If you belong to the affiliate marketing industry, I have an exciting experience to share with you. In the last few years, I’ve been to dozens of conferences like AWC Europe, WordCamp Asia, ad:tech Delhi, IAS Conference, Google Search Central Live, and many more.
Recently, I attended the Affiliate World Conference Dubai – my first conference in 2024. Besides being an amazing experience, I felt the afterparty organized post the conference was one of the best so far!
In today’s article, I’m going to share my entire AWC Dubai experience, from collecting the event passes to interviewing various affiliate marketers and having fun at the after-party!
So, are you ready to discover what exactly happens at Affiliate World Conferences? Are they worth attending and should you join the next one? Let’s get into our article and find out!
My Experience at Affiliate World Dubai
1) Reaching the Event Venue
The AW Dubai Conference was scheduled for the 28th and 29th of February 2024 at the Dubai World Trade Center. Having visited Dubai a few years back, I found it to be a magnificent venue for the conference.
Dubai is known for its extravagant lifestyle. So you could find luxury cars on display outside the venue. They were an absolute treat to the eyes and even I got some pictures clicked beside them!
2) Getting the Event Passes
As soon as you set foot in the venue, you will find the AW Registration Area and Help Desk. Here, you can register for the conference and get any additional queries resolved.
I observed a long queue at the registration desk where participants showed their QR codes and got their entry badges. The passes for AWC Dubai were designed in a pleasant red color, with the participant and company names mentioned in bold fonts.
An important thing to note here is there are no walk-in entries allowed. You’ll need to purchase your tickets before showing up at the event. You can use my link to get additional discounts on your AWC tickets.
3) Engaging with the Company Booths
After getting your passes, you can head over to the booths of popular companies and brands belonging to the affiliate, marketing, and advertising domains.
You can interact with the teams and representatives of your favorite brands and get their free swags and merchandise. If you’re lucky enough, you may even crack exclusive deals or get exciting discounts!
4) Relaxing, Gaming, and Food Arrangements
Well, if you’re tired of visiting different booths and just need a breather, you can head to the Exhibition Lounge.
It offers a peaceful place to sit down and have a quick break. I liked how they included a 15-minute free massage for participants to completely relax and unwind. I had a great time at the free gaming zone.
Talking about food, they had complimentary water at the event. Usually, you also get a free coffee at AW events. But this time around, it was not available. Food had to be purchased separately as well. But in my experience, the food options were not up to the mark either.
5) Attending the Speaker Sessions
The Main Stage hosted educational sessions delivered by successful industry leaders and professionals. You could listen to their experiences, and learn valuable tips and strategies around affiliate marketing, advertising, etc.
If you wanted to interact with the speakers, you could do so right after their session concluded.
I won’t recommend attending the stage sessions because they are available as recordings to watch later. But if you’re tired of networking at the booths, you can take a break and check out these engaging sessions.
6) Enjoying the After Party
The afterparty of AWC Dubai was something worth remembering! The entire crowd was buzzing with energy and enthusiasm.
Catchy music along with refreshing drinks, dance, and conversations made it a really fun experience. In my opinion, this was the best afterparty organized by AW Dubai since 2022.
How was the Experience of AWC Attendees?
Next, I inquired other attendees about their experience at AWC. Some of them loved the vibe of the event and the strong community experience. Some of them appreciated how they could build great networks and in turn, benefit their clients in some way.
I also talked to Marisha Lakhiani, who was a speaker at AWC. She appreciated how generous and caring the entire team was. She was happy they were introducing her to amazing people who had so many cool ideas to share!
Interesting Money Talks With Affiliates
Now, here comes the most exciting part! If you’re a beginner interested in exploring affiliate marketing, you’ll find this pretty valuable.
At the AWC Dubai conference, I conversed with various successful professional about the maximum amount of money their top affiliate had made for them. The answers will surprise you!
