It’s a world class speaking lineup with many, if not most of the biggest names in content marketing. But what do you do if, at some apres-conference soiree, you find yourself face to face with one of these charming and erudite speakers, bereft of conversation starters?

At Content Marketing World, as in life, offering to buy someone a drink is always a good start. Then it comes down to finding something in common to talk about. To that end, Curata spoke with some of the headline speakers to find out a few interesting details about them. Discover the banjo player, the romantic novelist, the tequila collector and the breakdancer. Read on to find out who’s who!

—

Chad Pollitt

Co-founder & VP of Audience at Relevance, Marketing Adjunct Professor, Author, International Speaker and former US Army Commander

Lesser known fact:

“I once played in the International Foosball Championships in Las Vegas and actually placed second in one of the events back in 2002. That’s the only thing I think I learned in college. Check out the one minute mark in this video for the infamous “AERIAL Trick Shot.””

Well known facts: Chad is a decorated veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and former Army Commander. He is VP of Audience and Co-founder of Relevance, a digital magazine, agency, and events company dedicated to content strategy, promotion, and marketing.

A member of a Forbes Top 100 list, Chad authored The Native Advertising Manifesto, The Content Promotion Manifesto, and 51 Things Your Mother Taught You About Inbound Marketing. He is a regular contributor to industry media outlets, including the Huffington Post, Guardian and Social Media Today.

@ChadPollitt | LinkedIn

—

Doug Kessler

Creative Director, Co-Founder, Velocity Partners Ltd (UK)

Lesser known fact:

“Most people don’t know that I play the banjo. Most people are lucky that way.

Those who do know wish they didn’t.”

Well known facts: Awarded Launch of the Year 2015 by the Content Marketing Institute in October 2015 for Sprint Business launch, Doug is a displaced Yank who started his career at Ogilvy & Mather, New York. Soap and fabric softener bored him rigid so he jumped ship to specialize in B2B. Doug is a content marketing junkie. He’s a copywriter at heart but with a secret jones for analytics. And Lagavulin.

@dougkessler | LinkedIn

—

Arnie Kuenn

CEO at Vertical Measures, international speaker, & author of Content Marketing Works: 8 Steps to Transform Your Business

Lesser known fact:

“I am actually really into boating. And I have never even owned one. I have been on the water in almost every type of boat imaginable. I have trained and earned a powerboat certification and read countless books on the subject. My goal is to buy a trawler someday and either cruise it from the west coast to the east coast or possibly buy it on the east coast and cruise the great loop. Right now I am trying to find a yachting manufacturer or large broker who wants to hire a content marketing agency!”

Well known facts: Arnie Kuenn is the author of the award winning content marketing book Accelerate! Arnie is also an instructor for the Online Marketing Institute and the Content Marketing Institute. Arnie served on the 2008 Arizona Super Bowl Marketing Committee. He is a founder and past president of the Arizona Interactive Marketing Association (AZIMA). In 2014, he was voted the Interactive Person of the Year at the AZIMA TIM Awards.

@ArnieK | LinkedIn

—

Carla Johnson

Marketing and Customer Experience Strategist | Author | Speaker | Storyteller

Lesser known fact:

“I’m a classical pianist and started studying when I was eight. My mom made me take lessons and I didn’t like it in the beginning because I was an outside girl growing up. But then I realized that if I practiced, I got out of chores around the house and my older sister had to do my share. That motivated my practicing and then I fell in love with playing the piano. I studied for 13 years and still play today.”

Well known facts: Carla is recognized as one of the top influencers in content marketing. Her book, Experiences: The 7th Era of Marketing, teaches marketers how to develop, manage and lead the creation of valuable experiences in their organizations. Carla serves as Vice Chair on the Executive Board of the Business Marketing Association (a division of the ANA). She was previously the Vice President of Thought Leadership. Carla is an instructor for Rutgers University mini-MBA program, the Content Marketing Institute, the ANA, and the Online Marketing Institute. A frequent speaker at events such as Content Marketing World, Carla also contributes to industry wide news outlets, forums and conferences.

@CarlaJohnson | LinkedIn

—

Ardath Albee

SEO & B2B Marketing Strategist of her firm Marketing Interactions | B2B Marketing Strategist | Speaker | Author of 2 Books

Lesser known fact:

“People may not know that I’m a long-time member of Romance Writers of America and love writing women’s fiction. I’ve written five novels so far—none actually published… yet. When I say I’m a storyteller, I really mean it—whether in fiction or in business. Actually, even more interesting is that a lot of the strategy and skills needed to write compelling long-form fiction cross over into the development of B2B personas and content marketing strategy.”

