The Affiliate Leaders’ Summit 2026 will emphasise the roles of SEO, AI, content and performance marketing as it debuts as a standalone event alongside the SBC Summit. Scheduled from September 29th to October 1st in Lisbon, the conference will showcase two stages and six tracks to discuss the evolving landscape of affiliate and performance marketing.
The Affiliate Leaders Stage will delve into Platforms & Performance, Future of Affiliate Strategy and Content & Discovery. Discussions will centre on how affiliates can adjust to changing traffic dynamics, stricter regulations, evolving audience behaviours and AI’s increasing influence. This stage aims to equip marketers with tools to navigate these challenges effectively.
The Conversion Conf Stage, in collaboration with Conversion Club, will tackle Scale, Growth and AI. It will address practical aspects of building successful marketing ventures, such as sales systems, team dynamics, media buying and AI implementation.
Rasmus Sojmark, Founder & CEO of SBC, says: “Launching the Affiliate Leaders’ Summit as a standalone event lets us build the entire programme around what affiliate and performance marketing professionals are actually dealing with right now. Affiliates are under pressure to perform better while relying less on any single platform, as search, paid media and social all shift the ground beneath them, and AI reshapes how people find content.
“We have brought together the people tackling these issues day to day, so delegates leave with practical insight into what is working now and where the next opportunities for sustainable growth are likely to come from.”
Day 1 of the Affiliate Leaders Stage will emphasise breaking down silos between SEO, paid media, CRM and content to enhance conversion funnels and audience retention. It will also highlight the importance of first-party data amidst the decline of third-party cookies.
On the Conversion Conf Stage, the Scale track will offer insights into advancing businesses beyond initial stages without losing control. The focus will be on B2B marketing, sales systems, product-market fit and maintaining top talent.
Day 2 of the Affiliate Leaders Stage will explore adaptive strategies amidst rising acquisition costs and tighter regulations. Attendees will learn diversification methods and content formats that capture attention. Concurrently, the Growth track will evaluate channels and strategies that deliver results.
The final day will investigate how affiliates can stay visible as SEO and paid media dynamics shift, with AI’s role in traffic quality and compliance. Discussions on the Conversion Conf Stage will focus on AI’s transformative impact on affiliate businesses, highlighting where automation excels and human judgment is crucial.
Affiliates can apply for complimentary VIP passes, while a VIP Pass is available for operators, agencies, suppliers and other professionals working across acquisition and performance marketing.
