In this edition of the Affiliate Buzz, host and Instructor of the Affiliate Marketers BootCamp, James Martell, is joined by co-host Arlene to present the Affiliate Buzz’s Guide to Affiliate Summit, with insider tips on getting the most out of the event.

This year's Affiliate Summit East 2015 takes place in New York City from August 2nd to the 4th at the Marriott Marquis - Times square.

James kicks off the episode by reminiscing about the very first Affiliate Summit. Just one year after The Affiliate Buzz got started, James and Arlene were present at this event with a couple hundred other attendees, on a cruise ship that went from New York City up to Halifax.

Affiliate Summit Is Growing by Leaps and Bounds

James points out that Affiliate Summit is a premier industry event and has grown a little each year. He and Arlene reminiscence about the locations of past Affiliate Summit events, including Disney World, Vegas, Austin, and other major cities.

Affiliate Summit takes place in venues such as the New York City Hilton, Disney World Hilton in Orlando, Austin, Texas, and a wide range of Las Vegas, Nevada locations. Some of the Las Vegas locations have included: the Riviera Hotel & Casino, Bally's Las Vegas, Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, Paris Las Vegas, and Caesars Palace.

Next James gives listeners an idea of how the scope of the event has changed, from a single event in 2004 to multiple conferences per year that easily boast between 6,000 and 10,000 people. The way the event is growing, in James' perspective, is a good barometer of how much the affiliate marketing industry is still growing.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Affiliate Summit

James and Arlene then launch into some talking points. These topics provide useful tips for listeners who have either never been to an Affiliate Summit event, or who have maybe not attended a conference in recent years. The eight talking points are:

#8 Breakations

James and Arlene coined the term "breakation" more than a decade ago. Unlike a vacation, the idea is to work hard for the first part of your trip, and then having some fun by getting away from it all for a couple of days. James and Arlene take a few extra days before or after the event.

#7a: Meet Market

The Meet Market kicks off on the Sunday afternoon along side with the educational session speaker tracks running in the background.  The meet market hosts a couple of hundred merchants and their affiliate managers sharing products and programs that they are representing.

#7b: Exhibit Hall

The exhibit hall is a large room filled with displays. James and Arlene spent an entire afternoon perusing the display areas and networking at the last conference they attended. These features give you an opportunity to meet others in the affiliate industry, get tips and strategies, and pick up some swag.

#6: You Can Write Off the Event

James shares some of the things he can write off his taxes when attending Affiliate Summit, including airfare, hotel room, and more. He points out that people attend the event from all over the world. Because not all tax laws are the same, he recommends running this by your accountant before trying it.

#5: Educational Tracks

Speaker tracks start off when the Meet Market kicks off. At the last Affiliate Summit, James spoke about How to Earn $100 per Day in Passive Recurring Income. He anticipates speaking about podcasting at Affiliate Summit East 2015 as well. Arlene recommends being on time and taking notes during the presentation, and explains more about this during the podcast.

#4: Networking

James points out that Affiliate Summit offers a lot of networking opportunities. He and Arlene discuss the positive influence networking has had on their business as well. Then they discuss the Newcomers Program,