I just heard that Affiliate Summit has lowered the price of their VIP passes for Affiliate Summit West by $300 through October 23. I didn’t even believe it until I went to the site myself and checked out all of the pass types and read the fine print. You can now get a VIP pass for $579 if you get the newly discounted Early Bird price.

I have only ever attended one Affiliate Summit where I didn’t have a VIP pass–my first. And it was essentially because I didn’t know any better and the conference was so different back then. Yes, I often get a free pass for being a speaker or being on the Advisory Board. But even when I take employees with me, I always buy them the VIP pass. Why?

First: To me, some of the best networking opportunities take place over the casual meals, drinks, and snack breaks. You will meet a certain number of people in the Exhibit Hall and Meet Market. You’ll exchange business cards and maybe follow up later. But it’s in those more casual, laid-back meals that you really talk to people and understand their business and get to know each other. The VIP pass includes the Sunday Snack Break (which people never take advantage of enough but should!), plus breakfast and lunch on Monday and Tuesday.

Second: I want to be able to attend any sessions that look good to me and take advantage of the different one-on-one and small group opportunities that are usually available only for VIP pass holders. You never know from one conference to the next if these opportunities will be the ones where you learn the most the fastest, but they usually are. You will get access to every single session plus the videos afterward.

Third: If you are a first time attendee, the Newcomer Program is like getting asked to the Homecoming Dance. It’s your chance to be paired up with someone who can introduce you to other people and help you learn the ropes so that you will make the most of the conference. I hear so many people say that the conference is “overwhelming,” and it is. But if you don’t take advantage of the Newcomer Program, you are missing out on your best chance to not only meet an industry veteran but have someone give you all of the small details you need to know both before and during the conference.

I don’t think I have ever written a blog post so blatantly “advertising” Affiliate Summit before, but I couldn’t help it when I saw this price break. I don’t know if they will ever do this again (I’m sure it depends how it works out this time), so I’m just going to tell you this:

If you have always wanted to attend Affiliate Summit and have a way of getting there in January in Las Vegas, this is the pass you need to get and the time that you need to get it.

If you do a search on my blog, you will see me talking about Affiliate Summit ALL THE TIME. What I learned, what I taught others, what I hope to get out of the next one, who I met, how my business changed. Even when I’m not “selling it,” I’m selling it. I feel strongly in always attending myself and recommending it to new people.

So there it is…this crazy price break. Head over to the Affiliate Summit site and see if it’s something you want to do in January. And if you end up deciding to go, let me know and I will see you there!