Content 2013: Industry leaders gear up for groundbreaking conference

The line up really is the cream of the content marketing crop (local and international) and include:

Joe Pulizzi (US) - Founder of the Content Marketing Institute

For the first time, South Africans get to share in Joe's years of experience as THE leading content marketing guru in the US, as well as a respected author, speaker and strategist. Joe's session will be an exclusively recorded video presentation covering insights on trends, themes, challenges and exciting developments in the CM industry and will be followed by a live Q&A session.

Eve Williams (UK) - Managing Director of Cedar (a global creative and commercial content agency)

Cedar works with major international brands like British Airways, Nikon and Best Western, and Eve is one of the UK's '30 under 30' which acknowledges the brightest talent in the industry. For this conference, she will be focusing on how content drives commercial goals in retail, using Tesco as a case study.

Sam Wilson - Content Champion at Woolworths

As former Editor-in-Chief of 24.com's Lifestyle brands, Sam was a key driver in transforming these award-winning platforms into thriving online content communities. She is now creating similar magic at Woolworths by applying her content knowledge to the world of online retail. She will share this interesting journey with us, contrasting Eve's international viewpoint with our local reality.

Glenn Gillis - Managing Director of Sea Monster Entertainment

As one of South Africa's pre-eminent animation, gaming and app development companies, Sea Monster tells brand stories in a fresh and unique way. Glenn will talk about technology's role in turning the concept of traditional content channels on its head, and how even the most boring message can be made exciting through 'gameification'.

Mike Sharman - Owner of Retroviral Digital Communications

Mike is a spirited and entertaining presenter, known for his unusual, unconventional thinking. Even his topic will raise a few eyebrows: "Online communications is a joke - how social media and stand-up comedy are inextricably linked."

Sean Riley - CEO of Ad Dynamo

As the CEO of a South African digital advertising agency operating in SA and abroad, Sean comes with an interesting take on what is happening globally versus locally in the world of online advertising. He will present ad trends, challenges and ideas for the local market, along with how media owners and brand advertising can work together smartly.

Julia Hutchison (UK) - Head of Content for Group FMG

Julia recently embarked on a new adventure. After nine years as COO of UK's respected Content Marketing Association, where she was responsible for delivering £60m of business to the content marketing sector and driving it to what is now a £1bn industry, Julia is now leading the content revolution at Group FMG. Her talk is focused on UK and European content marketing trends and challenges, as well as case studies of what is and isn't working.

Zibusiso Mkhwanazi - founder/CEO of AVATAR

Zibusiso is a multi-award winning South African digital entrepreneur, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and the Founder/CEO of AVATAR. After starting his first business at the age of 17 in 2000, Zibusiso has been blazing a trail across the new media and digital industries in SA. At the conference he will explore the exciting dynamic of how storytelling is becoming the new branding and how marketing as we know it is changing.

Alistair King - founding creative partner of King James Group

King James is an independent 7-agency-strong collective that covers the full spectrum of brand communication. The agency has a daunting list of awards, and is best known for its work on brands such as Allan Gray, Kulula, Santam, Johnnie Walker and Bell's Whisky. Alistair has always believed in medium-neutral creative thinking and strives to live and breathe pop culture, not merely observe it or follow it. Using this as a starting premise, he will discuss how traditional ATL agencies are venturing into content marketing ... or not.

John-Henry Barac (UK) - Lead UX designer for Shazam

John-Henry designs user experiences. After a decade as art director for the Guardian newspaper, he then captained the development and design of its-award winning iPhone news app. He is currently lead UX designer for Shazam, and intends sharing his learnings of transition from print to digital - transferable skills, processes, debates around UI - realism versus Flatland. At the core his presentation will focus on the centrality of the user.

Elizabeth de Stadler - senior associate at Esselaar Attorneys

She is probably the only attorney in Cape Town that wears jeans and T-shirts to client meetings. Her daily involvement with regulatory compliance, focused on consumer law and plain language drafting, enables her to reveal the intricacies of the new Protection of Personal Information (POPI) legislation and what it means for everyone involved with data-collection.

Talia Sanhewe - MC

Talia is an award-winning reporter, presenter and managing director of an innovative television production, media and digital publishing company. She is the perfect MC/host and narrator for our two days of in-depth conversation.

The full conference agenda is available on the website.

Taking place on the 25th and 26th February 2013 at the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town, Content2013 communication channels are:
Website: www.content2013.co.za
Twitter: @Content_2013.

Join the content marketing discussion by including the hashtag #content2013, and most importantly, let us know about the big, bold, contentious issues or challenges that need addressing. Bring it on!