Affiliate Leaders Summit to Discuss the Future of Affiliate Strategy
The Affiliate Leaders Summit will directly address the growing regulation of advertising, emerging market opportunities, and the future of the affiliate model through the panel “Future of Affiliate Strategy”.
The event, which will take place on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, will bring together affiliate executives, operators, media leaders, and performance marketing experts to analyze how regulation, technology, changing audience behavior, and international expansion are reshaping affiliate strategy.
Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and founder of SBC, said: “Affiliates have always been quick to adapt, but now there’s so much happening at once. AI is changing how people find brands. Regulation is constantly changing. Attribution is becoming increasingly difficult to pinpoint. Having the right knowledge has never been more important.”
“The Affiliate Leaders Summit, and this track in particular, aims to look to the future, helping affiliates arrive prepared and ready to make the most of these changes.”
The session will begin with the theme “Repression of ads = Minefield for affiliates ,” which will examine how affiliates can maintain conversions in a landscape where advertising restrictions and platform oversight have become increasingly complex. Featuring Vadim Aidlin (CEO of Mamuta Media), Laila Bertagnolli (CEO of Deal Machines), Rene Gabriel (Sales Director of Livesport), and Leanne Muleba (Operations Director of Matching Visions), the panel will explore which traffic sources remain viable, how affiliates can keep content compliant with changing regulations, and the business consequences of failing to meet new advertising requirements.
Next, attention turns to the long-term sustainability of existing affiliate models during the panel “Future Shock: The Predictions Affiliates Don’t Want to Hear,” featuring Pierre Cadena (COO of Catena Media), Stephen Clibbon (Affiliate Director at VL Partners), Jenny Gonzalez (Co-founder and CEO of Rocahead), Elena Granishevskaia (Affiliate Marketing Director at M88 Mansion), Milorad Matejic (COO of Gentoo), and Yonit Shvinkelstain (Co-founder of Leverage). Artificial intelligence, regulation, and the increasing control of platforms are reshaping customer acquisition, and the panel will question assumptions about which affiliate models, marketplaces, and traffic sources can still generate results. The discussion will address the future of SEO, attribution, and CPA models, and how affiliates can prepare for the moment when traditional acquisition strategies cease to be effective.
The panel “The Future of Affiliate Marketing: Where is the Next Billion-Dollar Opportunity?” examines how affiliates can adapt to a constantly changing landscape and build a business poised for a profitable exit. Featuring Chris Duncan (COO of Spotlight Sports Group), Karina Ferraioli (Founder and CMO of Master Affiliates Network), Elaine Gardiner (Executive Director of TAG Media), and Esko Rissanen (Chief Revenue Officer of Gentoo), the panel explores how affiliates can optimize their results in prediction markets, sweepstakes, AI-powered searches, creator economies, and new performance models, helping participants identify where the greatest growth potential lies.
The shift in audience habits will also be a central theme of the panel “Content that still stands out: what audiences really engage with today .” Featuring James Connelley (International Director of LiveScore Group), Jamil Qanai (Commercial Director of LiveScore Group), Greg Lacan (Co-founder of UniK SEO), Javier Rodríguez (Head of Affiliate Marketing and Digital Marketing Manager at Afiliapub), Rui Costa (Head of Content at Gentoo), and Sue Dawson (Operations Director at FTD Digital), the panel will examine how affiliates can adapt as long reviews compete with short videos, live streams, content creators, and communities for audience attention, exploring which formats are driving recurring engagement and where content strategies need to evolve.
In other sessions throughout the event, topics such as how affiliates can balance growth and compliance across multiple jurisdictions, identify new opportunities in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, and reach new audiences through emerging verticals will be explored. There will also be a special presentation on how affiliates can attract a new generation of bettors to horse racing.
Participation in the "The Future of Affiliate Strategy" track is reserved exclusively for participants with the Affiliate Leaders Summit VIP Pass . Affiliates and regulators may be eligible for a free pass. Find more information here.
