Summit Hits the Jackpot

22/2008 Issue: Page 96

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It's an Overstock-free, almost all Affiliate Summit Sin City report.

That Jason Calacanis. He really knows how to work a crowd. Although his approach to keynoting is slightly less tactful than mine, it was still highly effective in getting the Affiliate Summit attendees talking and griping and bitching and most importantly thinking about efforts to clean up the space. And while Mr. Mahalo could use some real schooling on the nuances of affiliate marketing, I applaud his post-keynote efforts to stay involved in the affiliate conversation. Perhaps next time I'm in Santa Monica I'll invite Jason out for some scotch and cigars to have a discussion millionaire-to-arachnid and give him the real 411.

Meanwhile back in the 570 (that's western PA, dudes), the launch of pepperjam's affiliate network in January has caused a stir. pepperjam CEO Kris Jones claims that rival network Commission Junction was aggressively contacting his new clients and delivering an ultimatum – either stay with Commission Junction or terminate all agency business with pepperjam. In a blog post, Jones calls the action by CJ "extremely unprofessional and potentially illegal." He also says he considers CJ to be one of pepperjam's "primary strategic partners" and that this action "successfully scared the hell out of us."

My skills are numerous, but untangling the law is not one of them. I leave that to legal eagles I overpay. However, I tend to think that CJ is simply working to protect its business. More interesting to me is that Jones chose to air this business issue in a blog. I'm all for transparency but ...

I'm also wondering what the good folks at ShareASale think about the situation given that at their super-swanky Sky Villa party at the Palms during Affiliate Summit, some pepperjam folks showed up and were welcomed to enjoy the top-shelf libations and fancy finger food – all while reportedly chatting up SAS clients about joining the pepperjam network.

But SAS CEO Brian Littleton is too classy to comment or tattle. Maybe that's why he received a nearly standing ovation as he accepted his Affiliate Summit Pinnacle Award as The Wayne Porter Affiliate Marketing Legend for 2007.

The award's namesake, Wayne Porter, was also spotted at the show talking, as usual, over most people's heads about Second Life. Starting his second life – or maybe it's his third after Commission Junction and Digital River – another Legend Award recipient, Todd Crawford, was totally mum on his new project. This led many to joke that he's hooking up with former LinkShare founders Heidi and Steve Messer to launch a new venture. Now that would certainly raise some eyebrows and get lots of press attention.

Super-affiliate Vinny Lingham has a way of attracting attention and top-notch talent. Lingham has relocated from South Africa to San Francisco to jump-start his Synthasite business, and he's also managed to lure Wal-Mart's top affiliate guy Randy Almond away from the huge retailer to work at the start-up. Now that's nuts.

Speaking of going nuts ... I had already left my glorious suite at the Palms and was safely tucked into my 1,000- thread-count sheets back home while most of the Affiliate Summit crowd took advantage of their last evening in Sin City. With the conference over it was time to let loose – really loose. Had I known that all it took to get a free pass or free booth at the next Affiliate Summit in Boston was downing a handful of shots on a dare, yours truly would have been awash in freebies. Although Jaeger bombs haven't been my drink of choice since the days of higher learning and passing out in the quad, I'm sure I could have summoned up my inner sophomore and risen to the occasion. Perhaps Affiliate Classroom's Anik Singal, who missed two flights the next day after imbibing, should donate his hard-won, late-night prize to LinkShare, which was boothless at this Affiliate Summit.

Buy.at, backed by Benjamins from its new parent company AOL, was certainly not invisible at the show. The U.K. affiliate network's party at the socialite/rapper/ rock star/celebrity hangout, Ghostbar at the Palms, was off the hook – as the kids say. Talk about exclusive. Affiliate Summit co-founder Shawn Collins was turned away for not having the proper footwear. Shawn, sneakers are good on the Segway and at the Toby Keith Bar at Harrah's, but not at a classy joint owned by a supermodel's hubby.

My pricey handcrafted Italian loafers made the cut at the Ghostbar, but thankfully I had already returned to The Spider abode when many affiliates traded their kicks for bowling shoes. Drunken bowling is not my style, as I typically pass on any activity requiring me to don footwear previously worn by a semitruck driver from Nebraska.

And talk about the power of networking – Affiliate Summit is now in the business of matchmaking. Jenn Thorp, Group Lead of Business Development for TheUseful, and Michael Friedes, CEO of RightNowMedia, got married at The Stained Glass Wedding Chapel in Vegas, the day after the show. They met a year ago at Affiliate Summit 2007 West. Maybe love is the air. There was also some buzz about an affiliate industry vet/budding social mediatrix who has been reportedly drawing lots of attention by kanoodling (or is it doodling) on both coasts with an impressive A-list blogger.

That's all I have to fill this gaping void. But if you have some news or some top-secret information, or perhaps just a juicy helping of gossip, why not share it? Email me at TheSpider@RevenueToday. com or call The Spider hotline directly at 415-732-7456.

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