We hate to always be a stickler for deadlines—but deadlines are very, very important at SXSW. The first of these deadlines is 11:59 pm CDT on Friday, July 15, when the entry process to the 2012 SXSW PanelPicker comes to an end. So, if you are looking for a speaking slot at SXSW Interactive next spring, then you definitely need to get your proposal in before the clock strikes midnight—or you will miss out on speaking opportunities for 2012.

In other words, we will not accept late entries for the 2012 PanelPicker. Processing these late entries just takes too much time away from planning a great event with the entries we have. Moreover, our general experience is that folks who can't get a panel proposal to us before the entry deadline are also not organized enough to put together a compelling presentation that will captivate the attention of SXSW attendees in Austin in March.

So, be part of the 2012 process—and get your amazing idea into the PanelPicker by the end of the day on Friday, July 15.