Ever since I’ve come back from holiday I’ve had one regret and that is that I can’t attend this years a4uexpo London 2007, where it appears every familiar icon I know on the A4Uforum is going.

At the beginning of the year I was only an active participant on the forum but in the first half of this year I went on the affiliate cruise to Amsterdam and met up and had a good drink with many of those little icons for the first time.

Then Nadeem Azam organised an event in Leeds in July, where I met more little icons including Elaine, Dave and family and we had a good chat with mysterious Stu Foster.

I get 35 days holiday a year but they gradually started diminishing. Just as I promised a mate I’d go to Portugal, I got invited to Ibiza, so jetted off from one to the other.

Then I found my sister, was treating my mum to a two week holiday in Hong Kong and I thought as I had two weeks holiday still to take I may as well take good advantage. I’d last visited 9 years ago, so I was long overdue a visit.

This meant I have only 3 days holiday to take and it is my ritual to always take Christmas week off, so that I am not travelling between Leeds and my parents home of Middlesbrough. It’s my birthday Boxing Day and so work on the 27th would be a physical impossibility.

So, technically I had no spare days for the a4uexpo or any Christmas parties I’d get invited to.

There was also the cost. As well as the pass that is almost the price of a football season ticket, there’s the expensive hotels, train fare, potential new shirts to buy, hire of black tie for the awards? and of course money for the drink.

I know you’ve seen my previous post by now and so anything above £200 makes a dent, especially after a holiday.

But still I want to see more of those little icons.

So, when I saw that there were a few freebie passes knocking about in various competitions I thought I’d give them a little whirl.

I made a very late entry on Kieron’s blog but Laura ticked all the right boxes.

Then there was the poster competition. Well, I have to admit I did waste an hour of time trying to think of creative ideas when it looked like there wasn’t going to be a single entry and I may win on default but I thought that the Friday announcement for a winner was leaving it too late for me anyway. I am technically supposed to give 10 days notice for booking time off work.

There was also some free passes from Buy.at. All you have to do is send them a mail and you may be picked from a hat.

So that’s where I am today. I’ve sent them an email.

If my name is drawn, it will be more panic than excitement but it means I’ll get to see more icons.

I can’t get away from Christmas this week and I’m cracking up. I first noticed it on the way to work passing the Hilton Hotel, advertising their rooms, probably for Christmas 2008.

Then there was the email from my bosses boss, asking about shift cover. At least on that front I was ahead of the game and booked my Christmas week off in June.

Online there’s the blog posts coming in thick and fast, warning us all that if we affiliates and merchants don’t start building our pages now we’re all going to live a miserable poor life. ‘Pass the tinsel‘? Please, pass the bucket … and spade. It’s still Summer.

But worst of all, the party invites are now being sent out. As I said, I booked my work days off in June and with an impending September fortnight trip to see my sister in Hong Kong, I have no spare days to take.

Now I’m already annoyed with Christmas and enviously looking on as I can’t attend the boat trip down the Thames or the jolly in the Midlands.

So while you all start getting your black ties in a twist, I’m going to chill and enjoy this August Bank Holiday weekend.

Firefly, Leeds 5th July 2007

There was a rare Northern affiliate get together in Leeds this week and it turned out to be a small friendly affair. Approximately 20 people met up at Firefly and enjoyed a drink or two and free buffet.

Events like these are a must to newcomers from across the industry and here’s my spin on Kieron’s article on ‘6 reasons not to attend‘ an affiliate event:
1. I’m only 18/17/65/85 etc. and only do this part time, I’m worried that I’ll be the youngest/oldest there.

Look at the picture. I’m clearly the youngest looking one. Oh well, front left any way That didn’t stop me attending an event.

2. I don’t want to let people know what sites I run and feel I will be under pressure to tell people about my business and the URL’s of my sites.

Ok, Elaine and I tried coaxing some information out of Stu – all in good spirits – but he stuck to his guns and shall remain a mystery for a while longer.
3. I’ve never been to an event and won’t know anyone.

This was my second event but they were all new faces. It was welcoming from the moment I went into the room and met up with Nadeem, who organised the event. There were some new people new to the industry there including merchants and agency staff.
4. I can’t afford it.

I live in Leeds and technically I have to go past this venue to get to my bus stop home. The first beer was free and there was an excellent buffet. Nadeem, I really only came for the free jolly
5. Are the Wurzels really playing live? Do I have to put up with “Combine Harvester” all night?

They weren’t in attendance but there was live jazz starting about 9pm. By then Elaine and the others were the last to leave.

6. I’m worried I might get in a similar state to Frostie in that picture taken in Vegas earlier this year.

I tried my hardest with several Staropramen
The event was wrapped up in less than four hours but I have gained from the experience from meeting new people across the industry.

Business wise, it looks like three new Exclusive discount codes will be on their way to my email inbox in the morning. I attended though to meet some of the familiar faces from the Affiliates 4u site and oh, get some more friends for Facebook