RootsTech 2025 Pre-show

 

Welcome to RootsTech! I know I haven't been as good at keeping everyone up to date about RootsTech events this year, but I will try to do better as we go through this week. First of all, just a little catching up on what has been going on with me. My wife and I are in the process of building a new house and selling our house, and I have been dealing with the fallout of being a federal employee. My last day of work was February 28, so I guess I can now say that I am "retired" and this trip out to RootsTech is my first activity since I left my job of 31 years.

We arrived in Salt Lake City yesterday and worked on settling in. Today we will be doing some prep work including setting up the booths for The Family History Guide and the International Institute of Genealogical Studies. After that I will be doing a tech check for my presentation in the Expo Hall.

RootsTech Expo Hall Webinar Studio. Photo by Rhett Dabling (FamilySearch).

My presentations will be live in the Expo Hall and online and on demand about an hour later.

• The Ayes Have It - Discovering Your Ancestors Through Voting Records: Thursday, March 6, 1:30 Mountain Time (3:30 Eastern)
• A Deep Dive into US Census Records: Friday, March 7, 12:15 Mountain Time (2:15 Eastern)

Make sure that you have looked at both the online schedule as well as the app since there are some online talks, such as those in the Expo Hall Webinar Studios, that are not listed on the app.

Tonight I will be attending the Speakers and Media dinner to learn more about what will be happening over the next couple days. 

Now for some tips on making the most of your RootsTech experience:

• Visit the FamilySearch Library to do some research. The library has extended hours during RootsTech week and will be open from 9:00am-8:00pm through Saturday. There will be a free shuttle between the Salt Palace and the library so you won't have to walk. Just look for the golf cart and hitch a ride. There will also be activities at the library where you can digitize your photos, print family charts, participate in Discovery Experiences, and solve a mystery with the Heritage Hunt. Additionally, you can pick up your RootsTech passes there and avoid the lines at the Salt Palace.
• Explore the Expo Hall. The Expo Hall hosts a variety of genealogy related businesses both in person and virtually. Many of the businesses have discounts and other items that are only available during RootsTech. Additionally, there are many classes being held at the various booths where you can hear directly from the companies about their products and interact with them in a way that isn't possible in the larger RootsTech class rooms.
• Visit the Heritage Theater in the Expo Hall. The Heritage Theater will host a variety of performances from around the world each day beginning at 9:00am. See performances by the Rocky Mountain Cloggers, Utah Korean Society Performers, Los Hermanos de Andes, Swiss Chorus Edelweiss, Halau Ku Pono I Kamalani, and many more. 
• Participate in Relatives At RootsTech. This is a great opportunity to discover your relatives attending RootsTech, either in person or virtually. I always have a very small number of relatives on this compared to others. This year I have over 250 Relatives at RootsTech while my wife has over 27,000! This is a fun way to see where you have relatives around the world and maybe begin to chat with them about family history.
• Attend the Main Stage Forums. The Main Stage hosts one forum each day at 9:30am Mountain Time and these will be live and broadcast virtually. They include the FamilySearch Global Tech Forum on Thursday, RootsTech Innovation and Tech Forum on Friday, and The Impact Forum on Saturday. If you miss the live session you will be able to watch the recordings on demand.
• The Archives and Records Custodians Symposium is a pre-RootsTech event on Wednesday. These presentations will be live and online.
• Attend Family Discovery Day on Saturday. This is a free event designed for families with many activities for youth. Church leaders will present and there will be a performance by The Piano Guys. This program will featuring cultural performances, art exhibits, storytelling, live music, and family history activities. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will speak at 1:30pm about the power of discovery and the blessings of temple and family history work.

There is so much to do in the limited time of RootsTech. I recommend you select the classes you want to attend, remember that the online ones will be available to view later, visit the Expo Hall, and participate in some of the entertainment while you are here. Tickets are still on sale for only $99 for the full in person conference and free for the virtual conference. So join us this week and say "hi" if you see me.