of Media Breakaway. You can listen live at WebMasterRadio.FM or tune in later by accessing the WebMasterRadio.FM archives.

And on another note … if you haven’t already signed up for Revenue’s monthly newsletter, now’s the time to do so. The newest edition will feature exclusive content that you won’t find in the magazine. The newsletter is sent out on the first Wednesday of each month, so if you sign up today you can get the latest newsletter delivered to you tomorrow. What are you waiting for?