What can we expect from the AGS expo?

The first Affiliate Grand Slam expo will bring together 3,000 content marketers, conversion optimisation and lead-generation specialists, media buyers, affiliates, SEO gurus and influencers for a 3-day event in the UAE emirate of Dubai. 

Registration kick starts the show on the 24th with a welcome reception, and a lavish awards evening - which also includes a charitable auction. The following two days see abuzzing expo floor and conference take over the city's luxurious Intercontinental Dubai Festival City hotel on the 25th and 26th of May. 

The two complementary supershows, AGS and AIBC will also be united under one roof, leveraging the crossover potential for investors by offering full access to key brands and individuals from the converging sectors of emerging tech and the affiliation and digital marketing sector.

What led you to choose Dubai as the location for your first expo outside of Malta? 

Dubai’s growing reputation as a financial and tech hub, and as a haven for entrepreneurship has allowed the emirate to attract interest from some of the top businesses focussed on exploring new niches in innovation and economic diversification - making it an ideal host city for AGS.

The country has also emerged as one of the most open travel destinations this year for entrepreneurs. This, coupled with the fact that the industry has been craving another conference, encouraged us to forge ahead with the show.

What about those of us who can’t attend?

We’re bringing the best in the business together via the most cutting-edge of meeting points - cyberspace.

We’re excited to welcome you for the first time for a unique experience: uniting delegates, speakers, and sponsors physically in Dubai, but also virtually through our platform. With this unique hybrid sumit, we’re taking events to the next level, offering unlimited networking possibilities through discussion groups, chat box features on booths, live streamed conferences, and a beautifully designed virtual expo floor on our digital platform. 

Any big names lined up for the conference? What kind of topics are up for discussion?

The conference merges European and Asian marketing trends for an expert-led series of panels and keynotes. Over 150 speakers are lined up, including names such as Hares Shehab, Sergei Glaukus, Christian Voss, Anna Dobrovolskaya, Michael Riedl, Yancy Naughton, Bartek Sibiga, Alexandra Karpova, Jane Ejim, Shay Shevach, and Stefan Kanalga.

The comprehensive conference agenda will walk affiliates and marketers through a wide range of trending topics, with panels touching on areas such as: brand relevance, content and digital brand strategy for the GCC, emerging markets, junket affiliation, video affiliate marketing, voice search and social media in 2021, eCommerce in Europe and China, building SEO strategy, analytics strategies and long-form influencer affiliation.

We heard there will be an AGS Startup Pitch - can you walk us through it, how is the winner chosen?

Over 100 startups will be selected to showcase their products on the AGS expo floor, with each startup granted a small booth. However only the judges’ top ten will make it through to the Pitch - held on the 25th of May. Each presentation will be made live on stage in front of a panel of judges. Winners are granted a number of covetable prizes, including office space and consultancy from top investors.

Can you tell us more about the Affiliate Grand Slam Club?

Affiliates are gold in the gaming industry and the SiGMA Affiliate Grand Slam is our own bespoke Affiliate Club that gathers all major, upcoming and affiliate startups within the industry. This Affiliate community facilitates sector-specific sharing of information and more importantly facilitates networking and fostering of business relationships. The club is dedicated to ensuring affiliates get the full experience of achieving and setting new goals, meeting new prospects, catching up with existing clients and being inspired and motivated by industry peers!

The benefits are various ranging from exposure in our events and media, bespoke introductions to our extensive database and free invites and perks to attending our industry events. It’s free to join. Affiliates will be vetted through a membership application process.

Anything else we should know?

The Affiliate Grand Slam will also take place in Europe later this year as part of Malta Week, where it will run from 16-18 November alongside the SiGMA, AIBC and Med Tech shows. The AGS UAE - Dubai event has already generated significant interest amongst the affiliate crowd, and we expect to see this reverberated in future affiliate events, opening windows of opportunity for affiliates to explore SiGMA.