Affiliate Summit East 2026 Begins in New York: What to Expect

Affiliate Summit East 2026 begins today, July 27, bringing advertisers, publishers, affiliates, e-commerce businesses, media buyers, networks, and technology providers together in New York for two days of meetings, networking, and industry discussion.

The event returns to the New York Marriott Marquis Times Square on July 27 and 28. Organizers expect more than 4,500 attendees, with this year’s program covering AI-powered discovery, attribution, creator commerce, paid advertising, lead generation, and publisher monetization.

Key Takeaways From Affiliate Summit East 2026

• Affiliate Summit East takes place in New York on July 27 and 28.
• More than 4,500 affiliate and performance marketing professionals are expected to attend.
• The agenda is divided across e-commerce, lead generation, advertising, influencer, brand strategy, and content and commerce tracks.
• AI, tracking and attribution appear across the wider program.
• New invite-only workshops have been introduced for the 2026 event.

Affiliate Summit East Returns to New York

According to the official Affiliate Summit East website, the event is expected to attract more than 4,500 people from across the affiliate and performance marketing industry. The audience includes advertisers, content publishers, e-commerce sellers, affiliates, media buyers, networks, and technology suppliers.

The two-day Meet Market will once again form an important part of the event, providing space for scheduled meetings and introductions between publishers, advertisers, networks, and service providers. The wider networking program also includes dedicated meeting areas, informal meetups, and an official event party following the first day.

While networking remains central to Affiliate Summit East, the conference program provides a useful indication of the subjects currently occupying affiliate teams, publishers, and brands.

What Is on the Affiliate Summit East Agenda?

The Affiliate Summit East agenda is divided into six principal tracks, covering different areas of affiliate, performance, and partnership marketing. 

AI, tracking, and attribution appear across several tracks rather than being confined to one part of the program, reflecting their growing influence on publishers, advertisers, and affiliate teams.

AI, Attribution, and Changing Traffic Sources

AI, tracking, and attribution appear across all six agenda tracks rather than being confined to one part of the program. Sessions will examine how AI is changing search visibility, campaign management, performance analysis, and customer acquisition, alongside the growing need to measure publisher influence beyond the final recorded click.

Traffic diversification and publisher monetization are also prominent within the Content and Commerce program. Sessions will explore how publishers can respond as audiences move between websites, social platforms, video, newsletters, and AI-powered search tools. Affiverse has previously examined how publishers are combining different traffic sources as discovery becomes more fragmented.

Creator partnerships and influencer commerce will feature across the program as well, with sessions focused on connecting creator activity to measurable sales and wider business results.

New Workshops Added for 2026

Affiliate Summit East has introduced a new Workshop Program for 2026, offering smaller, invite-only discussions around specific industry challenges. The program includes a workshop on building an AI-supported retargeting campaign, alongside separate briefings covering B2B partnerships, affiliate fraud, and pay-per-call marketing. Attendance for some sessions requires advance registration.

What Comes Next From Affiliate Summit East

Affiliate Summit East continues through Tuesday, July 28, with sessions and meetings taking place across both days. Affiverse will follow developments from New York and report on any significant announcements, research, or wider industry discussions emerging from the event.