Well known facts: Ardath grew up in Southern California. She is the author of eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale, (McGraw Hill), and Digital Relevance: Developing Marketing Content and Strategies that Drive Results (Palgrave Macmillan). Her mom says her hunger to write started with her fourth grade teacher. “I’ll take her word for it, as I don’t remember when, exactly, I knew I had to write.”

Ardath runs her own firm, Marketing Interactions, Inc. She helps B2B companies generate more sales-ready leads with e-marketing and content strategies. She has a B.A. in English Literature from San Francisco State University. Ardath was a finalist in the Golden Heart writing contest for unpublished romance writers through RWA in 2005.

@ardath421 | LinkedIn

—

Rand Fishkin

Wizard of Moz

Lesser known fact:

“In January 2007, I filmed a 30-second ad for a major retailer (in which I proposed to my then girlfriend, now wife, Geraldine) that was set to air during the Super Bowl. Thankfully, the retailer pulled out a week before the game, or I’d have gone down as a pop culture footnote. Phew! I proposed during a homemade TV ad on her favorite show a few days later, and she said yes while watching in our living room!”

Well known facts:

Education: Attended University of Washington, Seattle 1997-2001 | Dropped out to start Moz
Interests: Travel, Science, NFL Football, Food, Beer, Scotch, the Internet, Adventure Time

Over six years as founder and CEO, Rand grew Moz from seven employees to 134, revenues from $800,000 to $29.3 million, and traffic from 1 million to 30 million annual visitors. He raised two rounds of funding ($1.1 million in 2007 and $18.1 million in 2012) and led three acquisitions. In 2013, rebranded the company from SEOmoz to Moz, shifting focus from exclusively SEO tools to broader web marketing software.

Rand stepped down as CEO in February of 2014, promoting longtime Chief Operations Officer Sarah Bird to the position. He moved into an individual contributor role and retains the title “Wizard of Moz,” as well as the stuffier, less-fun title “Chairman of the Board of Directors.”

Rand has co-contributed to two books: Art of SEO, and Inbound Marketing & SEO.

@randfish | LinkedIn

—

Gini Dietrich

Founder and CEO, Arment Dietrich, and Spin Sucks Pro

Lesser known fact:

“In 2014, I was about two months away from having my own cookbook and cooking show on television! Then a couple of things happened: 1) It was the year Spin Sucks came out so I had my hands full; and 2) As it turns out, cookbooks are rarely your own recipes and I couldn’t bring myself to write about how much spin sucks every day and then release a cookbook that wasn’t full of recipes passed down through generations.”

Well known facts: Gini’s blog Spin Sucks is on the AdAge top 150 list. It’s a top 10 online destination for PR and marketing tips, tools, and techniques. An award-winning communicator, her clients have included Abbott, Sprint, Ocean Spray, Bayer, BASF, The Catfish Institute, Central Garden & Pet, and Denny’s. Gini speaks in venues ranging from trade organizations and international social media and communication forums to Vistage International and PRSA.

@ginidietrich | LinkedIn

—

Jay Baer

Marketing and customer experience consultant, NY Times best-selling author, keynote speaker and emcee, investor

Lesser known fact:

“I am a tequila collector and a certified BBQ judge. My very favorite tequila is Casa Dragones, which tastes like angel tears. It’s super expensive though, so definitely a special occasion sipper. On a more regular basis I like Corzo reposado, Avion silver, and a shout-out to Roca Patron Anejo and my friend Adrian Parker, who has the best job in the world (head of digital for Patron).”

“I had to go to BBQ judging school in Illinois to become certified, so I can tell you a lot of strange and boring details about competitive BBQ. But if you really want to compare and contrast, pork ribs are the way to go. You can tell a lot about a cook by how they do their ribs. Personally, I prefer Kansas City style BBQ, with Texas style brisket and beef ribs a very close second, and Santa Maria style third.”

Well known facts: Jay Baer is the author of Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers. He has advised more than 700 companies since 1994, including Caterpillar, Nike, Allstate, The United Nations and 32 of the FORTUNE 500.

Jay is the founder of Convince & Convert, a strategy consulting firm that helps prominent companies gain and keep more customers through the smart intersection of technology, social media, and customer service. His Convince & Convert Media division owns the world’s #1 content marketing blog, the world’s top marketing podcast, and many other education resources for business owners and executives.

@jaybaer | LinkedIn

—

Joe Pulizzi

Founder, Content Marketing Institute

Lesser known fact: “Most people don’t know that I grew up watching my father cook at the restaurant my parents owned, and then worked with my grandfather and uncle at their funeral home before college. It’s probably one of the main reasons why I ended up being an entrepreneur… watching my family run companies.”

