Nearly everything I’m doing and thinking about this week is focused on Affiliate Summit East 2008. For me, it’s not just preparing for the actual event, but the whole experience of going to back to Boston for the first time in two years. Plus, I’m taking a very short vacation to visit with my family in Western Massachusetts after the show.

I miss Massachusetts (don’t tell all my San Francisco pals) so I plan to pack as much fun as possible into my trip. Here are some of the things I’ve got planned:

Help
I’ll be spending much of Saturday before the Affiliate Summit participating in the “Scope” working group for the Performance Marketing Alliance. I’m teamed with a bunch of smart industry folks to help define the strategy and value of the PMA to the industry, develop the initial objectives of the PMA and identify the 2009 near term objectives.

I’m also thrilled to be helping out with the Affiliate Summit Mentor Program.

Listen and Learn
But the one thing I’m truly looking forward to at the show is the keynote. It’ll be given by Newark, NJ mayor, Corey Booker. On the recommendation of Shawn Collins, I watched the documentary (called Street Fight) about Booker’s run for the mayor of Newark. I loved the film and now I’m even more excited to hear what he has to say. And it doesn’t hurt that Marie Claire magazine named Booker 2008’s sexiest democrat.

The session on the New York Affiliate Tax is one that I won’t miss and neither should you. It takes place on Sunday from 3-4pm in the Harborview Ballroom.

Oh yeah, I’m also on a panel about creating killer content. It features Angel Djambazov, publisher of Revenews.com and Kim Rowley, founder, Key Internet Marketing. We’ll be talking about how you can create compelling content. I hope to see you there on Monday at 10:30 in Classroom B of the Amphitheater.

Eat
I can’t go to Boston and not have seafood. I’m dying to go to No Name restaurant for some chowdah and some fried clams (fully belly clams, not those dang strips). I’m not the only one looking forward to local cuisine. OPMs Wade Tonkin and Karen Garcia are focusing their Ultimate Foodie podcast on sussing out the hidden gems of Boston’s drinking and dining scene by interviewing Boston foodies, chefs, critics and local bloggers about the food scene. Good thing, because it’s been so long since I’ve lived there that I have no idea where to go anymore.

Drink
There are also plenty of parties at Affiliate Summit. Buy.at is hosting a party on Saturday night at the Seaport Hotel. The official party of Affiliate Summit is the Affiliate Bash hosted by WebMasterRadio.FM. It’s also a huge birthday party for Apple co-founder and inventor of the Macintosh computer “Woz” Steve Wozniak. I also heard that BJ Novak, head writer (and delightfully smug Ryan) from the Office will be on hand (albeit sans Michael Scott)

Be Merry
If you can’t get enough of the marathon length GeekCast podcasts then I’m very worried about you. But I think lots of beer or adult beverages might help make the show fly by. I’m not advocating drinking alone and listening to the show (unless your name is Jangro) but you can come out and join the GeekCast gang of Jim Kukral, Sam Harrelson, Shawn Collins and I for drink. We’ll be doing a special live podcast from the Affiliate Summit. I don’t have all the details on the where and the when, but I was promised that the BeerTender will be flowing.

Cruise Around
Boston is a beautiful city and checking out the skyline from Boston Harbor is always a treat. The Christian Affiliate Marketing Association is having a Sunday morning brunch cruise. It should be a spiritual experience.

No offense to all you sea fairing folks, but I prefer to be somewhat landlocked. That’s why I was pleased to hear that ShareASale (which always throws the best parties IMHO) is having its annual summit celebration on the yacht Odyssey, but it will be docked the entire time. Leave it to SAS CEO Brian Littleton to make everyone happy. He is the ultimate host.

Root, Root, Root for the Home Team
And I can’t leave Boston without heading out Yawkee Way for some baseball and hot pistachios. From what I’ve heard, many online marketers will be descending on historic Fenway Park to see the Red Sox take on the Texas Rangers. I’ll be with the extra rowdy group out in the bleachers. I grew up with season tickets to the Bosox and then covered the team for both radio and local newspapers as a cub sports reporter in Boston. I think this is the part of the trip I’m most excited about. Just thinking about it makes me smile.

Look for me at the show. I’ll have the ear-to-ear to grin plastered on my face the entire time.