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September 3 will mark my sixth visit to the orange-hued halls of the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, which I guess makes me a bit of a CMWorld veteran.
One of my favorite things about going to this show each year is just how open and friendly the members of our community are. Everyone is excited and eager to learn. You can practically feel the energy and enthusiasm reverberating all around the convention center, and all throughout the city.
The busy, collegial atmosphere is ideal for making new connections, sharing ideas, and learning from the experiences of our fellow content marketers – which is fantastic for those who love to put their networking skills (on social media, within the event app, and in-person) to the test.
But even in a connection-driven industry like ours – where the more attention you can draw and the more conversations you can start, the better – you’re bound to encounter an introvert or two – those of us who are a little less comfortable with the social spotlight and prefer just to focus on learning everything we can to get better at our content marketing craft.
When you’re an introvert, navigating even the friendliest of social environments can be a bit intimidating – not only do we have to function outside our comfort zone, we might need to (gasp) interact with at least a few of our 4000+ fellow attendees. And, for those who have never been to Content Marketing World (or to Cleveland, for that matter), finding your footing in an unfamiliar environment can sometimes drain your mental energy faster than a cell phone set on roaming mode.
Not to fear – introverts are my tribe, and I’ve got you covered. If you’re looking to ease your way into the CMWorld experience, here are some tips to minimize the stress of awkwardly engaging with large groups of people and make your time in Cleveland more satisfying and productive:
(photo credit: Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland)
By the way: I may be an introvert, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love to meet and talk with my fellow CMWorld attendees. In fact, quite the opposite is true. If you see me sprinting back and forth across the show floor, at our booth in the expo hall, huddled in a corner at our social events, or just wandering around Cleveland (I get lost REALLY easily), I’d love it if you’d say hello – I’ll be the one with the purple hair, trying hard not to look awkward.
Editor’s note: Jodi Harris is Consulting Director of Editorial Content and Curation Content at CMI. She’ll gladly talk content with you. But if you’d like to make her really happy, ask her about her favorite bands or her dog, Mugsy.
Want to meet people before the conference? Tweet with us Tuesdays during our weekly #CMWorld Twitter chat. Join our community as we discuss the latest content marketing trends with event speakers.