Celebrating the SME Rising Stars of Our Industry With the Affiverse RAV Awards

The affiliate marketing industry has always been a vibrant ecosystem of innovation, creativity, and relationship-building. Every day, we’re inspired by the incredible work happening across this space – especially by the passionate professionals who create outsized impact without outsized resources.

The beating heart of affiliate marketing pulses in the hustle of small agencies crafting brilliant campaigns on shoestring budgets. It thrives in the creativity of solo entrepreneurs building relationship-driven programs that deliver remarkable results. It flourishes when tech innovators develop solutions that transform how partnerships work.

These are the stories that energise us that build momentum that make us lean forward and do more to grow. The victories achieved through ingenuity, dedication, and boundless passion are the ones that deserve to be celebrated, studied, and spotlighted.

It’s why when we had our recent management meet up and round-table, our leadership team created a space where SME’s can be recognised for the work they’re already doing and provide a platform for these folk to be celebrated and recognised by our growing community. 

Today – we are proud to announce the launch of Affiverse’s RAV awards. 

Celebrating Success in the Affiliate Industry

The Affiverse RAV’s stand for Rising Affiliate Victors / Voices.

We started Affiverse  with a vision: To help the world do Affiliate Marketing, better. In the past few years we’ve been curating and creating a cross-platform of media, events and communication channels that celebrate the extraordinary talent we engage with throughout our industry, particularly those who create micro impacts and improvements  through sheer creativity, strong relationships, and smart strategy.

The inspiration for this year’s RAV awards launch has came from countless conversations we’ve had at industry events, with partners, and the  success stories we’ve had the privilege to witness first-hand. Time and again, we’ve been amazed by what dedicated teams and individuals accomplish through innovation and determination.

The RAV Awards are much more than just another awards event. They’re a celebration of excellence in partnerships across all its forms. 

They’re about recognising that groundbreaking ideas and impactful execution can come from anywhere and giving those achievements the recognition they truly deserve.

We’ve seen campaign strategies from nimble one-person teams generate phenomenal results. We’ve watched affiliate managers transform programs through innovative relationship-building and unique strategic approaches with no budget and few resources. 

These success stories deserve to be spotlighted in our industry’s narrative, and with the RAV Awards, they will be, right here on Affiverse.

What Makes RAV Uniquely Special

As our founder Lee-Ann Johnstone, powerfully puts it: 
“At Affiverse, we believe that real growth in affiliate marketing comes from the hundreds of passionate SME brands, agencies, businesses, and entrepreneurs who are driving innovation, quietly behind the scenes. 
That’s why we’re so excited to launch the Affiverse RAV Awards backed by some of the industry’s finest veterans who will be supporting this initiative as our inaugural judging panel at this year’s ELEVATE Summit — to give these unsung industry change-makers their moment to shine.”

The RAV Awards bring something fresh and exciting to our industry:

• We’re making this year FREE to all to enter: We’ve removed all barriers to entry, making these awards accessible to everyone with a unique (big or small) success story to share.
• Celebrating Rising Talent: We’re spotlighting those building something exceptional, whether they’re early in their journey or reaching new heights after years of dedication.
• Inclusive Recognition: Solo entrepreneurs, SMEs, specialised teams within organisations, small brands and start ups – this one’s for you!  If you’re driving real impact, your achievements deserve a bit of celebration.
• 10 Thoughtfully Crafted Award Categories: From technical innovation to community building, from campaign excellence to partnership development. We’ve created categories that capture the full spectrum of what makes our industry thrive.
• Self-Nominations Encouraged: We actively welcome self-nominations and peer nominations, too – THIS is the time to be tooting your own horn and celebrating your individual achievements

