There were a few case studies of note, including the Freddo Frog online game and the iSpyLevis Twitter campaign.

Some other highlights included an overview of the multimedia-rich and interactive Blackmores website, showing that even a vitamin company can provide a genuine experience for its customers.  Sony’s intricate campaign surrounding the launch of Bond film Casino Royale was interesting, but very complex.

It was mostly marketing and creative types in the room, both agency and in-house, but it was still relevant to public relations.  Although it was interesting the only PR speaker seemed to be quite negative about the point of social media.

They published it!  It came out in their most recent journal and is titled Shaken Not Stirred. I’m pretty chuffed to say the least.

My first job on the so-called “dark side” is with a consumer communications agency in Brisbane that takes care of a variety of brands, from small local retailers to major multinational corporations.  The variety and challenging nature of the role was exactly what I was looking for.

While property is one of my main strengths, I work across a variety of accounts including retail, hospitality, technology and media.  There is much I am still learning but the experience – albeit unanticipated – is incredible.  Already in this short time I’ve been involved in much more than media relations.  Brand development, crisis communications, marketing, event management, social media and copywriting are also required from clients.

I’m a bit of a tech geek so the emergence of social media in the publicity realm is quite exciting.  A growing number of our clients are jumping on the web bandwagon and realising that reaching a digital audience requires more than a website.  We’re exploring ways of promoting clients with blogs, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.  It’s an emerging service but one that is definitely the way of the future.

Working in PR is also about collaboration and the team at my current agency is amazing.  Throwing around ideas in our regular brainstorms is a delight, as well as hilarious.  We are a young and dynamic group that shares an infectious passion for the industry.

If you had told me even two years ago that I’d wind up in PR, I might have laughed.  However I’m loving every minute of it and think this is exactly where I should be.  Despite its reputation, it’s not all champagne and air kisses – this is a demanding job that serves an important purpose when it comes to business.

Brisbane is a beautiful city and I love heading out with a camera to explore.  These are just some of the shots I’ve taken since I moved here in 2003.

I’m intrigued by the art of fashion photography.  There are so many things to consider – the model, the outfit, the setting and the tone of the shoot.  While a journalist, I got to orchestrate quite a few mini-shoots around the place that were a lot of fun.

And there are many more that I’ve taken over the years of a variety of people, places and things – photos of friends, family, nature and so on.

During my final year of university, I was offered a position with Fairfax Digital to work on the new brisbanetimes.com.au project that would launch the following March.  It was an exciting experience and I had the opportunity to explore many different aspects of the job – news, feature writing, website production, photography and video.

It’s hard to say which part I enjoyed the most, or even which reporting round I preferred.  I honestly enjoyed it all – writing, taking my own photos and putting the package together to go on the web.

I’m a tech nerd, but I got a thrill when I saw my byline in print.  My work was often syndicated across the Farifax network, including in major metropolitan outlets like The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.  My coverage of an Indonesian tall ship washing up on a beach near Gympie during a violent storm made the front page of both.

I won a Queensland Media Award in 2007 for my coverage of a tragic ferry accident on Sydney Harbour that claimed the lives of several people, including 14-year-old Brisbane ice skater Morgan Innes.  I also received a highly commended for my investigative series into a long-running property dispute on the Gold Coast.

In addition to news, property was another topic I was particularly fond of and over the course of two years I developed some very strong contacts that helped me break significant stories.  Queenslanders love property, so my articles were often top-rating and generated a lot of discussion.

Working in digital media meant there were also a couple of opportunities to try video reporting, including a parade to welcome home returning troops from the Middle East and the launch of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival.  Speaking of fun, I also wrote about television and entertainment quite a bit and covered Big Brother for its last two years of production.

It was a wild ride and I loved every moment of it.  Here is a look back at some of the more memorable stories I covered.

I love this city.  It’s young, honest, eager and beautiful.  You can feel excitement in the air – Brisbane is changing.  I’ve wanted to live here my entire life, and here I am.  Sure, I won’t stay forever… but while I do, I’m getting the most out of it and exploring its amazing potential.

But I’ll get to that later.  For now, let me explain what I’m doing.  This website was born on a weekend when I was recovering from food poisoning.  Too sick to leave the house, but well enough to be bored.  It is an online space dedicated to my evolving career.

This site, I hope, will become a place where I can display my professional highlights and achievements, as well as my passions and dreams.  It’s something I have wanted to create for some time.  This is the start, and very much a work in progress, so I hope you’ll stick around and watch it grow.