ASW For Newbies? (25)
Hey guys,
I'm looking at making an 11th hour decision to get my ass out of Australia and over to Vegas for ASW 2015, i just want to get a few opinions on whether it's a worthy investment for a newbie ($3000 for flights+accom+ASW passes)? I can afford it easily but want to make sure it's a solid investment of my time and money and that i'll be able to get plenty of value out of it at a newbie level.
Any guys who've been to AS events in the past have any advice?
Cheers!
I'd advise saving up for STM London rather than making a last minute decision to go to ASW.
If you go to ASW you should have a plan for how to make it worthwhile - e.g. people to meet, stalls to visit, specific objectives e.g. find someone to partner with on X campaigns/sources, find developers/product owners who you can approach about direct relationships, etc. etc.
Just turning up and mingling might still be worthwhile but it's a gamble... you could just end up partying and not really learning anything or making helpful contacts.
Originally Posted by zeno
I'd also be heading to Charles Ngo's free seminar and any of the STM meetups, it'd be great to meet everyone on here but like you said it would just be a lot of mingling which may or may not be worthwhile.
I'm not sure if many people go with a good game plan, but most people are dropping $3000 to get there.
Originally Posted by zeno
I would say that if you already have a decent amount of currently profitable campaigns and already have already built up some strong relationships with people that are attending (affiliate managers, traffic sources etc) then it's worth investing the cash in attending and solidifying these.
If you're planning on going for learning/education on how to get your first profitable campaigns (which it seems from your signature may well be the case) then I think this cash is better off invested into buying traffic.
I wouldn't, it will probably end up being a waste of time. I went last year when I was still relatively new and I thought it was barely worth it even though I only came out from Los Angeles (4 hour drive). The main benefit I gained was I know what NOT do to this year when I go.
Ooops... meant aren't...aren't dropping 3k... if that wasn't obvious.
Originally Posted by iAmAttila
But I imagine most of the attendees are US-based so spend only a few hundred on flights compared to $1200-2000 USD return from Aus depending on how bad you want the flights to be.
In my opinion if you want to get your feet wet you need to go out there and meet ppl. ASW is one of the biggest affiliate events, great opportunity to meet the right people!!
After all this business is all about the right connections... So I encourage you to come out and network!
I flew from Hungary at age of 17 for my first ASW and I wasn't even sure if they'd let me in as you gotta be 21 to attend! It was well worth it, I managed to sneak in and connect with people. The trade show is perfect for newbies and I'm sure you're gonna have a blast at the parties! Also there's gonna be ngo giving some training on the 17th I think!
Be a go getter and make it happen!
I'd agree with zeno, I think STM London is probably a better return on your investment.
ASW is a must if this is a serious long term business for you. There's lots of traffic sources, CPA networks, tracking platforms you can meet. There's also a ton of experienced experts in all facets of the business. Not just affiliates.
The first time I went to affiliate summit it totally changed my perspective of the whole industry. Before o thought it was a bunch of people at home running campaigns. Going to ASW showed me this is a very large industry with 100's of millions of dollars in companies and plenty of room to grow.
Well worth the time and investment of this is a passion and direction you want to peruse.
edit
One of the best decisions I've ever made was going to ASW in 2011 and forward. Those trips have paid for themselves in contacts, information and fun 10,000 over. Use your time wisely and it will definitely be a worthwhile investment IMHO.
And the vote is split haha, up to you mate!
It will no doubt be worthwhile, just not sure if you'll consider it worth the 3k but hell, you'll probably have 5k worth of fun!
And you never know, the contacts that you make there could lead to something great, could lead to nothing.
Haha yeah, split vote, it's a tough one but since it's so close to the deadline and Vegas will pretty nippy this time of year im gonna hold off and wait til STM London or ASE 2015.
I think that going would be an awesome experience and give me a good motivation to succeed but what i need now more than anything is to just tuck my head down, get heaps of experience, and work. Then when i come over in 6 months time i'll be able to get a lot more out of it than just networking, partying and a hangover 
Originally Posted by aushustler87
I think that going would be an awesome experience and give me a good motivation to succeed but what i need now more than anything is to just tuck my head down, get heaps of experience, and work. Then when i come over in 6 months time i'll be able to get a lot more out of it than just networking, partying and a hangover
And guess what.. its worth it
if you dont learn anything you will sure have a blast in vegas, it's my 4th trip to vegas and every time i got back home with new contacts, new ideas but the most important thing: lots of motivation!! (for me its also 3000 usd easy as i fly from Amsterdam (14 hours) and a 9 hour jetlag but it is worth it!!
Originally Posted by iAmAttila
And guess what.. its worth it
Originally Posted by iAmAttila
And guess what.. its worth it
A budget of 3k should do it for most people with long flights.
You can probably even sleep in a fancy hotel with that budget.
@op If you really take this business serious and you can afford it easily as you say, you should join.
It's also my first time ASW, but I heard so many good things about i that I just NEED to be there.
I'm still pretty young (29) but I've been doing business since I left school.
Having a strong network is the biggest asset in every industry.
I hope to make a lot of friends there!
Originally Posted by vitalis
A budget of 3k should do it for most people with long flights.
You can probably even sleep in a fancy hotel with that budget.
@op If you really take this business serious and you can afford it easily as you say, you should join.
It's also my first time ASW, but I heard so many good things about i that I just NEED to be there.
I'm still pretty young (29) but I've been doing business since I left school.
Having a strong network is the biggest asset in every industry.
I hope to make a lot of friends there!
20k???
Originally Posted by nvaonline
These kinda events always fill me up with lots of energy!
Applied knowledge is power!
Yeah I think I would put STM london over ASW if one or the other, but if you can do both ASW is a massive yes for newbies. Not just the contacts and meetings, but the sheer motivation. Often going to these events and seeing how real it all is, the ability affiliates have will just blow your mind.
So yeah, if you can GO! If not, London cometh!
All in person networking is key in this industry.
It's how you get exclusive deals and build longterm relationships.
STM London may be a cheaper options with a lot better networking opportunity. It also depends on your main goals. Different events are better for different things.
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