Mr. Deepak Verma (CEO of VellKO Media) informed us that their top-most affiliate earned them a huge sum of $3 million in the last quarter! The affiliate was mostly into mailing and media buying.
Next, I talked to an Indian affiliate marketer, Ankit Parekh (OKANKIT). He revealed how they earned a whopping $1 million in the last year. He has been awarded ClickBank Platinum Plus, which is only presented to those who earn more than $1 million in revenue in a year.
Further, I chatted with Ali Akhbar, whose website garnered a total traffic of 15 million users per month. He revealed he has a monthly turnover of $40-50k. He suggested affiliate marketing and parasite SEO as great techniques for earning quick money!
Moving on, I had a conversation with Nikunj Kunjadiya, who is into affiliate marketing and drop shipping. He is also a ClickBank Platinum Plus winner, which means he earns over $1 million in revenue annually.
I talked to Shiva and Ravi Teja Bodapati. They revealed their highest revenue to date was $130k in a month. They earned a maximum of $11k in a day, where their ROI was 25-30%!
Then, another Indian eCommerce and affiliate marketer Shreekant Sharma revealed he is using a platform called Roposo where his monthly ad spend is in 8 figures! When asked to choose between affiliate marketing and dropshipping, he playfully exclaimed he would go with the one offering the maximum profits!
Finally, Achil Mishra revealed how they earned a solid $7-8k monthly revenue by just guest posting on their website. They also revealed that the Crypto, iGaming, and Sports industries are offering the highest amount of money for guest posting.
Key Takeaways from AWC Dubai 2024
I conversed with a lot of participants at the AW Conference and asked them about their key takeaways from the event. I hope these tips and takeaways will be helpful to you when attending the next conference.
1) Exploring Different Perspectives
Make sure you speak to as many people as possible and get yourself out there. Talking to people helps you get acquainted with different perspectives. It could help you explore new opportunities and help you understand the real potential of your industry.
2) Building Lasting Connections
Make sure to attend the after-party at AWC and spend more time connecting and interacting with professionals. People share their best ideas in such casual environments. Such parties are the ideal settings to build strong networks.
3) Spotting Upcoming Trends
One major benefit of attending affiliate marketing conferences like AWC is that it makes you aware of the trends in the industry. Speaker sessions and networking with others help you understand what’s working in the industry, and how you can implement it to scale your business.
Tips For Beginners Attending AW Conference
If you are a beginner in the affiliate marketing industry who has never been to any conferences before, these tips will be quite helpful for you.
1) Do Your Research
Before coming to the event, make sure you study the event agenda and research well about the speakers, sponsors, and fellow attendees. This will help you stay more focused and prepared for what to expect.
2) Talk to Everyone
Do not avoid talking to any brands or companies, assuming they aren’t related to your business. Sometimes the most unrelated brands end up contributing a lot of value to you!
So make sure you talk to everyone. You can build amazing bonds and get some great clients, partners, and even friends at these conferences.
Will I be Attending the Next Affiliate World Conference?
The next AWC will be held in Budapest (Europe) on the 5th and 6th of September 2024. Right now, it’s too early to comment if I’ll be able to attend this conference. But I’m looking forward to it.
When I asked other participants the same question, all of them had a positive response. They confirmed they would be attending the event with their team and also invited everyone else to join them there.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience at the Affiliate World Conference in Dubai. I hope it helped you discover what exactly happens at such conferences and if you would gain value from attending them.
I feel complete beginners won’t benefit much from these conferences. You need some prior experience in your field to provide value and build strong networks. Therefore, seasoned professionals with a significant amount of expertise can gain the most value here.
Anyway, have you attended an Affiliate World Conference before? How was your experience and what was your favorite part of the event? Will you be attending the next conference in Budapest? Let me know in the comments below.
If you are planning to attend the next AW Europe event, you can use my link to get some extra discounts. This is Kripesh, taking your leave. I’ll be back with more such insightful experiences soon. Till then, keep learning and stay safe. Cheers. 🙂
