Affiliate World Asia is how the affiliate industry ends its year. On 9 and 10 December 2026, thousands of media buyers, affiliate networks, advertisers, traffic sources and ecommerce founders descend on Bangkok, and for about a week the city turns into one big networking event. Half the deals get started on the expo floor and the other half get finished over dinner, on a rooftop or in a hotel lobby well after midnight.
It’s also an easy week to waste. There’s more going on than anyone can attend, and the people who come home with real partnerships are the ones who planned. This guide covers everything I’d want to know before going: the venue, getting around, how to structure both days, and the side events and parties announced so far. I’ll keep updating it as more are confirmed.
Affiliate World Asia 2026 at a glance
- Dates: Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 December 2026
- Badge pickup: opens at the venue from Tuesday 8 December
- Venue: Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld, Level 22, 999/9 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
- Scale: around 7,000 attendees from more than 110 countries, 35+ talks and panels, and an expo hall with 120+ advertisers, 40+ traffic sources and 170+ affiliate networks
- Best for: media buyers, affiliate managers, networks, ecommerce brands and ad tech teams
- Official site: affiliateworldconferences.com/asia
What happens on the two days
Affiliate World mixes stage content, a large exhibition hall and a packed social calendar. The talks are grouped into four tracks, which makes it easy to stay in one room and meet people working in the same area as you:
- AI: using AI for creatives, targeting, bidding and predicting performance
- Social media ads: Meta, TikTok, Snap, X and newer platforms
- Search ads: Google Search, Performance Max, Shopping and Microsoft Ads
- Ecommerce ads: DTC scaling, store conversion, product feeds and retargeting
Each day also has hour-long networking mixers matched to those tracks, a First Timers’ Affiliate Meetup for people attending for the first time, and workshops, which in past years have included an Affiliate Manager Academy and a hands-on Google workshop. The full schedule goes live on the website and in the official AW app closer to the event.
A few practical rules worth knowing before you travel: every pass covers both days, badges are personal and photo ID is checked, and you’re expected to register in the AW app before you arrive, which also makes badge pickup much faster.
Getting to the venue and getting around Bangkok
The conference is on Level 22 of the Centara Grand at CentralWorld, a 55-storey hotel attached to one of Bangkok’s biggest shopping malls, right in the middle of the city’s Siam and Ratchaprasong area.
- BTS Skytrain: the venue is a short walk from the Sukhumvit line. Chit Lom station connects to CentralWorld by an elevated walkway, and Siam station is around 700 metres away. In December heat, the skywalk is your friend.
- Grab: the easiest way to get around by car. Expect heavy traffic in the evenings, when the train is often faster.
- From Suvarnabhumi airport: the Airport Rail Link runs into the city, where you can change to the BTS, or take a Grab or taxi directly to your hotel.
Where to stay
You have two realistic choices. Stay in Siam or Pathumwan, ideally at the Centara Grand itself, and you can walk to your first meeting and pop back to your room between sessions. Or stay on Sukhumvit, where a lot of the evening networking happens, and take the BTS in each morning. Either way, book early. Hotels near CentralWorld fill up fast for Affiliate World week, and December is one of Bangkok’s busiest months, with several big music festivals across Thailand in the same few weeks.
Weather and what to pack
December is one of the nicest times of year in Bangkok, around 30°C and mostly dry. The convention halls are air-conditioned to the point of being cold, though, so bring a light layer. Comfortable shoes matter more than you think: between the expo floor, the malls and the BTS, you’ll walk a lot.
How to plan your week
Before you fly
Decide what you actually want from the trip. Two new traffic sources? A handful of new advertisers? A partner for a new GEO? Write down three goals and a list of 15 to 20 companies you must meet. Then use the AW app to message them in the two weeks before the event and lock in specific times, ideally at their booth in the morning when everyone is fresh. Arriving with half your calendar already booked is the single biggest difference between a productive Affiliate World and an expensive holiday.
Tuesday 8 December: arrive and get your badge
If you can, arrive on Monday or Tuesday. Pick up your badge on the 8th so you skip the Wednesday morning queue, and use the evening for the first pre-event meetups. It’s the most relaxed night of the week to meet people properly.
Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 December: the conference
Spend the mornings on the expo floor and in your booked meetings. Use the afternoons for the one or two sessions in your track that matter most, and for the mixer in your vertical, which is the fastest way to meet the right people in a crowd of thousands. Keep at least part of each afternoon unscheduled. Some of the best conversations at Affiliate World start in a coffee queue.
After every useful meeting, write one line in your phone: who, what you discussed, and the next step. By Thursday evening you’ll have spoken to more people than you can remember, and those notes are what make the follow-up work.
