Rakuten Optimism 2026 brought together more than 1,000 global attendees at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix for two days of connection, innovation, and insight. Centered around the theme “Fueling Meaningful Connections,” the event showcased the future of affiliate and performance marketing through visionary keynotes, thought-provoking panels, major product announcements, and the celebrated Golden Link Awards Gala.

From the debut of Mirai, affiliate marketing’s first advanced AI optimization agent, to expert discussions on AI, personalization, measurement, travel, and financial services, Rakuten Optimism 2026 delivered a packed agenda that inspired advertisers, publishers, and agencies alike.

Whether attendees came for the content, the networking, or the celebration, this year’s event highlighted one thing clearly: affiliate marketing continues to be a powerful constant in a rapidly changing consumer landscape.

Rakuten Optimism 2026 Highlights

Held over two dynamic days, Rakuten Optimism 2026 featured a standout mix of networking opportunities, industry-leading content, and memorable event experiences. Some of the biggest highlights included:

• A headline session featuring Guy Raz, host of How I Built This, leading a powerhouse discussion with Zack Kass (Former Head of GTM, OpenAI), Eric Seufert (Analyst, Hercules Media), and Clayton Nelson (VP of Enterprise Alliances and AI, Expedia Group)
• The announcement of Rakuten Rewards’ newest stand-down policy for browser extensions, an industry-wide, free SDK, to encourage transparency and responsibility across the affiliate ecosystem
• The launch of Mirai, Rakuten Advertising’s groundbreaking AI optimization agent
• The 2026 Rakuten Optimism Golden Link Awards: A Golden Age Gala, hosted by comedian Adam Mamawala
• Meaningful conversations surrounding the launch of the Rakuten Advertising and impact.com strategic alliance
• Publisher Spotlights featuring Affinity Global, AudioHook, and tvScientific
• The Connection Room, which offered pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings throughout the conference
• Dine & Demo sessions that showcased Rakuten Advertising’s latest product innovations
• A Finance and Travel Mixer, pickleball tournament, and Disco in the Desert party that brought energy and community to the event

These moments made Rakuten Optimism 2026 one of the most engaging affiliate marketing events of the year.

Golden Link Awards: A Golden Age Gala

One of the signature moments of Rakuten Optimism 2026 was the Golden Link Awards: A Golden Age Gala. Hosted by comedian Adam Mamawala, the evening celebrated the creativity, collaboration, and innovation shaping the affiliate marketing industry today.

More than a dozen companies and individuals were recognized across 11 categories for their outstanding work and partnerships. Read the full list of winners. Congratulations to all!

A Packed Content Schedule

Rakuten Optimism 2026 delivered an agenda designed to help advertisers, publishers, and agencies navigate the future of performance marketing.

Day 1: Connection, Content, and Celebration

Day 1 set the tone for an action-packed event, with attendees arriving at the iconic Arizona Biltmore ready to connect, learn, and be inspired. Sessions explored how global affiliate marketers are navigating full-funnel partnerships, creator relationships, and AI-driven strategies for 2026 and beyond.

Positive and productive conversations around the strategic alliance between Rakuten Advertising and impact.com were abuzz. Attendees were interested and eager to learn how Rakuten Advertising’s global partner relationships, managed services, and performance intelligence, and impact.com’s leading technology platform and global marketplace are working together to create the industry’s most comprehensive and scalable performance marketing ecosystem.

The day’s main stage featured executive remarks from Amit Patel, CEO and President of Rakuten International, who reinforced the central role of partner marketing in today’s performance-driven economy. Also announced during Amit’s remarks is Rakuten Rewards’ newest stand-down policy for browser extensions, an industry-wide, free SDK, to encourage transparency and responsibility across the affiliate ecosystem.

The day wrapped with the Golden Link Awards Gala, a glamorous evening celebrating the best in the industry and a roaring 20s-themed night of music, food, and fashion!

Day 2: Insights on AI, Personalization, and Growth

Day 2 opened with a rich slate of breakout sessions before the headline main stage moment: Guy Raz, acclaimed host of How I Built This, moderating an extraordinary conversation on the future of performance marketing. Panelists Zack Kass, Eric Seufert, and Clayton Nelson of Expedia Group explored how generative and agentic AI are reshaping the consumer journey, and why affiliate is uniquely positioned as the constant amid rapid consumer change.

