Last week on 28th January, ThoughtMix presented the very first in a series of events called the Affiliate Marketing Roadshow.

Launched at the Malmaison Manchester, the Roadshow brought together an intimate group of marketers for a morning of insights, channel developments and best practice guidance. Around 25 attendees enjoyed a light breakfast in a relaxed and informal setting.

To cover the content, ThoughtMix’s Managing Director, Steve Bryant led the discussion, covering the basics from what affiliate marketing is, through to using the channel for low-risk international growth, influencer marketing and benchmarking the channel against others, including paid search.

Bringing a Publisher view, Keith Newton from AfternoonTea.co.uk gave useful insights as to how affiliates typically work with advertisers, and gave the group best practice tips on how to build profitable partnerships with publishers.

Finishing off with the final session, Awin’s UK Strategy Director, James Bentley highlighted a network’s approach to affiliate, talking through technology advances of the Awin platform, alongside its new offering for SMEs, Awin Access.

Advertisers formed a mixture of new advertisers to affiliate, alongside seasoned affiliate programs with the likes of Pretty Little Thing and Get The Label.

The Roadshow is designed to bridge the gap between large, formal delegations and trade shows, allowing participants to ask their own questions and gain a deeper understanding of the market and the channel.

Following the success of the event, the Roadshow is to shortly announce its next event in Birmingham later on this year.