One of the most challenging issues facing online merchants is recruiting new affiliates. In fact, we have a feature article on that very topic in the latest issue (January/February) of Revenue. And while Senior Writer Alexandra Wharton talks to a wide array of publishers and merchants about the complex and often frustrating issue of affiliate recruiting, the show promoters of Affiliate Summit have come up with a unique approach to give merchants unprecedented direct access to top earning affiliates.

Keeping with the Affiliate Summit tradition of raising money for a different charity at each of the semi-annual conferences, show co-founders Shawn Collins and Missy Ward are auctioning off dinners with eight of the industry’s top affiliates to the highest bidders and all the money raised will benefit the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation. Check out all of the fundraising events slated for Affiliate Summit West.

Bidding for the first annual Affiliate Summit Super Affiliate Auction will begin January 28 and run through February 1 on eBay. Auction winners and the affiliates will pre-arrange a convenient time for their lunch or dinner during the conference, to be selected and paid for by the auction winners.

Here are the super affiliates that have agreed to participate in this unique and exciting event:

Mike Allen, President and “Chief Executive Shopper” of Shopping-Bargains.com, LLC

Michael Coley, Founder of Amazing-Bargains.com

Patrick Grady, Chief Revenue Engineer of RhinoFish Media

Scott Jangro, President of MechMedia, Inc.

Billy Kay Knoblach, President of The Mail Order Shoppe

David Lewis, CEO & Founder of 77Blue (Cashbaq)

Tim Storm, Founder and CEO of FatWallet.com

Adam Viener, Chairman and Founder of Imwave, Inc.

If you look closely at the impressive list you’ll see some names that are very familiar (and hugely successful). You will also notice some folks that although they are very successful, attempt to keep a lower public profile. The list is also a good a mix of PPC marketers, coupon guys and others. I would loved to be a fly on the wall at any (or all) or these dinners.

On this week’s Affiliate Thing podcast Shawn Collins and I discussed how merchants or CPA networks or whoever does the bidding and wins should approach these meetings. We both concluded that giving the hard sell and pitch to these super savvy affiliates is probably not the best approach and waste of a valuable opportunity. Most have of these online marketers have great BS detectors and are immune to the hard sell. However, using the time to pick their brains about specific issues and challenges and the industry in general is more likely to yield some insight into all affiliates.

Let the bidding begin!