Cvos, I've already shared my opinion, but I'll elaborate.
To me, beyond the reunion, CJU is...
An opportunity to rub elbows with hundreds of top affiliates in CJ's network. Since you seem to be an SEO type, it isn't at all like the SEO shows full of clicks and the unwritten rule that you don't ask what people do. This group, as a whole, is much more open to talk about what they do than those at the typical SEO conference.
An opportunity to get face-time with people from the merchants I work with, or may work with in the future. Making some deals, sharing ideas, stories, and drinks. I find that when I've met someone in person, or even become friends with them, it's SO much easier to do business in this world full of mysterious, faceless, even evasive affiliate marketers where trust can be a big issue.
The sessions are less important to me as someone who has been around the block a time or two, but there's always new ideas that get spurred out of attending them. Personally, there's not a single conference that I would go to just for the sessions, and if this is what you focus on, it's easy to be disappointed or not justify the trip.
And lastly, icing on the cake, is that CJ puts on a first class event, sparing little expense (or at least spending a good deal of your registration fees if not all) on great meals, events, and parties. Santa Barbara ain't all that bad a venue either.
I've attended cju for the last two years.
Last year we went up to some house in the mountains. The place had the air of a faded Hollywood legend. Something out of Sunset Boulevard if I recall my film noir correctly. Not really to my taste. Except for the smell of Eucalyptus Trees. That natural aerosol that stiffens the air about the Eucalyptus Trees stirs a natal memory of the Eucalyptus Trees in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
The year before we cruised off the white wine coast of Santa Barbara for an afternoon. Along past the old money mansions above the cliffs. I got into an interesting discussion with Todd Crawford about the difference between old money & new money types. We'd both met both types & preferred the latter. It seems that somehow that its better for your character to have made your own money rather than having it being handed to you. Likely too, we were both biased on that point.
Anyhow I'll be at cju from sat-wed.
This is my 6th CJU, I try to never miss it. We'll have 4 folks from the NETexponent team there including myself. There is a facebook group for all those attending:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4786061307
See you there,
Chris
I am so jealous. This is one event I really want to get to but living in Australia makes it a little more difficult...definitely want to get there next year. We managed to make it to Affiliate Summit in Miami this year and we actually attended your seminar Scott - What Super Affiliates Want. We also made it up to Cape Canaveral and DisneyWorld. Our first visit to the US (and our first affiliate type conference) but it won't be our last.
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CJU is always a treat for me as beyond being a fantastic conference, it's like a big old family reunion meeting up with old co-workers from Be Free and CJ, some of whom are still at CJ and others who have landed elsewhere in the affiliate marketing community and somehow manage to get back to CJU every year.
Are you going? If so, speak up here or hunt me down at the conference. While I enjoy hanging out with my old friends, I love meeting new people.
Where to find me? If it's after hours, I'm usually somewhere chatting (or dancing) all night with the affiliatorati, walking the fine line between scotch and trouble, trying hard to stay out of the latter (if only barely).
I'll be there from Sat afternoon until Wed am. Hope to see you there.
Added...I thought it would be fun to link to some other "heading to CJU posts". I'll add more as I find them.