What in the hell is Kevin Spacey doing at the Content Marketing World Event?
That’s the question he posed to the audience at his closing keynote back in 2014.
Kevin continued his story and explained how he got there:
“There is no way to say no when the founder of the Content Marketing Institute, the master marketer himself, “Joe Itsy Bitsy Pulizzi” calls you. Joe can sell you on just about anything.”
“He called me. He said, hey, Kevin!!”
“I got this opportunity you won’t want to miss! There’s this nice little event I throw every year. You gotta be there. Can you do that for me Spaceman?”
“It’s a real classy affair. Orange candy. Orange soda. And it’s in Cleveland!!!”
Clearly Pulizzi was successful in his pitch and Spacey is right — Joe and his team are master marketers themselves who know how to produce the must attend event for content marketers.
Content Marketing World has grown even bigger and better since I had the pleasure of presenting a keynote about why brands should act and think like media companies. There are now over 4,000 attendees, 225 speakers, and 550 companies attending totaling over 123+ hours of keynotes, sessions, networking, and entertainment.
With so many great speakers and sessions to choose from, I put together my Top 11 must see sessions to help you build your schedule.
I didn’t use any data to inform my choices and by no means does this list mean that the other sessions or speakers aren’t worth your time. Every speaker is vetted by the Content Marketing World team and only speakers who get high ratings are invited back. These are my personal recommendations based on people I’ve seen speak, timely topics that I think marketers need to understand, and brands who are sharing insights into their content marketing initiatives.
Also, my list doesn’t include the must-see keynotes this year, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Casey Neistat, Robert Rose, Kate Santore, Colson Whitehead, Jay Acunzo, and Linda Boff, because those are no-brainers. I am hoping Boff does a fashion flashback and walks out on stage in the same moon boot-inspired, limited edition sneakers, “The Missions,” that she wore when we spoke at another event together. In any case, get to the keynotes early to get prime seating.
Here Are My Top 11 Must Attend Content Marketing World 2017 Sessions
- Creating an Influencer Marketing Strategy: A to Z with Lee Odden
- Content ROI – How Marketers Demonstrate Value to the Brand and the Boss (a panel) with Mitch Joel, Laura Cameron, Paolo Mottola, Andrew Stark, Jenifer Walsh.
- Show Me: How Inventive Video Marketers Spin Stories Into Revenue with Andrew Davis
- Let the Data Drive Your Stories: How Proprietary Numbers Can Improve Your Storytelling and Boost Your Brand’s Thought Leadership with Margaret Magnarelli
- Market Like a Media Mogul: How Episodic Video Content Draws Audiences with Jonathan Stanley
- Building Genuine Connections in a World of Declining Empathy with Tom Gerace
- Under the Hood: What You Need in Your Content Marketing Technology Stack #ASKMEANYTHING (a panel with Peg Miller, James Gross, Lauren Locke-Paddon, J.P. Medved, and Srinivasa Raghavan)
- Writing Secrets from Productive and Prolific Writers (the Jerks!): How to Create Better Content When No One Has Enough Time with Ann Handley
- Inside Game Plan A: How adidas Built and Measures the Content Brand Powered by Culture with Frank Thomas
- How to Build and Maintain an Audience with a Remarkable Email Newsletter with Scott Monty
- You might think that 11 is an odd number for a “Top Picks” list, but it’s different than other lists and it stands out. I also know that brands who think different, act fast, and believe in the power of storytelling can win the hearts, minds, and wallets of next gen consumers. Learn how in my session: Brands as Storytellers: Everything Brands Need to Know About Launching a Global Content Studio with me + you, hopefully.
Check out all the parties, events, and full agenda over at Content Marketing World.
As for why Kevin Spacey was at Content Marketing World? It’s pretty obvious. He’s a master storyteller, marketer, and a brand himself, so he knows the power of brand storytelling as he explained in his keynote:
“Audiences have spoken. They want stories. They’re dying for them. They’re rooting for us to give them the right thing. And they will talk about it, binge on it. Tweet, blog about it, Facebook about it and engage with it with a passion and intimacy that a blockbuster movie can only dream of. And all we have to do is give it to them.”