RootsTech and FGS2015 Opening Day

 

Thursday was the official opening day for the RootsTech and FGS2015 co-conferences. Yes, there are two conferences being held at the same time.

 



I was lucky enough to be invited to tour the exhibit hall before it opened. I noticed right away that vendor areas are significantly larger than last year.

There's even a playground. They have Centipede. I checked.

The Demo Theater is always my favorite place. This year it is larger with more couches!

After the hall tour, I got to go backstage. Here's a behind the scenes view:

Everyone loved keynote speaker Tan Le. She spoke from the heart and left not a dry eye in the house.

I had a very productive lunch with a friend. We are kicking around marketable ideas and planning world domination.

In the afternoon, I went to Judy Russell's class on federal records. It was exactly what I needed, as my felonious great-grandfather has done federal time. She clearly explained the court system and where I *should* be able to locate these records. As always, Russell was knowledgeable and funny.

I debated being anti-social for dinner, but then put the word out on Twitter. Within minutes I had a dinner date and great conversation at a local pub. Genealogical serendipity at its finest.

Register for FGS2015 and get a RootsTech pass for $39!

Guys, guys, GUYS! I'm still at FGS2014, but I received this press release about FGS2015. Registration is open! But it gets better. Register for FGS2015 and get a pass to RootsTech for only $39! Both conferences will be going at the same time. This price for an add-on RootsTech pass is a steal. Take advantage of it! Will I see you there?  -Amy

2015 FGS CONFERENCE REGISTRATION IS OPEN

Connect.Explore.Refresh — A Conference for the Nation’s Genealogists

August 27, 2014 – Austin, TX. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) opened registration today for their 2015 conference scheduled for February 11–14 in Salt Lake City, Utah. This highly anticipated genealogy event puts the FGS and RootsTech conferences under one roof at the Salt Palace Convention Center (SPCC).

Registration opened with a special early bird price of $139 for a full FGS conference registration. That pricing is available throughSeptember 12, 2014. Attend only FGS or add-on a full RootsTech pass for an additional $39. Register now at http://FGSconference.org/2015.

FGS President, D. Joshua Taylor, shared "FGS 2015 will undoubtedly be part of the largest family history event in North America. We are delighted to partner with RootsTech to bring the best of tradition and innovation to the family history community."

Conference Highlights

·       Conference Sessions: The program features lectures for genealogists of all experience levels. Attendees will learn from a variety of tracks including Tried and True Methods, The Most Useful Records Hidden in Plain Sight, Compiling Singular Records into Lively Stories, A Retro Look at Organizing and Planning, and Modern Access to Vintage Resources. See the full program and list of speakers at http://FGSconference.org/2015.

·       General Sessions: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings will kick off with a joint general session for all FGS and RootsTech attendees.  

·       Expo Hall: Both conferences will share an expo hall covering more than 120,000 square feet, which will offer at least 240 booth spaces and a Demo Theater featuring special vendor presentations.

·       Research Opportunity: The Family History Library is the reason that Salt Lake City is the dream destination of genealogists everywhere. The library is a located in walking distance of the Salt Palace Convention Center and the four conference hotels.  

·       Focus on Societies: Sessions on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 will give society leaders and volunteers ideas and tools to help societies promote themselves, increase membership, and develop sources of revenue.

·       Librarians’ Day: On Tuesday, February 10, 2015, ProQuest will sponsor a full pre-conference day of sessions designed for librarians, archivists, and other information professionals serving family history researchers.

Visit the FGS conference website at http://FGSconference.org/2015 for additional details including links to the conference hotels. Watch for future announcements about general session speakers, special activities and more on the FGS Voice Blog at http://voice.fgs.org/ and through FGS social media channels (links available on the conference website).  

See you in Salt Lake City in February.  

About the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS)

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) was founded in 1976 and represents the members of hundreds of genealogical societies. FGS links the genealogical community by helping genealogical societies strengthen and grow through resources available online, FGS Forum magazine (filled with articles pertaining to society management and genealogical news), and Society Strategy Series papers, covering topics about effectively operating a genealogical society. FGS also links the genealogical community through its annual conference -- four days of excellent lectures, including one full day devoted to society management topics. To learn more visit http://www.fgs.org.

Follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FGSgenealogy), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/FGSgenealogy) and on our blog at (http://voice.fgs.org).

FamilySearch Media Dinner Recap for FGS2014

I had the pleasure of attending the FamilySearch media dinner on Tuesday evening. This is an event usually held at major genealogy conferences where they invite bloggers and other media types to learn about the latest news and developments with FamilySearch.

