My Content Marketing World 2019 Daily Planner
Finally.
I’m going to Content Marketing World!
I’ve been a regular reader of Content Marketing Institute (CMI) since 2013 and participated in #CMWorld Twitter chats since 2015 (maybe earlier). Over the years, I’ve gotten to know much of the CMI team and lots of #CMWorld community members.
We know each other’s hobbies, interests and passions. I see photos of their kids. We’re pretty close. But here’s the thing — for many, we’ve never met in person!
Content Marketing World is CMI’s annual conference. It takes place each September in Cleveland, Ohio.
I’ve never been to the conference.
That’s why Content Marketing World 2019 will be like a family reunion for me.
CM World regulars have told me, “There’s so much going on. Spend the time to map out your schedule before you arrive.”
So that’s what I’ve done. Here’s my daily planner for the conference.
Monday Meet and Greet
After I land on Monday afternoon, I’ll check in to the hotel, then head to meet the CMI team:
Meet and Greet with the CMI Team
6:30 pm — 8:30 pm
Eliot’s Bar — Hilton Cleveland Downtown
100 Lakeside Avenue East
Cleveland, OH 44114
“If you arrive early and have some free time Monday evening, come say hello to the CMI team. We’ll be hanging out at Eliot’s Bar at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown.”
I think I’ve emailed or tweeted with just about everyone on the team. To date, the only team member I’ve met in person is Kim Moutsos. Looking forward to this opportunity for hellos and hugs.
Note: If you’re headed to CM World, there’s a great page on the conference website that lists all of the social happenings.
Tuesday Plans
As a first-time attendee, this session will be useful:
Getting the Most from CMWorld 2019
Tuesday, September 3 | 4:30pm — 5:15pm
Speakers: Sydni Craig-Hart (Smart Simple Marketing), Joe Pulizzi (Content Marketing Institute), Cathy McPhillips (Content Marketing Institute), Anne Lewis (Red Letter Hospitality)
Location: Grand Ballroom A
Details: https://schedule.contentmarketingworld.com/session/getting-the-most-from-cmworld-2019/866364
I’ll spend most of Tuesday resting, to gear up for the kick-off party:
#CMWorld Kickoff Party
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
7:30 pm — 10:00 pm
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44114
“Join us for a fantastic evening of fun, food and networking at the legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and check out the brand new museum installations!”
I’ve gotten to know much of the #CMWorld community, but haven’t met a lot of people in person. Looking forward to seeing familiar names and faces — and meeting a lot of new people.
I’m a fan of 80’s music, so I’ll be on the look-out for museum exhibits from that era 🤓
The CMI team published an excellent post about the party and venue, including details of the current exhibits.
Wednesday Morning
Nothing like getting the day started bright and early!
#CMWorld Fun Run/Walk
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
6:00 am
Meet at Lakeside Entrance, Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland
“Get some exercise and enjoy some of the city’s biggest attractions — the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of fame, Lake Erie, the Browns stadium, and more. Join us for a 3-mile run or 1-mile walk. Meet our team captain, CMI Creative Director, Joseph Kalinowski, at the Lakeside entrance of the Huntington Convention Center.”
Wait for me, Joe, I’m in the elevator!
The official kick-off of the conference happens at 8am, with a welcome from CMI’s Stephanie Stahl and Robert Rose.
That’s followed by a keynote by CMI Founder Joe Pulizzi titled “MKTG 2030.” After Joe, Tamsen Webster will present a keynote titled “Getting the Green Light: How to Build Content People Say Yes To.”
After the morning keynotes, there’s networking and refreshments in the CM World Expo Hall. Sponsor companies help make this conference possible. I plan to visit the sponsor booths to see the latest in content marketing and related tech.
