The Justification Memo
AGS Rome 2026 Welcome Kit for in-house teams · pre-filled · add three names and a target, then forward
"Name three direct publishers we will close that you can't reach on LinkedIn." That's the format. Not hostile, just the bar. This memo meets it in five lines, with the roster and the prices already in. Plain text is filled in. [Brackets] are yours. The word "networking" does not appear, and don't add it back.
To: [approver]
From: [name, role]
Date: [date]
Re: Partner recruitment trip, Affiliate Grand Slam Rome, 2 to 5 November 2026
1. Purpose
Recruit and renegotiate with named partners for [program name] in one trip, at a cost per booked meeting below our current cost of partner acquisition, with outcomes reported on one slide within a week of return.
2. Counterparties, by what a deal would do to the number
Confirmed exhibitors at Affiliate Grand Slam Rome (Fiera Roma, 2 to 5 November) include, by partner type: networks and marketplaces that run consumer offers (ClickBank, Digistore, MaxWeb, TerraLeads, LeadBit, Everad, Advidi, among others), traffic sources (MGID, Outbrain, and native, push, in-app and CTV networks), payments (PlatformPay, Centrobill, Chargeback911), program platforms (Everflow, Trackier, Trackdesk), and TikTok, Meta and Google exhibiting with staff. The full list by partner type is attached.
Three counterparties for this trip:
| Counterparty | Partner type | What a deal would do | Outcome category |
|---|---|---|---|
| [name 1] | [network / marketplace / affiliate / platform] | [e.g. the placement we've requested since Q1; est. incremental orders per month] | Partner recruited |
| [name 2] | [e.g. payout tier / reversal window / exclusivity] | Terms renegotiated | |
| [name 3] | [e.g. replaces the agency recruitment retainer] | Agency fee avoided |
Meetings are requested through the event's Match App once a pass is held; the counterparty accepts or declines. Accepted requests form the itinerary; the meeting count below is a planning target set before access opens.
3. Cost per meeting
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Pass (Standard) | €375 |
| Flights, return | €[ ] |
| Hotel, [n] nights | €[ ] |
| Ground transport and meals, [n] days | €[ ] |
| Total | €[ ] |
Cost per booked meeting = total ÷ accepted meetings.
Planning forecast: €[total] ÷ [realistic number of qualified meetings] = €[ ] per meeting, labelled as an estimate. After the event, actual cost ÷ meetings held.
For comparison: [our current cost per recruited partner via outreach / the agency's recruitment fee / a month of paid outreach at our reply rate]: €[ ].
4. Pass tier and why
Standard (€375 now; €525 at the door) includes the welcome reception, full exhibition access, all conferences and workshops, and the Match App at the Limited level, which covers the three counterparties above.
[Delete if not applicable:] Premium (€672) adds the half-day activity and the Basic Match App level. Platinum (€1,005) adds the AGS Awards, networking drinks, VIP lounge and meet and greet, on-demand session playback, priority concierge and the Privileged Match App level. I'm requesting [tier] because [one sentence].
5. Dates and diary
Event: 2 to 5 November 2026, Fiera Roma, Rome. I'll attend [days]. Out of office [dates]. Coverage: [who covers the program, and what they can decide alone].
Timing: Rome sits inside Q4 planning and before the holiday peak. Partners agreed in November launch against Q1, in time for the [spring] budget round.
6. Projected outcomes
In the categories finance already tracks. Targets, not forecasts.
| Outcome | Target | Measured by |
|---|---|---|
| Partners recruited | [n] new partners live by [date] | Partner IDs active in [platform] with first conversions |
| Network terms renegotiated | [term] moved from [x] to [y] with [network] | Signed IO or updated contract |
| Agency fee avoided | €[ ] per [month / quarter] | Recruitment retainer not renewed or reduced |
| Traffic mix | [traffic type] added to the roster | Share of partner revenue by type, Q1 vs Q4 |
| Platform contact | Named contact at [TikTok / Meta / Google] | Escalation path documented |
[Optional competitor line:] [Competitor] runs [n] partners in [category] and recruits at these events; our roster has [n]. Closing that gap is the point of this trip.
7. Report-back
One slide, within one week of return: meetings held, partners in negotiation, terms changed, next steps with dates. A 30-day follow-up with partners live and first revenue.
8. Request
Approval for one Standard pass (€375 at current pricing; €525 at the door) plus travel as itemised, total €[ ].
Attachments: the confirmed roster by partner type; the tier comparison with prices.
Notes for the sender (delete before forwarding)
- The three names are the memo. Fill them from the roster page. Pick counterparties whose acceptance you can reasonably expect: a network you already run with, a marketplace where the offer isn't listed yet, an affiliate manager who's replied at least once. Specific beats impressive.
- Real figures in section 3. The formula only bites with your travel numbers in it. A four-figure trip across a realistic number of qualified meetings is a number finance can compare to a recruitment retainer or a month of outreach using your own reply rate. Use your figures, not a benchmark.
- Section 6 is what finance reads. Every row measurable in something they already see.
- Don't add: "networking," attendee counts, the lounge, anything about your career.
- If it gets declined: section 2 still stands. Three named partners, one email each: "I'll be in Rome 2 to 5 November; are you?" The answer costs nothing, and it's the ammunition for the next version of the memo.
We update this kit from time to time as confirmations, prices and event details change. This page is current as of 12 September 2026.