In a week from today I’ll be heading down to Toronto to participate in my first ever PodCamp Toronto un-conference and I think – I think – I’m pretty much ready to go!

I first heard about PodCamp back in 2008/2009 when I was a student in Loyalist PR. Every year since then I’ve desperately wanted to go but things just never seemed to work out when the time finally rolled around. I don’t know, maybe February just isn’t my month?

Still, this year I decided to make attending PodCamp a priority. Like a keener, I signed up on the first day of registration and I’ve been harassing friends and contacts to do the same ever since (I’m kind of pushy that way, but it’s a helpful kind of pushy). My hotel is booked and I even took this to be the perfect opportunity to have some snazzy new Moo contact cards made up.

Oh yes...

I love me some Moo Cards

There’s a part of me that can’t help but think that I’m a little more jacked up about PodCamp than your average participant. I think the fact that it’s my first one has something to do with it. I also think that the “un-conference” concept – opening the presentations up to anyone with an idea they want to share – is a cool one. I’m big on social learning.

But it’s also been a while since I’ve been to a conference, especially something specific to social media, and I can’t lie: I’ve missed it. Attending a handful of smaller events over the past several months as well as having to miss some of the big conferences I’d normally attend (Blissdom Canada, Social Media Week, etc) have made me realize how much I value the atmosphere and environment. I get pumped up on meeting new people, learning new things and sharing cool ideas.

There are also a couple of additional bonuses to my PodCamp experience that are adding to my excitement. For starters, I’ll actually be participating in a session entitled, Sex, Drugs, Dying and Living: How Social Networks Help with Tricky and Taboo Health Topics at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday (something I’m doing in relation to my work here). Chances are that my contributions to the discussion won’t be quite as provocative as some of my fellow presenters (all of whom are beyond fabulous, by the way!) but I’m really looking forward to participating in what’s sure to be great dialogue on a very interesting subject.

If you’re going to be at PodCamp, come check us out! (And then come say hello afterwards because I’d love to meet you!)

Also very exciting (but not necessarily related to PodCamp) is yet another blogger meetup dinner being hosted by the ever fabulous Morgan of Life After Bagels. I had such an awesome time the last time I was able to attend one of her meetups so I’m REALLY looking forward to this one! If you’re a blogger in or around the Toronto area and you’re looking to connect with other voices in the local blogosphere, consider joining us on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.! More details on Morgan’s blog.

It’s going to be a pretty awesome weekend!

Are you planning on attending PodCamp Toronto 2012? Leave a comment or tweet me so we can connect!