Affiliate Summit
- Founded
- 2003-01-01 in New York City, New York, United States
- Headquarters
- Apopka, Florida, United States
- Phone
- (417) 278-6648
Affiliate Summit, founded in 2003 by Missy Ward and Shawn Collins, is the world’s largest organizer of affiliate and partnership marketing conferences. The company produces two flagship events—Affiliate Summit West (ASW) in Las Vegas and Affiliate Summit East (ASE) in New York City—each drawing thousands of affiliates, advertisers, ecommerce sellers, content publishers, networks, and technology providers from more than 70 countries. The events are known for their robust networking opportunities, educational content tracks spanning ecommerce, lead generation, tracking and attribution, brand strategy, and AI-powered marketing, as well as dedicated lounges and meeting spaces for various stakeholder groups. Affiliate Summit also hosts the Content & Commerce Summit, a specialized track within ASE for publishers, and the Partnership Week Awards, which recognize excellence in affiliate and performance marketing campaigns and technologies. The company operates on a business model that puts affiliates first, offering free attendance for affiliates and media buyers. With a lean team of 11–50 employees headquartered in Apopka, Florida, Affiliate Summit has grown from a single-room event at Baruch College to an international gathering that generated over 116,000 connections and 10,000 meetings at its 2025 West edition. Despite its scale, the company remains privately owned and founder-led, with an emphasis on community, education, and partnership alignment.
Detailed Review
Founding and History
Affiliate Summit was founded in spring 2003 by Missy Ward and Shawn Collins with a $400 investment. The first event was held on November 3, 2003 at Baruch College in New York City, attracting about 200 attendees. Over two decades, it has scaled into the world's largest affiliate marketing conference series, with East and West editions collectively drawing over 11,500 participants annually.
Events and Products
The flagship event, Affiliate Summit West, takes place annually in Las Vegas in January, attracting over 7,000 attendees and facilitating more than 10,000 meetings across eight content tracks. Affiliate Summit East is held in New York City in July, drawing 4,500+ attendees with dedicated tracks for publishers, lead buyers, affiliates, and ecommerce sellers. A specialized Content & Commerce Summit is embedded within ASE, focusing on monetization, traffic diversification, and AI's impact on SEO for publishers. The Partnership Week Awards recognize outstanding campaigns, technology, companies, and individuals in the affiliate and performance marketing sector.
Business Model
Affiliate Summit operates on an "affiliates-first" model, offering free attendance for affiliates and media buyers to ensure a high-quality, motivated audience. The company generates revenue through ticket sales for advertisers and exhibitors, sponsorship packages, and awards program entries. This approach has fostered a strong community and loyalty among attendees, distinguishing the events from other marketing conferences.
Leadership and Structure
The company remains privately held and founder-led. Missy Ward and Shawn Collins are the co-founders and continue to be the public faces of the brand. In 2025/2026, Adam Weiss was appointed President, North America, as announced by Missy Ward on LinkedIn. No other C-suite roles (CEO, CTO, CCO, COO) are publicly confirmed, indicating a flat, founder-centric leadership structure. The company maintains a lean team of 11–50 employees, based in Apopka, Florida.
Key Products
Affiliate Summit West (ASW)
World’s largest affiliate marketing event, held annually in Las Vegas in January. Attracts 7,000+ attendees with eight content tracks covering ecommerce, lead gen, tracking, ads, brand strategy, and more.
Affiliate Summit East (ASE)
Original East Coast event, held in New York City in July. Draws 4,500+ attendees with dedicated tracks for publishers, lead buyers, affiliates, and ecom sellers, plus a Content & Commerce Summit.
Content & Commerce Summit
A specialized content track embedded within ASE, focusing on monetization methods, traffic diversification, and AI’s impact on SEO for publishers.
Partnership Week Awards
An annual awards program that recognizes outstanding campaigns, technology, companies, and individuals in the affiliate and performance marketing sector.
Offices & Headcount
30 employees (approx.)
Key Persons
Missy WardCo-Founder
Shawn CollinsCo-Founder
Notable past members
- Missy Ward — Co‑founder & Co‑CEO