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Speak at Content Marketing World 2026

Submit a Session Proposal

What are we looking for in a proposal?

Each year, we carefully analyze attendee feedback, session ratings, and post-event surveys to understand what resonates most with our audience. Across thousands of evaluations, the same themes consistently emerge. The sessions that receive the highest scores tend to share these qualities:

 

Originality

Sessions should be original and relevant to today’s marketers. We know that many of you speak at other events, but we ask that you customize your talk for our audience.

 

Innovative ideas with actionable takeaways

Attendees aren’t looking for a high-level case study. They want to leave your session with actionable takeaways. Try to answer: What was your challenge? What did you do? How did it work? How can my brand do it too?

 

Real-world perspective

We love agencies and consultants, but co-presenting with a client gives you a much better chance of being selected because peers love to hear from peers.

 

Future-forward thinking

Talk about future trends that marketers need to be thinking about and working on now

 

Proposal details that will align with your presentation

Choose your session description, takeaways, and audience level thoughtfully and intentionally. Attendees rely on accurate descriptions to select sessions to meet their needs, so please keep that in mind when crafting your submission

Are you a MarTech or ContentTech product or service provider interested in speaking?

Please contact Drew James to learn about sponsored speaking opportunities. 

Conference Formats

New formats for 2026!

Breakout Sessions

  • 30 minute session
  • Monday, October 5 and Tuesday, October 6
  • Recorded

Sessions are engaging, presentation-driven talks where one or two speakers share real-world examples, insights, and practical strategies, giving attendees actionable takeaways. Sessions may also include time for audience Q&A.

 

Please be intentional when selecting the level of experience attendees should have for your session: beginner, intermediate or advanced.

Interactive Workshops

  • 90 minute workshop
  • Wednesday, October 7
  • Not recorded

Workshops are interactive, hands-on sessions where attendees actively build new skills through creative exercises, collaborative working sessions, focused skill development, and guided work sprints.

 

Please be intentional when selecting the level of experience attendees should have for your workshop: beginner, intermediate or advanced.

Submission Tips

  • The session title and description you enter will be displayed on our agenda. Use clear and explanatory text so that attendees can easily understand what your session is about, why they should attend, and what they will learn.
  • Headshots and bios are required for all speakers and may be displayed on our website and/or marketing materials. Please provide a high-resolution headshot of 500x500px.
  • Speaking examples are required. If you don’t have a link to a previous speaking engagement, create a simple recording for our selection team from your phone. We want to get to know you and your personality!
  • No late submissions will be accepted. The deadline is March 27, 2026 at 11:59pm EST.
Submit a Session Proposal

Speaker FAQs

Event dates are October 5-7 in Denver, Colorado. Accepted speakers are required to attend in-person.

Breakout Sessions will take place on Monday, October 5 and Tuesday, October 6 between 8am and 5pm.

Workshops will take place on Wednesday, October 7 between 8am and 3pm.

Speakers selected for CMWorld 2026 will receive a complimentary Festival Pass. This pass includes access to Keynotes, Breakout Sessions, Workshops, Networking Events, On Demand recordings, as well as access to other LIONS content, including TMRE: The Market Research Event.

You will hear back from the selection committee by the end of May. We respond to all submitters but on the rare occasion that we miss one, please email [email protected]. 

Please note, with the exception of Workshops and Keynotes, we are unable to cover travel expenses or pay speaker fees.

Advanced content is geared towards experienced content marketers looking for fresh ideas, innovative methods, and new ways of thinking. It doesn’t have to be technical but should offer actionable insights that go beyond the basics and challenge attendees to elevate their strategies.

Audience feedback shows a strong desire for this type of content, so submitting truly advanced ideas increases your chances of being selected!

Click here to see some of our fan-favorite sessions from CMWorld 2025.

The Content Marketing World Call for Speakers is open to everyone. We look forward to seeing your submission. 

Please choose the track category that your session best fits in. The review committee will assign you to a specific CMWorld track if your proposal is accepted.

Track Category Descriptions

Track categories are used to organize submissions by topic area. Select the category that best reflects the primary focus of your session. Accepted sessions will be assigned to the specific conference track that best fits the content. 

This category is for:

  • Content Marketing Strategy and Mastery
  • Core Concepts
  • Thought Leadership
  • Career Building
  • Leadership & Team Development
  • Purposeful & Ethical Marketing

This category is for:

  • Brand, Demand & Performance Marketing
  • Audience Building: Engagement, Conversion, Zero-Click
  • Customer Experience & Content Across the Journey
  • Distribution & Partnerships
  • Social Media & Creator Marketing

This category is for:

  • Content Creation
  • Storytelling
  • Visual Experiences
  • Audio Experiences

This category is for:

  • Content Management
  • Operations
  • Workflow

This category is for:

  • Measurement frameworks
  • Data-driven decision making
  • Attribution & ROI
  • SEO & Discoverability
  • Content optimization
  • Insights driven marketing