Well known facts: Joe Pulizzi is an entrepreneur, speaker, author, podcaster, father, and lover of all things orange. He’s the founder of multiple startups, including the Content Marketing Institute (CMI)—and the Content Marketing World conference. CMI also offers advisory services for organizations such as HP, AT&T, Petco, LinkedIn, SAP, the Gates Foundation and many others.

Joe is the winner of the 2014 John Caldwell Lifetime Achievement Award from the Content Council. Joe’s third book, Epic Content Marketing: How to Tell a Different Story, Break through the Clutter, and Win More Customers by Marketing Less was named one of “Five Must Read Business Books of the Year” by Fortune Magazine. His fourth book, Content Inc., was released September 2015. Joe has also co-authored two other books, Get Content Get Customers and Managing Content Marketing.

Joe also writes a column for Entrepreneur.com and is a LinkedIn Influencer. You can hear Joe on his podcasts, “This Old Marketing” and “Content Inc.” If you happen to bump into him at Content Marketing World, he’ll be wearing orange.

@JoePulizzi | LinkedIn

—

Ian Cleary

Founder and CEO of RazorSocial

Lesser known fact:

“I always wanted to do break dancing so about two years ago I started taking lessons. I was, by far, the oldest in the class with most of the class under the age of 15. But that wasn’t going to stop me. At a conference last year in Chicago the organizers asked me to do something fun during my speaking event so I did some break dancing! It’s a good way of ensuring that everyone remembers you at a conference!”

“I didn’t always work in marketing. A couple of years after leaving school I went to Australia and got a job as a laborer in an underwater tunnel they were building out beneath the sea in Sydney. I had no experience whatsoever in construction but I was told by my Irish friend to say yes to everything at the interview… it worked! I guess I was doing some marketing of my ability…”

Well known facts: After being a shareholder of several tech companies that floated on Nasdaq or got acquired, Ian Cleary thought, “Why not build a global company?” So he hustled, flew all over the world, bought beers and dinners, offered free advice and developed key relationships. This led to him becoming one of the Top 50 Content Marketers in the world, a regular speaker at conferences such as Content Marketing World, and a globally recognized influencer. Ian also contributes to VentureBeat, Entrepreneur.com, Content Marketing Institute, Social Media Examiner, and the Huffington Post.

@IanCleary | LinkedIn

Content Marketing World Keynote Speaker Mark Hamill

Actor, Voice Actor, Writer

Lesser known fact:

Luke Skywalker is gay. Or at least, in an interview with Britain’s The Sun, Hamill leaves Skywalker’s sexual orientation open to interpretation: “… fans are writing and ask all these questions, ‘I’m bullied in school… I’m afraid to come out’. They say to me, ‘Could Luke be gay?’ I’d say it is meant to be interpreted by the viewer… If you think Luke is gay, of course he is. You should not be ashamed of it. Judge Luke by his character, not by who he loves.” Then again, the only character Luke openly displayed any affection for in the original trilogy of films was his sister Leia. (He did have a rural upbringing.)

Well known facts: Hamill is world famous for his depiction of the character Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of The Jedi, and The Force Awakens. He made his acting debut on The Bill Cosby Show in 1970. He starred in action comedy Corvette Summer and war movie The Big Red One in 1978 and 1980 respectively. Hamill then tried to avoid being typecast as a heartthrob and worked primarily on Broadway, as a voice actor, and other lower profile movies. Hamill is also the co-creator of the comic book miniseries The Black Pearl. He has written several stories for Simpsons Comics. Unknown: what Hamill will talk about in his Content Marketing World keynote address.

@HamillHimself

1. Joe Pulizzi, Founder, Content Marketing Institute

Joe is the driving force behind the Content Marketing Institute and is the author of several books including Get Content, Get Customers and Managing Content Marketing. His newest book, Epic Content Marketing, comes out in September.

What to talk about: Joe has a wealth of institutional knowledge about the practice of content marketing. If you have a challenge related to content person, Joe is a good person to ask. He also knows everyone in the industry so he can likely introduce you to whomever you want. You also might have a good discussion about “content marketing  mission statements.” and picking a topic for your content marketing efforts. Also, he loves talking about all things “orange.”

2. Lee Odden, CEO, TopRank Online Marketing

Lee runs TopTank Online Marketing, one of today’s most well-known SEO agencies. He’s consulted leading B2B companies including HP, McKesson, BT, Marketo, StrongMail, and PRSA and keynoted numerous events such as Online Marketing Summit and Social Media Junction.

