PerformanceIN recently launched the bursary scheme for this year’s Performance Marketing Insights: London event. It aims to give those new to the industry a chance to kick-start their education for free.

We spoke to the winner of this year’s Hotshot Rising Star gong at the Performance Marketing Awards to find out what his opinion was on the bursary scheme and the standard of education in the industry.

How did you cope with the learning curve when you first came into contact with performance marketing?

James Baigent: I was fortunate to have joined a fantastic affiliate team who gave me the structured learning that enabled me to have a good understanding of some of the key principles and fundamentals of performance marketing and the role affiliate marketing had to play. I focussed my time really getting to grips with the how, who, and the why so that I could begin building up a well-rounded perspective of my channel and then use that to improve the strategies and service we provided our clients, an approach that has stuck with me throughout my career to date.

What were the big things that helped you in getting up to speed?

JB: For me it was really about just immersing myself in as many of the key aspects as possible. I spent a lot of time learning  the basics of everything from tracking to understanding who the big affiliates were and what their propositions were. This approach was really the only way to learn as much as possible in a short time frame, however in an industry that is constantly evolving and changing this process never ends in order to stay up  to date with emerging trends and technologies. Networking events and IAB meetings were also a big help in getting to grips with the wider industry updates as they often focussed on the core themes and brought together influential speakers to give real world insights.

How important are initiatives like the bursary scheme in educating those that might not normally have the chance to attend such conferences?

JB: This is a fantastic initiative which I think will be provide real value to everyone involved and will be a big step to educating not only the performance marketers of tomorrow but widening the accessibility of the industry as a whole.

How do you maintain your knowledge of performance marketing? What tips can you offer your peers?

JB: My top tips would be:

  • Stay up to date with the trade press and key online outlets
  • Meet as many new tech start ups as possible as they could be the super affiliates of tomorrow
  • Attend IAB and PerformanceIN events to stay connected with fellow peers

You can find out all the specifics about the bursary scheme on the Performance Marketing Insights: London website. There’s also an online form that you can use to submit your argument for being granted entry to the event for free.