This evening was no exception. The event started with an update from Chief Genealogical Officer David Rencher. He spoke briefly about FamilySearch Family Tree and how they're trying to improve metrics. He gave an example of a person in Family Tree having multiple people linked as parents, and the steps being taken to omit that.

Next up Dan Call spoke about RootsTech 2014. He showed a video and gave the attendance numbers. I wasn't able to write them all down, but paid attendance was 5,250. That didn't include special events like kid's day, LDS training, etc.

Call then turned his attention to RootsTech 2015, being held February 12-14, 2015. He did apologize for it being Valentine's Day, but I can't think of a better present than genealogy. Innovator Summit will be February 11. They must have got some mixed feedback from the last one because the 2015 version will be retooled. Another thing Call mentioned was more intermediate and advanced classes. I don't know what that entails. We'll have to wait and see when the schedule comes out.

Registration for RootsTech opens August 29. The early-bird price is $139, and I believe that price will be held for two weeks.

Remember, RootsTech will be running concurrently with the Federation of Genealogical Societies conference. I've been told that you will be able to register for FGS2015 and add a pass to RootsTech for $39. I do not know if the same is the case if you register for RootsTech and want a pass to FGS. This is all so new and I think everyone is a little confused.

Bryce Roper is the product manager for Family Tree. He talked about available apps. They are FamilySearch Tree and FamilySearch Memories. More information can be found at the FamilySearch Mobile App Landing Page.

Did you know FamilySearch Family Tree has hints now? They're like that other site's shaky leaves, but it is a different symbol. In fact, Family Tree shows record hints, research suggestions and confirms data quality. (I think "data quality" means they point out when you have a mother whose death date is before a child was supposedly born.) My takeaway from this segment was that FamilySearch is trying to clean up trees and increase accuracy and growth.

Robert Kehrer was a brave soul who did a live presentation. He showed the different types of hints on FamilyTree and how to add sources, people. etc. Bloggers asked good questions about privacy regarding living people in the FamilyTree, ability for others to change information and copyright. FamilySearch is pretty confident that there isn't much fighting over family tree information. Seems like there is, but what do I know?

All in all it was a great event and I'm thrilled to be up to date with all that's going on with FamilySearch.

If you want to keep up with the latest FamilySearch news, follow their blog.

Hotel Reservations Now Open for FGS2015 and RootsTech

Below is a press release regarding the availability of hotel rooms for FGS 2015 and RootsTech 2015.

In case you haven't heard, both of these conferences are being held concurrently in Salt Lake City in February 2015.

I have no idea how this 2-conference thing is going to go. Do we need to register for both conferences? Will they be in different parts of the convention center? So many questions...

If you're planning on attending FGS2015 and/or RootsTech, you probably shouldn't wait for answers before reserving your hotel room. These will be well-attended conferences and the hotel rooms will be reserved quickly.

Are you planning to attend? Will I see you there? I can't answer questions about either conference, but I may be able to answer questions about the hotels. All are within walking distance to the convention center and Family History Library.

Anyway, here's the press release:

HOTEL RESERVATIONS OPEN FOR 2015 FGS and RootsTech Conferences

Book Your Room Today

Four Salt Lake City hotels are now taking reservations for the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and RootsTech conferences, which will be held February 11–14, 2015 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.

The Radisson Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown, Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek, Salt Lake Plaza Hotel, and Hilton Salt Lake City Center will offer reduced rates to attendees of both conferences. Each hotel is conveniently located near the Salt Palace Convention Center.Conference rates will be honored for reservation dates February 7 – 19, 2015. Reservations must be made by January 13, 2015 to receive the conference rates.

Rooms will be in high demand. Reserve yours now through the FGS conference website at http://www.fgsconference.org/2015/lodging.

Registration for both conferences will open in late August 2014. For additional information about the FGS conference visit www.FGSconference.org/2015.

About the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS)

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) was founded in 1976 and represents the members of hundreds of genealogical societies. FGS links the genealogical community by helping genealogical societies strengthen and grow through resources available online, FGS Forummagazine (filled with articles pertaining to society management and genealogical news), and Society Strategy Series papers, covering topics about effectively operating a genealogical society. FGS also links the genealogical community through its annual conference -- four days of excellent lectures, including one full day devoted to society management topics. To learn more visit http://www.fgs.org.

Follow us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/FGSgenealogy), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/FGSgenealogy) and on our blog at (http://voice.fgs.org).