What to talk about: Lee is a great resource about anything related to the intersection of content marketing and SEO. At the recent Content 2 Conversion conference in New York, a short but interesting side discussion with him helped spur some thoughts resulting in a blog post about Google + authorship for content curation.

3.  Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs

Ann is an interactive marketing pioneer, having cofounded ClickZ and now working as chief content officer at MarketingProfs. She’s also the co-author of Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business. In addition to writing on marketing and business for MarketingProfs, Ann pens a monthly column for Entrepreneur Magazine. She also wrote the foreword for our How to Feed the Content Beast eBook.

What to talk about: Ann knows the ins and outs of gaining customer intel and creating a solid content marketing strategy. In particular, if you are looking at restructuring your organization for content marketing, she has some great thoughts on what the ideal org chart should look like.

4. Russell Sparkman, President & CEO, Fusionspark Media

A frequent speaker on the topics like content marketing for journalists, storytelling across media platforms, and other content marketing topics, Russell is a jack of all new media trades including photo, video, information architecture, and project management. He co-founded Fusionspark Media with his brother in 1999. Since then, the company has created content strategy and custom content production for industries including conversation and the environment, business, travel, and healthcare.

What to talk about: If you need creative ideas on how to tell a story on multiple platforms, Russell is likely bursting with ideas. Just for fun, ask him about his blues trio, Deja Blooze. He also runs a smaller, lesser known, but more intimate content marketing conference called Content Marketing Retreat every year in his hometown of Whidbey, an island off the coast near Seattle.

5. Todd Wheatland, Vice President of Marketing, Kelly Services

Based in Paris, France, Todd has worked in the human resources and workforce consulting space for the past 15 years. Now he leads marketing and thought leadership for Kelly Services, has written several books on recruiting and marketing, and speaks at events around the world.

What to talk about: Todd is knowledgeable about many areas of marketing but he is one of the experts when it comes to marketing using slideshare. In fact he knows so much about it that he recently wrote an entire book called The Marketer’s Guide to SlideShare. If you are considering marketing more with content on SlideShare, Todd is the right guy to talk to.

6. Joe Chernov, Vice President of Marketing at Kinvey

When the Content Marketing Institute names someone a “Content Marketer of the Year,” it’s clear that person knows his stuff. Joe is CMI’s 2012 Content Marketer of the Year and a frequent speaker on content marketing and social media at conferences and universities around the world. When he was running content marketing at Eloqua, I co-presented on a very popular joint webinar with him about what content to consider at each stage of the marketing funnel.

What to talk about: As Joe’s accolades and awards show, Joe knows content marketing inside and out.  He has led the development of many creative content pieces at Eloqua, and has continued that at Kinvey.  If you’re writing an eBook in the near future, he’s a great resource to bounce ideas off of.

7. William Shatner, actor, philanthropic, author, producer

Yes, that William Shatner of Star Trek fame will be speaking at Content Marketing World. In addition to his work onscreen, William has authored 30 books, breeds American Quarter horses and contributes to numerous philanthropic projects including the March of Dimes Canada.

What to talk about: If you can catch his attention, talk to William about his charity work. And if you’re a big Star Trek fan, a few behind-the-scenes questions couldn’t hurt. William Shatner is not only an actor but also a producer, director, writer and horse breeder (yes, you read that correctly. Read here for more information.) All these have one thing in common, the creation of content. William has mastered the art of creating content throughout all kinds of mediums.

8. Scott Abel, The Content Wrangler

As a global content strategist, Scott helps organizations improve the way they create, manage and deliver information. You’re likely to see him tweeting profusely during any of the sessions he attends with a tool setup that looks like a NASA command center.

What to talk about: Scott is on top of all the latest online tools particularly when it comes to social media. Ask him about ebook production, web content strategy, or any aspect of social media.

9. Michael Kolowich, Founder and CEO, KnowledgeVision

Michael is a former Lotus, Ziff-Davis, and AT&T executive who founded seven high-tech ventures including Ziff-Davis Interactive (ZDNet). An Emmy-winning creative talent with WGBH-TV, he’s currently editor of Rich Content Daily and CEO of KnowledgeVision, a system for online presentation technology.

What to talk about: Michael has a deep knowledge of all things tech and digital media (particularly video production), so fire away.  He’s also a pilot, so pick his brains about planes and aerodynamics if you’re into that.

10. Carla Johnson, Principal, Type A Communications

A frequent speaker and consultant to the Content Marketing Institute, Carla writes about marketing for CMI, CCO Magazine, CMS Wire and BMA Buzz, among other places. Her clients include Motorola Solutions, VMware, Encana Oil & Gas, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

What to talk about: Carla has a ton of insight on B2B marketing and content marketing as well strategies for telling stories that connect with people. She also has a great talk track on how to cut the “bull” from your content marketing that you may be interested in.

