Well, I’ve just about recovered from the biggest PI LIVE yet, and I'm really excited to continue sharing the fantastic insights we gathered from the Festival of Partnerships.
From picking the brains of big industry players and brands to wandering the floor and talking to exhibitors and up-and-coming innovators; sitting in on sessions dissecting the channel’s future to celebrating with my wonderful team, for my first-ever PI LIVE, it was a showstopper — if you'll pardon the pun.
This week, we’re diving into some of the launches, the hot topic takeaways, and we’ve also got some exciting news to share. More on that below 👇
And big congratulations to all of our GPMA winners. This year’s entries were phenomenal, and we’re looking forward to delving deeper into what it takes to win. Keep your eyes peeled.
Plus, PI LIVE hosted its first Build Lab: an eight-hour challenge to build a time-saving tool that makes a real difference to the industry.
So, who came out on top? If you weren’t there on the day, we’ve got the scoop!
Bravo Savings Network won over the judges, while Adtraction stole the show with the community vote.
Now, on with the good stuff. Strap in.
In today's newsletter:
- Pick of the day: PI LIVE’s Sol Wilkinson Gives Us the Inside Industry Scoop.
- Trending: Something New Is Coming.
- Industry Insight: Industry Standards Are Essential.
Pick of the day
PI LIVE’s Sol Wilkinson Gives Us the Inside Industry Scoop
The industry's biggest event of the year might be over, but we've got plenty to talk about.
We asked PI LIVE’s Conference Producer Sol Wilkinson to serve up the inside scoop on how he built the agenda, the themes that shone through, and what’s ahead for this ever-changing industry as it enters its biggest era of transformation yet.
Join us as we peek behind the PI LIVE curtain.
Trending
What's hot on Hello Partner right now
Market Movers: October 2026
Here's a rundown of all the market movers you missed across affiliate marketing and the creator economy in October 2026.
Something New Is Coming: The PMAs Are Going Global
The Performance Marketing Awards will judge the work; the Global Partnership Awards will judge the relationship. Here’s everything you need to know.
Is Marketing Prepared for the Agentic Era? uFurnish's Deirdre Mc Gettrick Shares Her Take
At PI LIVE, we heard from stage host Deirdre Mc Gettrick, the CEO and Founder of uFurnish, who shared her reflections on the event and key takeaways about the industry.
The GPMAs: Who Stood Out This Year and What Can You Learn From Them?
We give you the digest on the global players who served up excellence this year.
PI LIVE Leaders Panel: How Do We 10x the Industry?
At PI LIVE 2026, leaders Adam Ross, Santi Pierini, Sean Sewell and Todd Crawford joined Jennifer Goodwin onstage to discuss a 10x affiliate industry growth.
Optimise's Affiliate Marketer AI Agents Launch at PI LIVE
Insight Agent and Growth Agent are both powered by Optimise's Partner IQ and aim to help advertisers understand performance and capitalise on growth opportunities.
PI LIVE: The End of the Funnel - Marketing’s Biggest Shift Since Google
Reporting live from the floor at PI LIVE 2026, Lauren Ingram's end of the funnel session taught us how to best optimise for AI search.
Why the Next Big Affiliate Partner is Another Brand
Peter Smith, UK Managing Director at Sovendus, delves into Brands as Publishers, aka Brand Partnerships.
How to Grow a Mature Affiliate Programme: Four Priorities for Brands
How do you grow a mature affiliate programme? Sallie Stokes at Tradedoubler shares the insider expert tips.
Industry Insight
Stay at the top of your game
Last week, we had Adam Ross, Santi Pierini, Sean Sewell and Todd Crawford on stage for the PI LIVE leaders panel. There was talk of the need for collaboration across platforms and networks to secure the big tech budget — more on that soon — and an emphasis, from some, on experimentation, but one thing that was missing, according to Kevin Edwards, Founder of The Affiliate & Partner Marketing Association, was a focus on industry-wide standards.
“My mind has been preoccupied by the networks/platforms session on Tuesday. The panellists covered a variety of topics and issues, but the thing that stuck with me was a lack of consensus (desire? inclination?) to recognise and build industry-wide standards,” Kevin wrote in a LinkedIn post.
While Kevin spotlighted that the companies on the panel have been “exceptionally generous and supportive (both in time and money)” of the APMA since its founding, there were elements of what was discussed that he took issue with.
“...I disagree with the central premise that we just let the market dictate what working practices are acceptable or not. Or that industry cannot respond in time to issues that commercially impact us.”
Against the backdrop of external pressures like AI and MMM, Kevin said self-regulation and standards have never been “more important.”
Alongside the best practice and standards work from the APMA across the last year, Kevin noted the Association’s upcoming Subnetworks Code of Conduct and industry standard data layer for MMMs.
“...my challenges to networks is this: make standards, collaboration and best practice a core priority for your business in 2027. Let's throw our collective weight behind initiatives that focus on long-term sustainability for our amazing industry.”
What was your take on the panel, and where do you stand on the standards conversation? I’d love to hear your response, so please do reach out and share your thoughts (email below 👇 ).
Amusing Affiliates
Jobs
Top Tips For Bagging Your Dream Job
In the current job climate, it feels more challenging than ever to get yourself in front of the right people at the right time and bag the job of your dreams, so we wanted to share some advice from one of the best in the business.
At PI LIVE, we were joined by the brilliant Yasar Ahmad, one of the world's leading HR voices, and he had a few key tips to share on the world of work and how to be successful.
🔧 When it comes to applying, once you’ve found the job you’ve got your eye on, Yasar advised reaching out directly to those at the company and specifically to those in seniority levels two above the role you’re applying for — RocketReach can be a helpful tool for identifying the most relevant contacts.
And as we know, inboxes fill up quickly, so lead with impact — or the likelihood of a response won’t be tipping in your favour.
💪 Pitch yourself: why you, why the company, what do you love about it, and why would you be an asset. Hook them from the first few lines to pique their interest. Follow this with a strong finish. Be proactive and suggest some meeting times.
All the best for transitioning into the place you want to be; you’ve got this.
Let's crack on with the jobs!
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Until next time,
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Madaline Dunn Community Editor Email me Connect with me on LinkedIn |
