FIR Interview: Chris Christensen and Rick Calvert of BloggerBridge

FIR InterviewsChris Christensen was running into an experience many of us have faced. After he had left a town he was visiting, someone would email and say, “Oh, you were here? I would have loved to meet with you. Let me know when you’re back again.” Seeking a way to let interested people know in advance he was coming, his thinking evolved to include the ability to connect content producers with companies who want to tap into both their creativity and their expertise. New Media Expo CEO Rick Calvert had the same interest from the other side of the equation: wanting to be able to connect with people who were coming to town. The pair—already well acquainted through New Media Expo and the Travel Blog Exchange—joined forces to create a service that fulfills those needs.

BloggerBridgeBloggerBridge is a service that connects companies with “relevant bloggers, writers, podcasters, videographers, and other content creators,” according to the website, which goes on to suggest that “some people should not work together. Find the right match of skills, approach, content, and style for your brand.”

In this FIR interview, Shel Holtz talks with Christensen and Calvert about their vision for BloggerBridge, their experience building it, and their plans for the future.

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About our Conversation Partners

Rick CalvertRick Calvert is CEO and Co-Founder of New Media Expo, the world’s largest social media event. he has been active in the trade show industry since 1997, serving as Director of Sales for Tradeshow Week events, including the SEMA Show, AWFS Vegas, and the DEMA Show, as well as one of the nation’s largest consumer shows, Comicon. He is also the CEO of the TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) conference series. he lives in San Diego, California, with his wife and daughter.

Follow Rick on Twitter at @BlogWorld.

Chris ChristensenChris Christensen is the owner of BloggerBridge.com which is a new startup connecting bloggers and industry contacts.

He is the host of the Amateur Traveler which is a popular online travel show that focuses primarily on travel destinations. It includes a weekly audio podcast, a video podcast, and a blog. Amateur Traveler was won both a SMITTY award from Travel+Leisure as the “best independent travel journalist” and a Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award. Chris is also a co-host for This Week in Travel which has won 3 North American Travel Journalist Association awards.

He has worked for years in technology startups in Silicon Valley. He was formerly the Director of Engineering for TripAdvisor’s New Initiatives group and was the EVP Engineering at LiveWorld where his team built and ran online communities and events for companies including eBay, HBO, TV Guide, Expedia, Marriott, A&E, History Channel, the NBA, NBC, ABC, Disney, Microsoft, WebTV and American Express.

Reach Chris on Twitter at @Chris2x.

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This FIR Interview is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Podsafe music - On A Podcast Instrumental Mix (MP3, 5Mb) by Cruisebox.

Posted by shel on 10/03 at 11:19 AM

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