• Pages

    • CONSORTIUM

    Selected reports about the consortium

    Agenda (with links to presentations on SlideShare)

    Introductions to Content Strategy

    • Welcome, agenda review (Kristina Halvorson)
    • Helping People “Get” Content Strategy (Stephanie Hale)
    • Making Content Strategy Part of the Larger Solution (Chris Moritz)
    • The Business Case for Content Strategy (Samantha Starmer)
    • Conversation and Feedback (Facilitator: Karen McGrane)

    Content Strategy and…

    Advanced Topics in Content Strategy

    Case studies (small groups)

    • Case Study 1: Content Strategy at eBay (Keri Majala)
    • Case Study 2: Large scale content analysis (Gene Smith)
    • Case Study 3: The Value of Content Strategy in Organizational Digital Transformation (Christopher Collette)

    Process and Tools (working groups)

    • Content Models (Leader: Margret Hanley)
    • Metadata Strategies and Tools (Leader: Rachel Lovinger)
    • Content Workflow: Review Tools (Leader: Shelly Bowen)
    • Content Quality: Review Tools (Leader: Colleen Jones)

    Next steps (working groups)

    • Defining content strategy (boundaries, definitions, roles)
    • Process and tools (inputs, outputs, stages)
    • Content strategy community (future conferences, wikis, lists)
    • Evangelizing content strategy (reaching out to marketers, publishers, IAs, IT)
    • Findings and discussions

    Call for Participation (for historical records only)

    Topic: Content Strategy

    When: Thursday, March 19, 2009, 9am- 5pm

    Application deadline: February 2

    The consortium is a new type of event for the IA Summit.

    The goal of a consortium is to advance the field of information architecture by gathering experts on a specific topic for a day and having them delve deep into that special topic. The consortium participants share their results with the attendees at the main conference and with the field as a whole after the conference.

    Ideally, an IA Summit consortium kicks-off a new aspect of IA or a new connection to a related field.

    Why content strategy?

    The IA Summit planning committee chose to focus our first-ever consortium on content strategy. This is an emerging discipline that has significant impact on and crossover with the field of information architecture. We hope the consortium will “jump start” this discipline, allowing it to evolve along side the information architecture field.

    To make sure everyone is in sync with what we mean by “content strategy,” please read the following seminal pieces that have already helped define the field.

    • Content-tious Strategy by Jeffrey MacIntyre. December, 2008, A List Apart. A call-to-action to better define the role, tools, and value of content strategy.
    • The Discipline of Content Strategy by Kristina Halvorson. December 2008, A List Apart. Defines content strategy (”plans for the creation, publication, and governance of useful, usable content”) and related disciplines.
    • Content Strategy: The Philosophy of Data by Rachel Lovinger. March 2007, Boxes and Arrows. Explains that “content strategy is to copywriting as information architecture is to design.”

    Who should participate?

    Participation in the Content Strategy Consortium is open to professional content strategists, as well as others from a variety of information and content specialties (information architects, web writers and editors, marketing communication professionals and others).

    In order to make the consortium an effective “working session,” attendance is limited to 18 people.

    Applicants will be considered and selected by the consortium facilitators (Kristina Halvorson and Karen McGrane) and the consortium planning committee.

    What happens if I’m selected?

    If selected, you will be expected to contribute substantially to the consortium, which could require a fair amount of work beforehand. This is not a “just show up and listen” event: each participant’s contribution will be a crucial part of the consortium’s success.

    Consortium participants will be encouraged to attend the main IA Summit conference following the consortium. There will be consortium activities at the conference (such as a panel discussion on March 21st and a poster-like display) that should provide additional value for consortium participants.

    How much does it cost?

    Once approved and prior to final registration, consortium participants may be charged a nominal fee of $125 per person to cover the day’s logistical costs. However, please note that we are actively seeking a sponsor to cover these costs.

    If we are unable to secure a sponsor, you will receive instructions prior to final registration about how to submit this fee.

    How do I apply?

    In order to apply for the consortium, send an email to Crystal Kubitsky (ckubitsky at gmail.com) with the following information:

    • Contact information (name, job title, organization, mailing address, email address, telephone number)
    • Professional background
    • Your interest in content strategy and this consortium
    • How you would like to contribute to the consortium (presentation, case study, demo a process or tool, etc.)

    The deadline to apply is February 2. We expect to let you know about your selection by February 7.