A MarketingOps Perspective: How Speakers Drive Event Impact

Session Overview

Tune into this conversation with Mike Rizzo, CEO of MarketingOps.com, as we explore the untapped power of speakers as a cornerstone of a marketing team’s content strategy.

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In an era where AI is reshaping how we approach content creation, thought leaders, subject matter experts (SMEs), and speakers remain irreplaceable for driving authenticity and building trust.

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Key Takeaways:

1. The Role of Speakers in Modern Content Strategy: Learn why speakers, SMEs, and thought leaders are pivotal in creating authentic, impactful marketing content.

2. Optimizing Speaker Content in the Age of AI: Discover how AI enhances—not replaces—the value of speakers and how to integrate these resources seamlessly into your strategy.

3. Building a Speaker-Driven Content System: Get insights into the importance of maintaining a searchable database of experts and practical tips for leveraging it effectively.

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Session Transcript

Bryan Funk [00:00:00]

Thanks so much for joining. I am super psyched to sit down today with Mike Rizzo, CEO of MarketingOps.com. We're going to take a deep dive into the power and impact of a speaker network, explore the role marketing operations can play in maximizing efforts, and discuss how to create stronger connections between event teams and broader marketing organizations.

This is sure to be a rich conversation. Mike, thanks so much for joining us.

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Mike Rizzo [00:01:00]

Yeah. Thank you for having me. I'm a big fan of everything you all are doing, and I was honored to be asked to come and nerd out about this.

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Bryan Funk [00:01:15]

Let’s kick it off. At Sessionboard, we have a hypothesis that speakers are an untapped resource for marketing organizations. They bring expertise, authority, and trust to events and broader marketing efforts. However, event teams often operate in silos, and speakers are not fully leveraged as content generators.

Google’s EEAT framework—Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trust—values content with these elements. We believe speakers naturally align with this framework but aren’t integrated effectively into marketing strategies.

From a marketing ops perspective, what do you think of this theory? How can marketing ops help us make this actionable?

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Mike Rizzo [00:03:00]

Lots of head nodding from me on this side. I completely agree. At MarketingOps.com, we’re a community-led organization, which means we aim to amplify experts and their knowledge. Whether it's through our community discussions, blogs, podcasts, or events, we create spaces for experts to share insights.

Speakers are an underutilized asset. They have knowledge that should be widely shared, not just on stage but across different platforms. The more consistently they share their message, the stronger their authority becomes.

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Bryan Funk [00:05:00]

That’s a great point. Given the rise of AI, how do you see this playing into content strategy?

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Mike Rizzo [00:05:30]

AI-generated content is derivative—it pulls from existing data. The way to stand out is through differentiation and fresh perspectives, which is exactly what speakers provide. AI scrapes the web for information, but Google prioritizes originality. Events bring new research, insights, and ideas, which should be leveraged beyond the stage.

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Bryan Funk [00:07:00]

Let’s talk about marketing operations. How can marketing ops teams support event teams in better utilizing speakers?

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Mike Rizzo [00:07:30]

Marketing ops can help integrate speaker data into broader go-to-market strategies. The challenge is that event teams and marketing ops are often disconnected. Event teams should work closely with marketing ops to capture speaker data, track their expertise, and identify high-value speakers.

For example, in our community, we categorize speakers based on topics and track their session ratings. This helps us identify top speakers for future opportunities and aligns them with relevant marketing initiatives.

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Bryan Funk [00:10:00]

That makes sense. What are some key data points event teams should track for speakers?

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Mike Rizzo [00:10:30]

At a basic level, track:

1. Speaker expertise and topics.
2. Number of times they’ve spoken at your event.
3. Average session ratings.
4. Engagement metrics—session attendance, post-event interactions, etc.

If you integrate this data properly, marketing and sales teams can use it to identify experts for thought leadership, partnerships, and content collaborations.

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Bryan Funk [00:12:00]

How does speaker data tie into marketing attribution and ROI?

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Mike Rizzo [00:12:30]

Speakers drive engagement, which can lead to sales and customer acquisition. If marketing ops sets up proper attribution, companies can track which speakers influence key accounts and measure their impact on the sales pipeline.

For example, if a high-value account engages with multiple speaker sessions, that’s a signal for sales teams to follow up with personalized outreach.

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Bryan Funk [00:15:00]

That’s powerful. Let’s shift to post-event content syndication. What’s your take on maximizing content after an event?

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Mike Rizzo [00:15:30]

Post-event, marketing ops can help repurpose content by:

• Identifying key themes from sessions.
• Slicing content into short clips for social media.
• Creating follow-up email campaigns based on session topics.
• Using AI tools to generate summaries and insights from recorded sessions.

Rather than letting great content sit idle after the event, teams should extract value from it for months.

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Bryan Funk [00:18:00]

What about technology? Should event teams use a traditional CRM for speaker management, or should they invest in a dedicated system?

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Mike Rizzo [00:18:30]

Traditional CRMs weren’t built for speaker management. While you can create custom objects to store speaker data, it quickly becomes complex. A dedicated speaker CRM streamlines the process, making it easier to track expertise, ratings, and engagement over time.

If your goal is to fully integrate speakers into your marketing strategy, investing in purpose-built technology is a smart move.

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Bryan Funk [00:20:00]

Final thoughts?

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Mike Rizzo [00:20:30]

Event teams should work closely with marketing ops to bridge silos. Speakers are an incredible resource, but without the right infrastructure, their impact is limited. Start capturing speaker data, integrate it into your marketing efforts, and use it to drive engagement year-round.

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Bryan Funk [00:22:00]

Mike, this was fantastic. Where can folks learn more about your work?

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Mike Rizzo [00:22:30]

Find me at MarketingOps.com or connect with me on LinkedIn at Mike D. Rizzo. Our community is always looking for new voices, and we’d love to have you join us!

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Bryan Funk [00:23:00]

Thanks, Mike! And thanks to everyone who joined us. See you next time!

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