“Internet time is real time.” ⏱️
At The European Summit in Prague, where I was a speaker, I talked with Andreas Bischof, its CEO and co-founder, about building a conference brand in Europe. 🎙️
📊 In this episode, we unpacked:
- 🇪🇺 A pan-European show, funded before it existed
- 🤝 300 people from 30 countries
- ⚡ Two people, replies in minutes
- 🎯 Focus over expansion
- 🎤 How he picks speakers
🎥 Watch the full episode:
🇪🇺 A Pan-European Show, Funded Before It Existed
About nine years earlier, Europe had local affiliate meetups (British, Dutch, Spanish, German) but no pan-European conference. Andreas pitched the idea to two sponsors, who put money down before there was a company, a website or even a domain. 🇪🇺
“First we had the money in the account, then we actually opened the company and the website.” They started in 2009 with zero funds, and the next year would mark their 10th anniversary and 20th show. For another affiliate event founder, read Shawn Collins’s interview. 🔗
🤝 300 People From 30 Countries
Andreas had co-owned a payment company and worked as an affiliate manager, so he knew the first 300 attendees personally. Within three months, the first show had 300 people from 30 countries. 🤝
Word of mouth did the rest: attendees brought business friends, taking them to 400, then 500, then about 1,600. Growth had been around 10% a year, and 30% that year. For more on affiliate networks, read Parul Bhargava’s vCommission story. 🔗
⚡ Two People, Replies in Minutes
The team was just two: Andreas, “100% sales”, walking around and “annoying people”, and his partner Walter, who handles marketing, writing, accounts and paid ads on Google and Facebook. They also attend as many affiliate conferences as possible. ⚡
I noticed they replied to my emails within 5 to 10 minutes. Andreas said waiting 24 hours isn’t internet time. Early on, he’d answer emails at the bar on weekends, and that responsiveness built confidence and trust. For more on building trust, read Anshul Goyal’s interview. 🔗
🎯 Focus Over Expansion
They once ran other events too, including an online dating summit and a Latin American summit, but noticed The European Summit was growing by itself. So they sold the others and focused on it, which he credits for the 30% growth. 🎯
No Asia expansion: juggling time zones is hard. Build to 2,000-3,000 Europeans twice a year, and networks with European traffic will come anyway. The goal was to pass 2,000 attendees, the line between a medium-size and a large conference. Since it’s a networking event in nice hotels rather than ballrooms, finding venues for 2,000+ is a challenge. “We host a party, our friends come, and we even get paid for it.”
🎤 How He Picks Speakers
For general sessions, they don’t pre-sort or judge speakers by five, six or seven figures. Everyone gets a chance, and the audience votes with attendance. Attendees told him they prefer practical, “down and dirty” workshops over big-name CEOs talking about the future. 🎤
Keynote applicants are screened with videos of past talks and their stage presence, and get slots with less competition. With close to 100 speakers and 50-60 sessions each half year, time is limited. For a speaker’s view of events, read Oli Gardner’s interview. 🔗
📝 Key Takeaways From the Andreas Bischof Interview
- 💡 Pre-sell an idea to sponsors
- 🤝 Start with the people you already know
- ⏱️ Reply in internet time
- 🎯 Focus on what’s growing by itself
- 🎤 Let the audience vote with attendance
❓ FAQs About Andreas Bischof
Who is Andreas Bischof?
CEO and co-founder of The European Summit, a pan-European affiliate marketing conference started in 2009.
How did The European Summit start?
Two sponsors funded the idea before the company or website existed, and the first show drew 300 people from 30 countries.
How does The European Summit choose speakers?
General speakers aren’t pre-sorted, while keynote speakers are screened on videos and stage presence.
🎙️ More Inside A Hustler’s Brain Interviews You’ll Love
- Affiliate Ball CEO Darren Blatt On Delivering Legendary Parties
- Shawn Collins CEO of Affiliate Summit : How To Became Super Affiliate
- Interview With Jothan Frakes co-founder of NamesCon at DomainFest 2015
- Emanuele Pezzulla From Adcash On How To Succeed in Affiliate Marketing
What makes a conference worth attending for you? Tell me in the comments. 💬
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Jitendra Vaswani is a well-known expert in SEO and AI-driven digital marketing. He has spoken at international events and founded Digiexe, a digital marketing agency, and AffiliateBooster, WordPress plugin designed specifically for affiliate marketers. With over 10 years of experience, Jitendra has helped many businesses succeed online. His bestselling book, Inside A Hustler’s Brain: In Pursuit of Financial Freedom, with over 20,000 copies sold globally, underscores his influence and commitment to empowering digital marketers.