Wednesday Sessions
Here are the Wednesday sessions I plan to attend:
- 10:15am-11:00am, “The Continuous Content Distribution Playbook: How to Keep Your Best Content Visible and Viable While Saving Your Sanity,” with Heidi Cohen, Hope Ballroom E
- 11:20am-12:05pm, “From Nontent to Content: Why Social Innovation Is The Future of Winning at Relevance,” with Carlos Abler, Atrium Ballroom B
- 12:25pm-1:10pm, “Highly Effective Social Creative For Any Budget,” with Adam Constantine and Nicole Martin, Room 19
- 2:00pm-2:45pm, “The Power of Trust: How to Build Credibility with Customers — and Convince Them to Buy,” with Margaret Magnarelli, Atrium Ballroom B
- 3:05pm-3:50pm, “Curate Your Way to More Subscribers,” with Scott Monty, Room 1
I’m looking forward to the Content Marketing Awards (4:45pm-5:15pm), followed by afternoon keynotes from Scott Stratten and Henry Rollins.
Note: CM World presenter Mark Bornstein published a post on why he’s inspired by Henry Rollins.
I’ll try to squeeze in a moment to reflect, take in a few deep breaths and then…
Wednesday Evening
After a full day of sessions, I plan to attend these two events:
Networking Reception Featuring Yappy Hour
6:00 pm — 7:15 pm
Expo Hall
“A day of learning is far from ruff. But if you’re looking for a fun way to unwind, you’ll want to join us for Yappy Hour with City Dogs Cleveland. Proceeds will benefit The Orange Effect Foundation and CityDogsCLE.”
CMWorld Evening Entertainment
8:30 pm — 11:00 pm
Punch Bowl Social
1086 W 11th St,
Cleveland, OH 44113
“Decked out with 4 bars, a roof-top deck, a scratch restaurant, and games like billiards, foosball, karaoke — and even putt putt! — Punch Bowl Social is guaranteed fun. Join us for great food, conversation, and some friendly game competition.”
Thursday Sessions
Thursday kicks off with morning keynotes from Kathy Button Bell (Emerson) and Nilla Ali (BuzzFeed). Here are the sessions I plan to attend Thursday morning and afternoon:
- 10:15am-11:00am, “Diversity in Marketing Using Artificial Intelligence,” with Robbee Minicola, Room 5
- 11:20am-12:05pm, “Walking the Tightrope: Architecting Teams to Deliver Consistently Innovative Content Marketing Results,” with Carla Johnson, Grand Ballroom B. Note: I had the pleasure of interviewing Carla on the Leadtail blog
- 12:20pm-1:05pm, “Invention in Content Marketing: When Content Takes the Wheel and Drives Product Development,” with Adam Ritchie, Room 1
- 1:45pm-2:30pm, “Engaging Storytelling at Speed,” with Amanda Lordy, Hope Ballroom A-C
- 2:50pm-3:35pm, “Inside a 20-year Content Marketing Program,” with Tom Webster, Grand Ballroom B
At 4:30pm on Thursday, Mindy Kaling is the closing headliner. I’m looking forward to Mindy’s talk! Afterwards, I plan to attend this tweetup:
On Thursday evening, attendees have a free night. Let me know if you’d like to meet up! I’m thinking of catching an Indians game.
The Indians are in town. Want to catch a game together?
Also: the CMI team published a helpful post listing Thursday dining deals.
Friday Sessions
I’m part of a “Community Duology,” back-to-back sessions on building and sustaining a community. The first session:
So You Think You Want to Start an Online Community? What to Know Before You Open the Doors
Presenters:
- Berrak Sarikaya (Integrated Marketing Specialist, Yesler)
- Ben Rome (Marketing & Communications Manager, AIHA)
- Jason Schemmel (Owner, GSDChat)
Location: Room 1
Date: Friday, September 6
Time: 8:00am — 8:45am
The next session begins at 9am. I’ll be presenting this session with Erika Heald:
Community Rx: The Proper Care and Feeding for a Highly Successful Online Community
Presenters:
- Erika Heald (Consultant, Erika Heald Consulting)
- Dennis Shiao (Marketing Consultant, Dennis Shiao Consulting)
Location: Room 1
Date: Friday, September 6
Time: 9:00am — 9:45am
Check out this awesome Community Duology video that Ben Rome made:
Hope you can make it to both of these sessions!
After these morning sessions, I’ll gather up my belongings and bid farewell to family and friends. It’ll be so long to Cleveland and CM World — hope to see you again next year!
