The content marketing world is buzzing with excitement as the annual Content Marketing World quickly approaches. We here at Curata are just as excited as everyone else about the event.  So much so that we have put together a map (not to scale) of Cleveland highlighting the official Content Marketing World events, as well as a selection of restaurants, attractions and stores to visit.

Cleveland, known to many people as the “comeback city”, offers its guests a plethora of options from restaurants to attractions to retail.  Below you’ll find a brief description of many of the things to do during your visit to Cleveland, including its popular (and lesser known yet worthwhile) destinations.

Did we miss any of your favorite spots? Let us know in the comments below.

Official CMW Events

Cleveland Convention Center

The main event features hundreds of speakers, sessions and booths showing off the latest technologies in content marketing.

Be on the lookout for these cool giveaways from a few of this year’s sponsors:

Atomic Reach –Atomic Reach swag and the opportunity for attendees to learn their “Atomic Score”.

DemandBase – Chocolate bars, USB wall chargers and cotton candy.

NetProspex – A chance to win a pair of Google Glasses.

TrackMaven – TrackMaven’s booth will be Corgi-themed (yes! the dog) — they will be giving away Corgi swag such as sticker seats and Corgi t-shirts.

Curata –See Curata in action at their Demo Zone and receive a free  signed copy of Pam Didner’s book, Global Content Marketing (Sign up for a time slot today).

What to Visit 

Steamship William G. Mather Maritime Museum – Embark on a self-guided tour of this retired ship that was once used to transport ore, coal, stone and grain to ports throughout the Great Lakes.

USS Cod Submarine Memorial – Stop by and explore this navy vessel that was first launched during World War II.

Great Lakes Science Center – Make good use of your time by spending a free afternoon to check out some of the educational exhibits or catch a movie at the OmniMax.

Progressive Field – The Cleveland Indians will be playing at home all week. Check out their schedule here.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – If you have any spare time this week, don’t miss the famous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and use this discount code that CMI provided for $4 off adult ticket prices.

FirstEnergy Stadium – You can’t miss this stadium that’s host to the Cleveland Browns home games and other college games.

What to Buy

West Side Market – Swing by the market for fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and much more from over 100 vendors at Cleveland’s oldest marketplace. Here are some cool vendors to visit:

• Crepes Deluxe – Home of authentic, Parisian style crepes.
• Paradise Flowers– Want to congratulate a CMW speaker? Grab them a bouquet of flowers at this full-service florist.
• The Cheese Shop – Choose from over 175 traditional and rare cheeses at this shop that encourages sampling before purchasing!

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Gift Shop: – Stop in the gift store to get rock and roll gear such as these two items:

•  45 RPM record mouse pad ($7.99)
• Guitar pick bottle opener magnet ($6.99)

Great Lakes Science Center: The Science Store: Embrace your inner nerd and buy Kinetic Sand — watch it float and be amazed.

5th Street Arcades – A one-stop destination for shopping in downtown Cleveland. Spend a few hours browsing the shops and restaurants or visit some of our favorites:

• Chocolate76– Want to satisfy your sweet tooth or bring back a treat to the office? Check out Chocolate76 for homemade desserts and chocolates such as pecan turtles and chocolate-covered oreos.
• Kernels by Chrissie – If you’re looking for something salty, grab a tin of regional, gourmet popcorn.
• Colossal Cupcakes – Over 50 cupcake flavors and the first-ever cupcake milkshake.

Big Fun Toy Store – This toy store was recently named one of the “coolest stores in America” by Playboy and is a 15-minute drive from downtown Cleveland. If you have a rental car, be sure to check it out.

Where to Eat

Blue Pointe Grille – This restaurant is a 5-minute walk from the Cleveland Convention Center and features a wide range of seafood in addition to traditional fare. A Zagat survey named this “Cleveland’s most popular restaurant.”

Mallorca – Just a 15-minute walk from the convention center, this restaurant offers a taste of Spain and Portugal in the middle of downtown Cleveland.

The Greenhouse Tavern – A hidden gem that provides a wide range of vegan and vegetarian options. Curata is hosting a dinner here on Wednesday Sept. 10 (Contact Michael Gerard if you are interested in attending!)

Melt Bar & Grilled – In the mood for a grilled cheese? Make it gourmet at this hotspot. 

Lola Bistro – Peter Loibl of CMI says this is his favorite restaurant in all of Cleveland. It’s also the flagship restaurant of celebrity chef Michael Symon.

Little Italy – There are over 20 Italian restaurants to choose from and several fine art galleries to peruse.

Who To See

BONUS: Can you find these Content Marketing World Speakers in the map above ?

Kevin Spacey, Actor

Joe Pulizzi, CMI

Pawan Deshpande, Curata

Ann Handley, MarketingProfs

Julie Fletcher, Kraft Foods

Andrew Davis, Author

Jay Baer, Author

Brian Clark, CopyBlogger

Heidi Cohen, Actionable Marketing Guide

Pam Didner, Author

Jonathan Colman, Facebook

Gini Dietrich, Author

Gurdeep Dhillon, SAP

Scott Abel, The Content Wrangler

Jeff Charney, The Progressive Corporation

Scott Scratten, Author

Lee Odden, TopRank Online Marketing

Jason Miller, LinkedIn

Marcus Sheridan, The Sales Lion

Rebecca Lieb, Altimeter

Katrina Craigwell, General Electric