{"id":12322,"date":"2016-01-26T11:24:53","date_gmt":"2016-01-26T16:24:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=12322"},"modified":"2023-06-21T16:44:10","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T20:44:10","slug":"a-preview-of-rootstech-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/a-preview-of-rootstech-2016.html","title":{"rendered":"A Preview of RootsTech 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em>Introduction<\/em><\/strong><em>: In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega previews some of the speakers, classes and events for the upcoming RootsTech 2016 genealogy conference. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201c<span class=\"removed_link\" title=\"http:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=CXaFyHM7znQC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=From+the+Family+Kitchen.&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=Jo6tQVuF3D&amp;sig=nkmxReyZmS2srUIWT3eYF3SS4GU&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=bPoPUK2EIY2E8ATjwICwBA&amp;ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&amp;q=From%20the%20Family%20Kitchen.&amp;f=false\">From the Family Kitchen.<\/span>\u201d<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Are you going to RootsTech 2016, the genealogy conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah, February 3-6? It can feel intimidating to go to a conference whose attendance last year included 23,000 people from 49 states and 39 countries. If this is your first time at the yearly genealogy conference, you may want to start making some plans now, before you step foot into the Salt Palace. With the crowds of people and all kinds of presentations, events, and activities planned, where do you start?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12323\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12323\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/photo-0126-2016-expo-hall-rootstech.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12323\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/photo-0126-2016-expo-hall-rootstech.png\" alt=\"Photo: Expo Hall at RootsTech\" width=\"650\" height=\"377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/photo-0126-2016-expo-hall-rootstech.png 650w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/photo-0126-2016-expo-hall-rootstech-300x174.png 300w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/photo-0126-2016-expo-hall-rootstech-500x290.png 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12323\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Expo Hall at RootsTech. Credit: FamilySearch; RootsTech.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Keynote Presentations<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Keynote presentations at conferences are different than classes or lectures. Keynotes are meant to start or end the conference. They are meant to provide inspiration and motivation. The overall idea is to take that energy and knowledge you\u2019ve experienced at the conference and maintain it as you travel home and go back to the routine of everyday life.<\/p>\n<p>Inspiration and motivation can be found in the seven keynote presentations provided during the three days of RootsTech. This year\u2019s keynotes feature authors, innovators, and experts. You can look forward to presentations all three days by:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Steve Rockwood. Managing Director of the Family History Department and President\/CEO of <a href=\"https:\/\/familysearch.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FamilySearch<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Paula Madison. Chairman and CEO of Madison Media Management, LLC in Los Angeles.<\/li>\n<li>Bruce Feiler. Author of \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/column\/this-life\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">This Life<\/a>\u201d column for the <em>Sunday New York Times<\/em> and six <em>New York Times<\/em> bestselling books.<\/li>\n<li>Josh and Naomi Davis (Taza). Naomi Davis, also known as Taza, is the blogger behind \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/lovetaza.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Love Taza<\/a>\u201d who shares information about her family\u2019s New York City life and \u201clife\u2019s simple joys.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>David Isay. Broadcaster, author, and founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/storycorps.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">StoryCorps<\/a>, an \u201corganization that provides people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve their life stories.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Michael O. Leavitt. Previous three-time elected governor of Utah and current founder and chairman of <a href=\"http:\/\/leavittpartners.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Leavitt Partners<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Doris Kearns Goodwin. Presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize winner. Her latest book is <em>The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When you are at a conference, it can be tempting to sleep in and miss the keynotes. These presentations set the tone for the day. Make plans to be in attendance \u2013 you\u2019ll be glad you did.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Classes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During RootsTech 2016, 213 speakers will be presenting 288 sessions on a number of family history and technology topics. Sessions center on using websites such as FamilySearch and WorldCat, or they may focus on mobile technology and apps. Some sessions concentrate on genealogy methodology such as naming patterns, geography, and DNA.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t forget to schedule some time to learn more about newspapers and genealogy from GenealogyBank. Come visit us at <strong>booth #523<\/strong> to discuss genealogy in general, or any specific questions you have about your own family history research. Staff member Scott Spencer will be presenting on \u201cFacts, Photos &amp; Fugitives: Using Online Newspapers,\u201d and staff member Ross Allred will present on \u201cResearching Newspaper Obituaries.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Expo Hall<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are many reasons to attend a conference and invest in your genealogical education. Attending classes and networking with other researchers are just a few reasons. Visiting the Expo Hall during RootsTech 2016 is another. The Expo Hall is where exhibitors come together to promote new products, answer questions, and teach small classes. In the Expo Hall at RootsTech you can expect to see booths from familiar genealogy subscription websites, publishers, archives and libraries, booksellers, technology companies, and more. In addition to exhibitors\u2019 booths you will also find a Demo Theatre, Cyber Caf\u00e9, Family Discovery Zone, and the new Innovation Alley where you can check out the latest technology and tools for genealogy.<\/p>\n<p>Carve out some time to stroll the entire Expo Hall. (I recommend visiting the Hall at least several times during the conference.) If you own a smartphone or mobile device, consider using the camera to take photos of booths or information you want to check out later. In some cases you may also come across QR codes (short for Quick Response codes) at booths which you can scan with your device for more information (you will need to download a special QR reading app first from you device\u2019s app store).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Events<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s more to RootsTech than just classes and learning experiences: there\u2019s also fun. Several different events are scheduled featuring music by the groups Crescent Super Band and Lower Lights.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re into the technology side of genealogy, don\u2019t forget to check on Friday\u2019s Innovators Summit Events. There\u2019s the annual <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rootstech.org\/showdown?lang=eng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Innovator Showdown<\/a> where 6 of 12 semi-finalists will take home a cash prize. This is a great opportunity to see what new creative products genealogists will be using in the not-so-distant future. On Wednesday you have the opportunity to take part in a new event. A hackathon sponsored by FamilySearch invites everyone to \u201cCome participate in a unique social coding and brain-storming event where you will have the opportunity to discuss and solve industry problems as you network with the best entrepreneurial minds the genealogical industry has to offer.\u201d You bring your laptop \u2013 and Wi-Fi, food and a meeting room are provided.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Countdown Begins!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>RootsTech is an excellent opportunity to energize your genealogy passion. The conference will be here before you know it and there\u2019s a lot to look forward to. While you\u2019re waiting, plan out your schedule, download the app, and start making plans.<\/p>\n<p>GenealogyBank is helping to sponsor the upcoming RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, 3-6 February, 2016. If you\u2019re attending, come visit us at <strong>booth #523<\/strong> to discuss genealogy in general, or any specific questions you have about your own family history research.<\/p>\n<p>For more information about RootsTech, visit the website at: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rootstech.org\/?lang=eng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.rootstech.org\/?lang=eng<\/a><\/p>\n<p>We look forward to meeting you at RootsTech!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A preview of the RootsTech 2016 genealogy conference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":19977,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12717],"tags":[12,2009,1655,10470],"class_list":["post-12322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-genealogy-conferences-activities","tag-genealogy","tag-genealogy-conferences","tag-rootstech","tag-rootstech-2016"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/photo-0202-2016-featured-graphic-genealogy-conferences.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12322"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12322\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92385,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12322\/revisions\/92385"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}