So that time is very nearly upon us again when the great and the good in Affiliate Marketing descend upon London Village for three nights and two full days of networking, education, and maybe a tiny bit of drinking until 5am.

As a veteran of the previous two expos, I thought I’d share some essential tips with you to ensure you make the most of a4uexpo 2009..

Pack the right equipment..
Essential items to survive a three-night, two-day conference include a decent supply of Paracetamol, ProPlus and business cards. I wouldn’t worry too much about paper or pens, as they are usually provided for you within the delegate pack, and if not, there’s bound to be a promotional pen or twenty lying around that you can lay your hands on.

It’s worth remembering that you’re out on a limb somewhat at ExCel, so it might be an idea to take some snacks and drinks with you (you can always leave them in your hotel room) – Food and drink is provided at regular intervals throughout expo, but when you’re starving hungry and fighting 300 other hungry people for tiny bowls of salad as they arrive 10 at a time, you’ll be thankful you nibbled on a cereal bar a few hours earlier

Prepare Properly..
There’s no reason whatsoever to wander around ExCel aimlessly looking for people you might want to speak with – The a4uexpo team have provided a complete list of all the exhibitors, sessions and attendees, so you can plan exactly who you want to speak to, what sessions you’re going to, and whose stands you’re going to visit. You’ll get much more out of the conference this way, and avoid sitting through boring sessions and speaking to hundreds of irrelevant people.

The “appointment” system of the last couple of expos appears to have been dropped (looking at last years, it wasn’t that greatly used), so there might be a small wait to speak to people on the more popular stands. We’re not exhibiting ourselves, but if you fancy a chat with me or Jason about Easy Content Units or anything else we do, the best thing to do is drop me a line via Twitter (@lammo77), as I’ll be tweeting live from expo.

Don’t be afraid to speak up..
If you’re in a session, and don’t understand a point being made, don’t be afraid to ask a question – You’ll probably find that ten other people are thinking the same but are too nervous to put their hand up. The speakers love questions too – It’s much easier to answer a question than it is to think of something interesting to say yourself!

On a similar note, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to other attendees – affiliates are (mostly) a pretty friendly bunch.. There’s no cliques here, and most affiliates get one really well and are happy to chat with anyone, regardless of how long they’ve been an affiliate or how successful they are deemed to be. Come and say hello – we don’t bite!

Pace yourself..
I will not be naming names, but a certain person who works at an agency caused much amusement last year on the middle night, being completely unable to co-ordinate his hand in order to pick up the drink that was in front of him – The look of sheer frustration and confusion on his face was priceless. Then there’s the network employee who fell asleep on the final night – his colleagues had abandoned him and he had to be put in a cab and sent on his way. Or the handful of people who seem to throw up in the toilets every year…

Yes, it’s a free bar – everyone does tend to like a drink at these events, but if you’re getting this wasted, then you’re not going to be doing much business are you? And isn’t that why you’re going to expo?

Send me to bed..
This is my first expo since Little Lammo was born, and I’m determined to make the most of the event. For me there’s an added bonus this year – the opportunity to have a good 6 or 7 hours uninterrupted sleep for three nights!

I’m therefore imploring anyone who sees me in the hotel bar anytime after 1am to please send me to my bed, rather than letting me chew the fat until 5am every night like I did last year!

Any other tips you’ve got to share?

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