This past Sunday I left for Salt Lake City, Utah in preparation for #Roots Tech 2017. It’s one of my favorite trips as it’s my turn to enjoy a genealogy conference and what better conference could I attend than the largest genealogy conference in the world. I have been going since the beginning in 2011, and at the time I think that only 4,500 people attended that year. This year by all estimates there will be 30,000 people attending. Roots Tech use to only fill a small portion of the Salt Palace now it entirely consumes it.
Why do I love to go to this conference? Well, it’s because it’s the only conference I get to go to that I’m not a vendor. I just get to go and be a blogger and a genealogist.
Roots Tech has six keynote speakers, but there are four that I’m more familiar with. Drew and Jonathon Scott (better know as The Property Brothers), Buddy “Cake Boss” Valastro (from Cake Boss), LeVar Burton (Actor, Director, and Author) and CeCe Moore (Genetic Genealogist).
Each morning you go to the Grand Hall and listen to one or two of the keynote speakers. Then it’s off to the various classes, and as usual, there are many classes. Over 200 classes to choose from and they are geared for all levels of expertise. So there is something for a beginner, and there are classes that will suit those that has been doing genealogy for years. If you want to learn about DNA and that’s what I’m interested in, by my count, there are 16 classes on DNA. Next, I enjoy any of the classes that are presented by my friends. In fact; you’ll want to check out the live streaming of many of the classes. To find out more click HERE.
Then there’s the Expo Hall. It’s like a genealogy candy store with every vendor that could be connected to genealogy. I make sure that I set aside time in my schedule to check out each vendor and some of the vendors I go and visit more than once. In fact, it was at Roots Tech 2011 that I saw the Flip-Pal® for the first time and fell in love with it, and that’s when I started my store; Shop the Hound So I guess you might say I became an entrepreneur at Roots Tech 2011.
But the best part of going to Salt Lake City is all the networking you can do and all the people you meet. They are “your people.” Why? Because they get it; when you tell them about that terrific find you had in the library or when you share a genealogy or DNA story over lunch.
So if you can’t go to Roots Tech then be sure to check your local genealogy society and find out if they have a conference this year. It’s a great way to learn something new and make some new friends.
In the mean time grab a coffee and enjoy the live streaming of #Root Tech.