11. Jay Baer, President, Convince & Convert

This marketing powerhouse has consulted with 29 of the Fortune 500 and was named one of America’s top three social media consultants by Fast Company magazine. Jay’s forthcoming book is called Youtility: Why Smart Companies are Helping Not Selling.

What to talk about: Jay is all about hype-free marketing so bring your favorite examples of this concept in action and prepare to be impressed by Jay’s expansive knowledge. If you listen to his weekly podcast, Social Pros, so much the better.   Last year at Content Marketing World, he had a great talk on content marketing metrics.  If you’re struggling with how to measure your content marketing efforts, Jay can offer you a few pointers.

12. Michael Brenner, Vice President of Global Marketing & Content Strategy, SAP

In addition to his work for SAP, Michael is the author of B2B Marketing Insider and a Forbes.com contributor. To prior to his work at SAP, he held positions in field, product, and corporate marketing at the Nielsen Company and led marketing at two other companies.

What to talk about: Aside from Michael’s role at SAP, another little known fact is that he is one of the co-founders of the popular Business2Community site.  Michael is a good person to turn to if you’re looking for thoughts on how to launch and create a new onlien destination or resource as he has done many times in the past.

13. Robert Rose, Chief Strategist, Content Marketing Institute 

As an early web visionary, Robert developed some of the first Web strategies in the country for clients such as Mediamark Research and CTAM. He’s helped companies including AT&T, Staples, and Petco tell their story online and co-authored Managing Content Marketing with Joe Pulizzi.

What to talk about: Robert is especially passionate about brands using in their content marketing to stand out, so bring your best examples to discuss. He’s probably also up for conversations about digital media and software-as-a-service technology.

14. Heidi Cohen, President, Riverside Marketing Strategies

Having worked in a marketing consultancy role and in-house at brands including Citibank and Bertelsmann/Bookspan, Heidi has created integrated, direct, digital and social media marketing programs for a diverse array of industries. She’s also taught graduate-level marketing at NYU, Rutgers, and CUNY.

What to talk about: Heidi is great at simplifying complex marketing concepts and translating them into actionable tips, so ask her about mobile marketing, editorial calendars, or a marketing challenge you faced recently.

15. Arnie Kuenn, President, Vertical Measures

A frequent speaker at marketing conferences and author of Accelerate! The Convergence of Search, Social & Content Marketing, Arnie has held executive positions in the marketing and new technology realm for the past 20 years. He’s also a founder and past president of the Arizona Interactive Marketing Association (AZIMA).

What to talk about: Strike up a conversation with Arnie by mentioning trends in SEO, social media, or content marketing. He’s also an avid basketball and football if you’re hoping to make small talk.

16. Rohit Bhargava, Founder, Influential Marketing Group
An independent marketing expert, Rohit focuses on bringing humanity back to business. He’s authored three books, including the recent best-seller Likeonomics: The Unexpected Truth Behind Earning Trust, Influencing Behavior, and Inspiring Action. Rohit is also a professor of Global Marketing at Georgetown. Rohit also wrote a foreword for our recent Content Curation Lookbook.

What to talk about: Rohit is passionate about discussing the power of likeability and how individuals and brands can build deeper and more trusted relationships. He’s also known for his highly visual and engaging presentations.

17. Pawan Deshpande, Founder & CEO, Curata

Sorry, I had to plug myself, but I have attended Content Marketing World since it’s inception and have met an slew of interesting people.  My favorite thing about content marketing is that it brings together people from the media and content realm, marketers, and technologists all into one location.

What to talk about: In particular, I am passionate about content curation. I am conducting a lunch & learn session on How to Fuel Your Content Marketing Engine with Curation: A Step-by-Step Method with Real-World Examples. During this session we’ll review companies who are successfully using curated content in their marketing strategies.

BONUS 18. Rob Yoegel, Content Marketing Director, Monetate

A content marketing expert with history in publishing, Rob “gets” content marketing more than your average marketer. The recipient of multiple content marketing awards, Rob has mastered the art of getting content marketing processes set up for his organizations.

What to talk about: Aside from his love of “bubble hockey,” ask Rob about how to best get started with content marketing at your organization, advice on how to set-up and implement and get your team on board. Also look for him on twitter @RobYoegel

If you’re attending Content Marketing World and would like to meet, you can meet me by attending my lunch & learn session, swinging by the Curata booth, we’ll be at Booth #30, or just send me a message at @TweetsFromPawan.