Stars Partners at Conversion Club: Insights from Our Team

Conversion Club is one of the key industry gatherings for affiliate marketing professionals, bringing together media buyers, product teams, and marketing leaders to exchange real market insights and test ideas against reality.

This year, our team joined the conference to stay close to what actually drives performance today.

We spoke with our colleagues on the ground and distilled the most relevant insights you can apply immediately.

What Stood Out at the Conference

Beyond the talks, the real value of the conference came from conversations, validation of ideas, and the exchange of experiences.

“The market is going through a turbulent phase with structural changes — and not in the most positive direction. There’s a clear shortage of strong specialists, which directly impacts execution quality and unit economics,” says the Head of Affiliate Operations at Stars Partners.

At the same time, the human factor plays a bigger role than ever.

“The industry is highly multidisciplinary, but the main value is in networking. Open, simple communication works better than formal approaches,” notes the Affiliate Lead at Stars Partners.

From an execution standpoint, the shift is already visible.

“The market has moved from ‘launch and forget’ to deeper operational work. Brands now look beyond FTDs — they analyze player behavior, retention, and traffic quality,” shares one of the Affiliate Managers.

And the overall atmosphere reflects this maturity.

“The real activity happens outside the stage — in conversations. At the same time, everything needs to be filtered and verified critically,” adds another Affiliate Manager.

Core Industry Insights

The industry is still growing, but the way it grows is changing.

“Growth will continue, but through market cleanup. Some companies won’t survive, teams will shrink, and the market will become more compact and performance-driven,” explains the Head of Affiliate Operations at Stars Partners.

From a relationship perspective, priorities are shifting.

The Affiliate Lead emphasizes that network and personal brand are becoming key growth drivers, with strong connections often outperforming cold outreach.

Execution quality is now the main differentiator.

“Those who win are not the ones who push more traffic, but those who better manage quality, partnerships, and growth opportunities,” says an Affiliate Manager.

At the same time, speed is increasingly tied to technology.

“AI is already transforming workflows — from creatives to optimization. If you’re not using it, you’re simply slower than the market,” notes another Affiliate Manager.

Traffic, Creatives, and Market Dynamics

Traffic strategies are becoming less predictable, while pressure on performance continues to grow. Our team shared how this impacts daily operations.

“Relying on a single traffic source is no longer viable. SEO, for example, has become unstable — rankings and volumes are no longer predictable. Diversification and flexibility are now essential,” says the Head of Affiliate Operations at Stars Partners.

At the same time, costs are increasing.

An Affiliate Manager points out:

“The cost of traffic is rising, and maintaining quality is getting harder. That’s why the focus is shifting toward analytics, retention, and scaling only where real potential is proven.”

Creative approaches are evolving as well.

“Short-form video remains dominant, but it’s becoming harder and more expensive to enter. What works best now are simple, native-looking creatives that feel like user-generated content,” explains one of the Affiliate Managers.

Structurally, the market is also shifting.

Another Affiliate Manager highlights that more teams are moving toward direct work with offers to increase margins and reduce dependency on intermediaries.

What to Focus on After the Conference

The real value of the conference depends on what happens after it.

“Don’t just collect contacts — turn them into real working relationships and focus on the directions that resonated most,” says the Affiliate Lead at Stars Partners.

From an operational perspective, priorities are changing.

“The focus is no longer on scaling at any cost, but on stability — retaining volumes, improving traffic quality, and controlling unit economics,” notes the Head of Affiliate Operations.

From the affiliate side, the emphasis is on systems.

One Affiliate Manager explains that strong partnerships, analytics, and visibility are now the foundation for sustainable growth, especially in a volatile market.

Execution speed still matters.

“After the conference, you need to follow up, test new approaches, and turn conversations into real deals. The model is no longer ‘launch and earn’ — it’s about building a system with predictable scaling,” concludes another Affiliate Manager.

Final Take

Across all perspectives, one pattern is clear: the market is maturing.

Traffic volume alone is no longer a competitive advantage. Teams that build structured systems, diversify traffic, and focus on quality gain control over results.

This is exactly the framework Stars Partners operates in — combining analytics, traffic expertise, and full-cycle marketing to help partners navigate these shifts and build sustainable growth.