I’m super excited about SXSW 2012, as it marks a few milestones for me:

• The first time I’m speaking on a SXSW panel
• The first time I’m throwing a SXSW party
• The first time I’m renting an apartment via Airbnb for SXSW
• The first time I’m attending as a reporter

I could go on about how many firsts I’ll be having at SXSW, but I won’t bore you — it really does seem like a whole different experience from the first time I attended SXSW in 2010, though.

Anyway, I wanted to share my 2012 schedule with the Internetz. So, here’s where you can find me for SXSW this year:

Speaking About Brand Journalism

I’ll be speaking on a panel about “Brand Journalism in the Real World.” This session will focus not only on defining brand journalism, but also will go in-depth on what brand journalism looks like in action, how organizations can incorporate editorial practices and how traditional journalists can make the shift. The panel will be moderated by MarketingProfs Chief Content Officer Ann Handley and will feature the wisdom of Twitter’s Editorial Director Karen Wickre, Eloqua’s in-house reporter Jesse Noyes, and myself.

Throwing a Sunday Brunch

As director of community at Contently, I’m heading up the planning for our Sunday brunch meetup. In celebration of launching the Freelance Writers Meetup, we’re bringing together a room full of top journalists to gather over a full Texas brunch buffet, all the mimosas you can down in two hours, and the brilliant wisdom of Ben Parr — former Mashable editor, startup entrepreneur, and CNET and CBSi columnist.

Special thanks to Contently co-founder Shane Snow and the stellar team at Jones-Dilworth for helping put this event together. And Ben, thank you for joining us to share the story of your awesomeness!

Attending Parties Galore

While I haven’t planned out which panels I’m attending yet, I already have my top party picks aligned. Go figure, right? You can find me sipping on root beers — and beers of all types — at the following fine festivities:

• 3rd Annual Ignite Social Media Party
• Cocktails at the St. Cecilia, hosted by General Assembly
• TechKaraoke SXSW 2012, presented by Blog World and New Media Expo
• Startup Weekend, hosted by Zaarly & Twilio
• Mashable SXSWi House 2012
• Awesomest Journalism Party Ever, hosted by Hacks/Hackers and a ton of other orgs
• The Computer Blue Party, presented by Copyblogger Media
• SXSW Mashup Party, hosted by the Electronic Frontier Foundation

Getting Educated at Panels

This year, I’m covering SXSW for Forbes, NASDAQ and The Content Strategist. Here are some panels and classes that I will be attending:

• How Brands Build Advocates By Anticipating Needs
• How to Become a Next-Generation Media Company
• What Content Strategists Can Learn From the Movies
• How To Get Consumers Addicted To Your Content
• Speak the Language of Your Web-App Co-Founder
• How To Build Entrepreneurship Communities
• What Large Companies Can Learn From Startups

Am I Missing Anything Serious?

Given my schedule above, does it look like I’m missing something crucial? If so, let me know about it in the comments below! We only get one shot at SXSW 2012, people! Let’s make it count!