Mirai Debuts at Rakuten Optimism 2026

A major announcement at Rakuten Optimism 2026 was the launch of Mirai, affiliate marketing’s first advanced AI optimization agent.

Designed as a conversational AI assistant for affiliate campaign management, Mirai helps advertisers streamline strategic tasks through natural conversation rather than manual configuration. Its initial capabilities include:

Strategic guidance and reporting

• Simplified commission configuration through autonomous code generation
• Natural language processing of campaign details such as promotional dates and seasonal moments
• More efficient and tailored affiliate program management

“Rakuten Advertising’s goal has always been clear: make advertisers more effective, not just more efficient,” said Adam Rostan, Chief Product Officer, Rakuten Advertising. “Mirai is years of investment in AI made real.”

Rakuten Advertising plans to expand Mirai’s capabilities across the full affiliate program lifecycle, from partner identification and recruitment to performance optimization and reporting.

Industry Panels and Expert Discussions

In addition to its headline sessions, Rakuten Optimism 2026 featured a strong lineup of breakout discussions focused on the future of affiliate and performance marketing.

The New Global Playbook

Moderated by Nicholas Fletcher, Senior Vice President, EMEA at Rakuten Advertising, this session explored how leading affiliate marketers are shifting toward performance-driven partnerships. Panelists from JD Sports and Free People shared how they are combining creator relationships, AI, and full-funnel partner strategies to scale globally.

From Search to Suggestion: How Gen AI Is Rewiring the Path to Purchase

Featuring Seth Besmertnik, CEO of Conductor, this fireside chat examined how generative and agentic AI are influencing shopping behavior, changing discovery patterns, and reshaping loyalty and search opportunities for advertisers and publishers.

Proving Affiliate’s Value and Overcoming the MMM Gap

Moderated by Chris Hahs, SVP of Advanced Analytics at Rakuten Advertising, this session addressed why affiliate marketing is often underrepresented in media and marketing mix modeling. Panelists from Prohaska Consulting and Ipsos shared practical frameworks for measuring affiliate more effectively.

AI-Powered Personalization: Capitalizing on Real-Time Intent

Led by Carl Kalapesi, CCO of Rakuten Rewards, this discussion focused on how brands can use AI shopping tools and real-time intent signals to drive deeper engagement and more personalized consumer experiences. Arpita Biswas, SVP of Product Management at Rakuten Rewards, joined fellow panelist Venice Gell, Director, Global Affiliate at iHerb to unpack the opportunity.

Building Consumer Trust in Modern FinServe

Beth Benedict, Managing Director of FaEV at Rakuten Advertising, held a fireside chat with The Points Guy on how AI-powered discovery and financial tools are changing how consumers make decisions in the financial services space. The duo discussed the growing importance of compliance, trust, and editorial authority within the financial service space.

Navigating the Modern Traveler Consumer Journey

Dave Gill and Missy Goldberg of Rakuten Advertising led a data-rich session on how consumers move through today’s travel journey across discovery, search, and booking. Then a panel, led by Megan Gaffey, Senior Director of Publisher Partnerships, featuring panelists from Cardlytics, Shop My, and Linkby discussed how affiliate marketing can build trust and drive growth in travel.

Why Rakuten Optimism 2026 Matters

Rakuten Optimism 2026 was more than an industry event recap. It reflected where affiliate and performance marketing are headed next.

Across every keynote, panel, and announcement, several themes stood out:

• AI is becoming deeply integrated into campaign strategy and execution
• Brands are prioritizing meaningful partnerships and measurable performance
• Personalization and trust are essential in today’s consumer journey
• Affiliate marketing continues to evolve as a flexible, resilient growth channel
• For advertisers, publishers, and agencies, the event offered both practical insights and a clear view of the opportunities ahead.

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Thank you to everyone who joined Rakuten Optimism 2026 in Phoenix and helped make this year’s event such a success. From the relationships built in the Connection Room to the ideas shared on stage, the event demonstrated the strength of the affiliate marketing community and the momentum driving the industry forward.

We can’t wait to see how the partnerships, strategies, and innovations highlighted at Rakuten Optimism 2026 continue to shape growth throughout 2026 and beyond.