If you have a few hours to kill and you’re already registered for SXSW 2009, you should defnitely check out my.sxsw.com. Filled to the brim with every official music, film and interactive event at the festival, you can create your own personalized schedule so you don’t miss a beat when the conference hits Austin in just a few days. After signing up for it this afternoon, I’ve already added my faves to my profile. And yes, it literally took me about 20 minutes to parouse the overwhelming list of bands and interactive events, many of which aren’t on the sxsw.com schedule. I haven’t even begun looking at the film list.

After attending SXSW Interactive last year, I understand the imporance of planning ahead. Sometimes panels and events can be overcrowded, cancelled (rarely), or it just isn’t all it was cracked up to be. In those cases, it’s always good to have a backup plan, and my.sxsw.com is perfect for that. In addition to making a schedule, the site is also a great way to get the buzz going on cutting edge topics. The “My Groups” feature allows users to get to know other attendees based on similar interests, covering everything from social networking to web development and design. And networking with other professionals is a huge feature of this festival.

Other features of My.sxsw.com include uploading badge photos, creating contact lists of people to “follow,” commenting on each event and sending/receiving messages to other attendees. While the site could stand to be a little more interactive, it provides a great forum for getting those conversations started early, and it’s a helpful resource for making this SX experience your very own.