Side events and parties around Affiliate World Asia 2026
The official programme ends each afternoon. The real networking starts after sunset, and Affiliate World week in Bangkok has one of the busiest side event calendars of any conference in the industry. Here’s what’s been announced so far for 2026.
Official Affiliate World events
- Networking mixers: an hour each day, split by vertical (AI, social ads, search ads and ecommerce in past editions).
- First Timers’ Affiliate Meetup: designed to help first-time attendees make their first contacts.
- The official AW networking event and parties: included with every pass, with details shared closer to the date.
Confirmed side events for 2026
- FT Community Bangkok 2026, 7 to 11 December at Anantara Siam Bangkok, run by Fridman Events. A week-long hub of networking around the conference, just down the road from the venue.
- Affiliate Drinks Meetup Bangkok, 8 December, hosted by Conversion Club. A good way to start the week the night before the doors open.
- Affiliate Space Awards 2026, 10 December at Anantara Siam Bangkok, also by Conversion Club, on the final evening of the conference.
What to expect, based on last year
Most companies announce their parties only in the last few weeks before the event. Last year’s Affiliate World Asia gives a good idea of what’s coming. The week included Fridman Palace Bangkok, the Farmer Jack Master Mind, the Media Buyer’s Circle by Zocket, an AW x STM Forum alumni meetup, SPHERA Bangkok by LuckyOnline (invite only), the AFF-FIT 5km run by Verde Ads, a TTmeetup rooftop edition, the ATLAS Sweeps meetup, ClickBid Bangkok, Performance By The Slice from Everflow, Optizmo and Mobplus, AI Spark by eclicktech, Always Winning by Mobidea, DatsTeam SELECTION, an AdCombo private party, Ecom Event Bangkok and Affiliate Last Call by Combo Cards and YOSA. Evenings also included Affiliate After Hours at Red Sky Rooftop, an Affiliate Block Party at Lotus Suites, and sundown drinks for the AI crowd.
Many of these return year after year, so expect a similar mix in 2026: big open parties, invite-only dinners for senior people, vertical-specific meetups, morning runs and plenty of rooftop drinks.
How to find and get into the good ones
- Check the side event calendars regularly in the weeks before. Conference Nights lists parties and events around major conferences, and affiliate media sites publish week-by-week calendars as events are announced.
- Ask your account managers early. Networks and traffic sources host most of the private dinners, and the best guest lists fill up weeks ahead.
- Register as soon as an event opens, and expect some to be invite-only or approval-based.
- Pick one or two events a night, not five. You’ll have better conversations, and you’ll be useful the next morning.
Where to take a meeting
The expo floor is loud and crowded, so have a couple of quieter spots in mind for the conversations that matter. The Centara Grand’s own Red Sky rooftop bar is right above the venue and works well for a sunset drink with a partner. The hotel lobbies around Ratchaprasong are easy to reach on the skywalk, and a proper dinner booking in Sukhumvit is still the best way to turn a promising conversation into an actual deal. Book restaurants well ahead, because the good ones fill up during Affiliate World week.
After Bangkok: the follow-up
The week after Affiliate World decides whether the trip was worth it. Send your follow-ups within a few days, while people still remember the conversation, and make each one specific: what you talked about and one clear next step. Then start small. Run a test budget with the most promising new partners before committing to anything big.
One thing I see again and again: after a big event, affiliates and advertisers come home with a dozen new partners and no clean way to track them all. Before you launch those tests, make sure your tracking is set up so every new partner is measured the same way. It’s much easier than trying to untangle the numbers a month later.
If you’re heading to Bangkok and want to talk affiliate tracking, partner programmes or performance marketing, send me a message on LinkedIn. You might also like my guide to getting the most out of Affiliate Grand Slam Rome.
Affiliate World Asia 2026: quick answers
When and where is Affiliate World Asia 2026?
9 and 10 December 2026 at the Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld, Level 22, 999/9 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok.
When can I collect my badge?
Badge pickup opens at the venue from 8 December. Bring your e-ticket and photo ID, and register in the AW app beforehand.
What’s the nearest BTS station?
Chit Lom on the Sukhumvit line connects to CentralWorld by skywalk, and Siam station is around 700 metres away.
Is there an official Affiliate World party?
Yes. The official networking event and parties are included with every pass, alongside daily mixers. Many networks and traffic sources also host their own invite-only dinners and rooftop parties.
Where can I find side events for Affiliate World Asia?
Conference Nights and affiliate media calendars list side events as they’re announced. Confirmed so far for 2026: FT Community Bangkok (7–11 December), the Affiliate Drinks Meetup (8 December) and the Affiliate Space Awards (10 December).
What’s the weather like in Bangkok in December?
Warm and mostly dry, around 30°C. The convention halls are heavily air-conditioned, so bring a light layer.
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