The November note
AGS Rome 2026 Welcome Kit · it's the week before the most expensive auction of the year. Here's how founders who go anyway handle it.
Nobody's pretending 2 to 5 November is convenient. CPMs are already climbing, the inventory bills are on the desk, and leaving the account for four days feels like leaving a pan on the hob. But think about what the same four days look like if you stay: refreshing the admin, watching spend go out, waiting for orders to catch up. Rome isn't about this year's rush. It's about not being in this exact position next November, alone in the auction with your own money. A partner agreed in Rome launches against next year. That's the realistic version, and it's the good one.
Before you leave
- ☐ Holiday campaigns built and scheduled. Creative approved, budgets set, the ramp in the account. What goes live on the 6th shouldn't need you on the 4th.
- ☐ The PO decision made. The one you're dreading. Make it at your desk, not from a hotel.
- ☐ A partner-ready offer page. Even a simple one. When a network says "send me the page," you want it to be the right page.
- ☐ Samples packed. Enough to leave one with every company on your shortlist.
- ☐ The three numbers, written down.
- ☐ Match App requests sent the day the app opens, with a proposed day. Track who accepts; accepted requests are your itinerary.
What the team covers
Write it down. Four days is long enough for something to break, and "I'm in Rome" is a bad time to discover nobody knew they could pause an ad set.
| Who | Covers | Decides alone up to | Calls you when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad accounts: pause, budget, creative swaps | € per day | CPA above X for 24 hours | |
| Customer service and refunds | € per case | Anything public | |
| Fulfilment and stock | A stockout on a hero SKU | ||
| Agency or freelancer | A contract question |
Solo? Then it's automated rules on the account, a canned reply on support, and two fixed check-ins a day. Meetings sit in the middle of the day; the check-ins go either side. Founders do this every year. It works.
While you're there
- One partner conversation a day is a good day. Three is a great one. Don't pack the diary; the stand you walked past on the way to a meeting is sometimes the meeting.
- Write the follow-up the same evening. Who, what they need from you, what you owe them, by when.
- Don't agree terms at the table. Agree to send them. The margin maths from the guide happens with a spreadsheet, not an espresso.
After you're back
The rush starts the week you land. Book the follow-ups for the second week of December, when the partner's November is over too. A partner who launches in January against a plan you agreed in Rome is the trip paying off. Anything faster is a bonus.
And next November, when the CPMs climb again, some of the orders won't be coming from the auction.
We update this kit from time to time as confirmations, prices and event details change. This page is current as of 12 September 2026.