10 Categories Celebrating Excellence Across the Industry

We’ve carefully crafted categories that recognize the diverse talents shaping our industry. Each represents an opportunity to showcase your unique contributions:
1. Affiliate Start-up
You may be a new affiliate, but you’re already making waves.
For lead generators, publishers, affiliates, influencers and traffic drivers launched within the last 12 months demonstrating strong growth, smart strategies, or niche dominance.
2. SME Start-up
Turning a bold idea into a thriving business.
Recognising solo entrepreneurs or SME founders who’ve built successful businesses serving the performance marketing industry with turnover under £5 million in the past year.
3. Best Use of Social Media
Show us your Reach or the Campaigns that convert, connect, and inspire.
Honoring those leveraging platforms like TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram, or YouTube to amplify their brand, drive traffic, or boost engagement with innovation and data to back it up.
4. Program Manager of the Year
Exceptional partner management and revenue growth.
Celebrating affiliate managers of all kinds who’ve gone above and beyond to support partners, improve program growth, and innovate consistently.
5. Affiliate Program Excellence
The gold standard for innovation, structure, and impact.
For programs that stand out with excellence in onboarding, tracking, partner support, creative execution, and performance transparency.
6. Best SaaS, Network or Tech
Powering performance marketing with purpose-built solutions.
Awarded to providers that enable brands or publishers to scale smarter with innovative tools, integrations, and support.
7. Rising Star
New voices, talent and influencers driving serious industry impact.
For emerging practitioners and businesses shaping audiences, hosting influential conversations, or disrupting the space in meaningful ways.
8. Industry Champion (The Unsung Heroes)
Recognising those who operate behind the scenes but influence positive change.
For operations, compliance, tech, or support staff who make affiliate programs run smoothly but rarely receive the spotlight.
9. B2B Partnerships
Collaborations that drove real results.
Celebrating high-performing brand/partner or network/publisher collaborations that delivered exceptional ROI and impact.
10. Innovation Tech & AI
Smart solutions driving real value outcomes.
Recognising creative use of affiliate tech, whether it’s AI, automation, tracking innovation, or data-driven optimisation.

Is This For You? (Spoiler: Yes, It Is!)

Who Can Enter

• Affiliates, brands, networks, media, technology suppliers, agencies. Anyone operating in the performance marketing industry
• Individuals or teams
• Open to global applicants from SMEs and growing companies across all verticals

The RAV Awards were designed for everyone making an impact in affiliate marketing:

• You’re the affiliate manager who quadrupled program performance through innovative partner strategies
• You’re the agency crafting partnership approaches that deliver outsized results for challenger brands
• You’re the tech innovator whose solution solves problems that transform campaign effectiveness
• You’re the publisher pioneering new models for authentic audience engagement
• You’re the social media marketer connecting brands with audiences in creative, measurable ways
• You’re the operations specialist ensuring flawless execution behind the scenes
• You’re the startup founder whose fresh approach is changing what partnership marketing can achieve

Whether you’re submitting your own entry or nominating someone else’s outstanding work, the RAV Awards exist for anyone driving measurable impact through creativity, relationships, and strategic thinking, regardless of company size, budget constraints, or years in the industry.

The Inaugural Celebration: A Night to Remember

The first-ever class of RAV Award winners will take center stage at the Elevate Summit 2025 Summer Rooftop BBQ party hosted in London on the 15th July. 

Join us for an electric chilled out evening dedicated to celebrating the quiet innovators of our industry.

This isn’t just another awards ceremony with predictable winners and polite applause. This is a watershed moment where we collectively shift the spotlight to illuminate the true drivers of our industry’s evolution and put them in the spotlight for a moment to shine!

For the winners, this represents more than recognition. It’s validation that excellence by people who have a ton of experience and who understand the value your contribution brings. 

Taking part – doesn’t require enormous budgets, just extraordinary thinking and some effort to tell your story and motivate your win. 

Your Invitation to Submit your Story

“Affiliate marketing is a community and people-based business, built by the creativity, hustle, and passion of SMEs, agencies, entrepreneurs, and partners. The Affiverse RAV Awards are here to celebrate your impact. I’ve selected a panel of judges that have an immense amount of gravitas to ensure winners are selected based on actual experience and results.”  says Lee-Ann Johnstone, founder of Affiverse. 

We’re personally inviting you to be part of this inaugural moment. 
Entries are open right now – simply complete your nomination and read the entry criteria and get it IN before we close on 30 June 2025.

Important Submission Guidelines:

• Your entry must fully complete all qualifying questions for your category
• Ensure you meet all category criteria and submission requirements
• You may enter multiple award categories
• You can submit your own nomination or be nominated by peers/partners
• Incomplete submissions that don’t meet criteria will be disqualified

Judging Process: Your submissions will be evaluated by a distinguished panel of industry leaders with over 100 years of combined experience in performance marketing. These respected veterans will judge entries based on impact, creativity, strategy, results, and testimony provided.

Why Enter the RAV’s? 

What Winners Receive:

• An award for your trophy cabinet
• Featured interview in Affiverse Quarterly Magazine
• Visibility across Affiverse Social Media for your business 
• The kudos of your peers and participating leaders!

Entering the awards remains free of charge for all categories, however, if shortlisted, you will be required to purchase a minimum of one ticket at full list price. 

The future of affiliate marketing is being written by innovators like you. It’s time your achievements were not just recognised, but celebrated and amplified.

📩 ENTER NOW – SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY
Don’t miss your chance to be recognised among the best in the business. This is your time to rise as a RAV Awards victor!


For more information about the awards and sponsorships  or if you have any questions, please visit our website or contact us at: [email protected]

Be part of history at the Elevate Summit 2025, book your ticket to the event TODAY!