As AI and shifting power dynamics continue to redefine modern affiliation, SBC Summit Malta will introduce a dedicated Affiliates Reinvented track, exploring how stakeholders can adapt and unlock new growth opportunities in an increasingly complex landscape.

Taking place on Thursday, 30 April at the InterContinental Malta, the track will bring together leading affiliates, marketing specialists, and industry experts for a mix of workshops and panel discussions focused on how the sector can adapt to a changing environment.

Sessions will explore how evolving operator relationships are reshaping the affiliate model, the need to diversify acquisition beyond search, and the growing trend of taking affiliate businesses public. AI will also be a key theme throughout the day, with sessions exploring its impact on partnership management, content creation, and acquisition.

“Affiliates are operating in a much more complex environment than they were even a few years ago,” said Rasmus Sojmark, chief executive officer and founder of SBC. “Operators are becoming more selective, search is becoming more competitive, and AI is changing how visibility is won. This track is about making affiliates aware of what’s working, and how they can implement it in their own businesses.”

The track will open with ‘How affiliate managers can use AI to stay ahead of the competition’, a workshop led by Stephen Clibbon (head of affiliates, VL Partners) and Elaine Gardiner (managing director, TAG Media). The session will show how affiliate marketers can use AI to work faster and more efficiently, with practical strategies covering outreach, performance analysis, and partner optimisation, helping attendees maximise both time and profitability.

As major operators scale back affiliate partnerships, ‘The affiliate fallout: Survival in a shifting landscape’ will explore what this shift means for the future of affiliates. Featuring Vadim Aidlin (CEO, Mamuta Media), Emma-Elizabeth Byrne (head of publishing, Gentoo Media), Victoria Buttigieg (marketing and social media manager, Marlin Media), Clinton Cutajar (CTO, MediaTroopers), and Brendon Spiteri (head of commercial, Routy), the panel will unpack the impact on affiliate business models and what it takes to remain relevant in a rapidly changing industry. 

The discussion will also examine how affiliates can build more sustainable strategies, whether operators risk losing reach by pulling back, and what the next phase of the affiliate-operator relationship could look like.

Delegates will explore how AI is being used to manipulate search in the workshop ‘AI manipulation – how machines are rewriting the SERPs’, led by SEO expert Alan Cladx (co-founder and CEO, AquaPony). Cladx will demonstrate how AI models are now influencing authority signals and rewriting ranking logic at scale. The session will equip affiliates with a clear understanding of how these strategies work, the risks involved in deploying them, and how they can stay competitive in an increasingly complex search environment.

Also featured on the track will be the workshop Inside black-hat SEO – how it’s done (and how safe it really is), led by Daniel Lux (SEO strategist), which will take delegates through how black hat SEO actually works, and the risks associated with deploying it.

Get Your Tickets to SBC Summit Malta

Secure your spot at SBC Summit Malta with our exclusive VIP Event Pass. Priced at €600, you’ll gain access to everything SBC Summit Malta has to offer, including three days of networking, conference, and exhibition.

Want an Expo+ Pass? It’s yours for €150.

If you are an operator or affiliate, you can apply for a free pass! Operators can apply for a complimentary pass here. Affiliates can apply for complimentary passes here.