RootsTech 2015 Content Committee Issues a Call for Presentations

The RootsTech Content Committee is calling for dynamic presentations for RootsTech 2015 that inform and educate both those seeking to begin and those continuing to discover their family story through technology.  

Presentation submissions will be accepted June 2 to June 27, 2014, through the Call for Presentations portal on RootsTech.org.

Presentations will be accepted for both RootsTech and Innovator Summit.  

• RootsTech is a three day family history conference offering over two hundred classes for beginners, avid hobbyists and experienced researchers.
• Innovator Summit starts with a pre-RootsTech event onWednesday, February 11, and is a unique opportunity for software developers, entrepreneurs and technology business leaders to explore and influence technology solutions in the family history industry.  Classes will continue throughout the RootsTech conference.

In 2015, RootsTech and The Federation of Genealogical Societies are teaming up to offer two great conferences in one venue. Speakers interested in presenting at FGS can visit their website for more information about the FGS National Conference and their call for presentations. 

Presentations submissions are requested for all family history and technology skill levels in the following categories:

RootsTech

• Finding and Organizing: search tactics, resources, specialized tools, methodologies, solutions, metadata, apps and software 
• Preserving Your Work And Legacy: family trees, digital migration, audio and video solutions 
• Sharing: social media, tools for collaboration, wikis, crowd sourcing, community building, blogs
• Stories and Photos: storytelling and interviewing, capturing stories, preserving stories, enhancing stories with photos, photo restoration, movies and presentations, photo editing, oral histories
• Tools: technology introductions, gadgets, genetic research, DNA, breaking down barriers, 
• General:  family history topics in general including geographic research, time-period research, inspirations, market trends, research trends, adjacent industries, record types. (Please note, there is still an expectation in this category that technology is a part of the presented topic.)
• Family Traditions And Lifestyle: cultural arts, handicrafts, food, influential historical events, everyday living standards, social customs, pastimes, artifacts. (Please note there is still an expectation in this category that this knowledge assists the learner in family history and that technology is a part of the presented topic.) 

RootsTech Innovator Summit

• Developer: standards and API's, mobile app development, social applications, record imaging and visualizations, apps for youth, software and tools that enable the work of family history.
• Business: funding and investment, startups- success stories and tips, opportunities and market trends, networking and partnerships, insights and entertainment 

For more information, download the complete Call for Presentations document. It includes presentation and evaluation criteria, the submission timeline, and process details.

Questions regarding the RootsTech 2015 call for presentations can be emailed to the Content Committee at info@rootstech.org.

Do you know someone who would be a great presenter for RootsTech 2015? Please share this with them. 

Federation Of Genealogical Societies Announces 2015 Conference

FGS and RootsTech Events To Be Held In Tandem 

February 12-14, 2015 in Salt Lake City

22 August 2013 – Austin, TX. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) announced today that its 2015 National Conference will be heldFebruary 12-14, 2015, in Salt Lake City, Utah in conjunction with RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch. RootsTech is held each February in Salt Lake City and helps thousands of attendees from around the world discover and share family connections, stories, and history.

With the Salt Palace Convention Center as the common venue, both FamilySearch and FGS are committed to producing a one-of-a-kind genealogy event addressing the educational needs of the family history, technology and genealogical society communities. As the logistics of this sizeable event are still being worked out, both FGS and FamilySearch will work together to share resources and provide cost benefits for all parties, including attendees and exhibitors. Attendees can expect to see familiar elements of previous FGS and RootsTech events including keynote presentations, a Society Showcase and Expo Hall.

Registration for both events will begin in August 2014, six months prior to the February 2015 dates. FGS will also hold a smaller national event for its members in late 2015, with details to be announced at a later date.

FGS President D. Joshua Taylor states, “FamilySearch has been a valued partner and sponsor for FGS during its past conferences. It only makes sense for both organizations to work together and produce what will be the most talked about genealogy events of 2015.” Taylor added that such an event brings the best of RootsTech and FGS conferences together under one roof and will offer genealogists and family historians a wide array of activities and educational opportunities.

About the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS)

The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) was founded in 1976 and represents the members of hundreds of genealogical societies. FGS links the genealogical community by helping genealogical societies strengthen and grow through resources available online, FGS Forum magazine (filled with articles pertaining to society management and genealogical news), and Society Strategy Series papers, covering topics about effectively operating a genealogical society. FGS also links the genealogical community through its annual conference -- four days of excellent lectures, including one full day devoted to society management topics. To learn more visit http://www.fgs.org.