The Best Value for Money Guide, first-timer edition
AGS Rome 2026 Welcome Kit · which pass a first-timer gets the most from, the whole trip budgeted with your numbers, the days planned, and what a good first visit looks like when you have no sales yet
This page is the one the course never had: real costs, on paper, before you spend. Fill it in. If the numbers say "not this year," you've lost ten minutes and you know. If they say yes, you'll go with a plan rather than a hope, which is the whole difference between a first visit that changes things and a badge in a drawer.
Part 1. Which pass, and what it buys
| Standard | Premium | Platinum | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price now | €375 | €672 | €1,005 |
| Price at the door | €525 | €999 | €1,375 |
| Welcome reception | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Full exhibition access, four days | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| All conferences and workshops | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Match App | Limited | Basic | Privileged |
| Half-day activity | Yes | Yes | |
| Networking drinks | Yes | Yes | |
| AGS Awards, VIP lounge, VIP meet and greet, on-demand playback, priority concierge, varsity jacket | Yes | ||
| iG Academy discount | 25% | 50% | 75% |
Standard is the first-timer's pass. It gets you everything this kit's plan needs: the floor with every stand and the people at it, every session, the welcome reception (the easiest room to start a conversation in), and the Match App once you hold it. Nothing in the higher tiers makes a first visit better; the lounge is mostly other people who bought the lounge. Buy before the door price.
Put it next to the last course you bought. That got you a login and a Discord. This gets you the industry, in person, for four days.
Part 2. The whole trip, with your numbers
Nothing is estimated for you. Write it down before you decide.
| Line | Your figure |
|---|---|
| Pass (Standard, €375 now) | € |
| Flights, return | € |
| Where you sleep, nights × rate (see the Rome page for the four areas) | € |
| Airport train and getting around (the FL1 is a few euros a ride) | € |
| Food, days × what you'd realistically spend | € |
| Days off work, if that costs you | € |
| Total | € |
Then the honest comparison: what did the last twelve months of courses, tools, apps and ad tests cost you, added up? Most people who do that sum find the trip is smaller than the year, and the year didn't come with a single conversation.
Part 3. The days, planned so each one earns its place
You don't need all four. You need a plan for the ones you take.
| Day | The one thing | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival day | Welcome reception. Say "first time?" to the person next to you. Find one other first-timer. | Reception (included) |
| Day 1 | The lap. Walk the floor once with the list, match names to roles, talk to nobody. Then one company, one question. | Floor |
| Day 2 | A second company. One session, sitting near the front, talking to the person next to you before it starts. | Floor, stage |
| Day 3 | Your accepted meeting if you got one; a third company if not. Follow-up messages before you leave the building. | Match App meeting, floor |
If you can only do two days, take arrival day and day 1. The reception and the lap are where a first visit is made.
Part 4. What a good first visit looks like, with no sales yet
No numbers, because anyone giving you numbers is selling something. A good first visit is four things, written down before you go and ticked off after.
| Before (what you want) | After (what happened) | |
|---|---|---|
| One question answered by a person at a network or a marketplace: what they look for in a new partner, or what a listing requires | ||
| One company understood properly: what they sell, who pays them, what they'd need from you, in your own words | ||
| One other first-timer you'd message when something breaks in February | ||
| One next step, specific: apply to this network, read that listing, test this category, message that person |
Four ticks and the trip did its job. It didn't make you an affiliate. It made you someone who's stood in the industry, asked it a question, and knows what to do next. That's what "proof this road goes somewhere" actually looks like.
Part 5. The Match App, once you hold a pass
After you buy the pass, the app opens for you. Request one meeting, with the company you picked, with your one question in the request. They accept or decline. If they accept, you have a meeting to prepare for. If they decline, you've got the floor and their stand, and the honest script from the first-timer's guide.
Part 6. If you're already promoting offers
An affiliate site, a Pinterest funnel, a TikTok Shop affiliate account: if you already promote offers, you may be eligible to apply for the complimentary Affiliate Pass. The last page of this kit has the invitation. Approval is required, and it's not a shortcut for wanting to start.
We update this kit from time to time as confirmations, prices and event details change. This page is current as of 12 September 2026.