Introduction: In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega gives tips for getting the most out of RootsTech 2022 on March 3-5, the annual genealogy conference hosted by FamilySearch. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book “From the Family Kitchen.”
It’s almost time for RootsTech and like last year, 2022’s version will be FREE and virtual. That means no matter where you are or what your schedule is, you can benefit from this annual mega genealogy conference. So, what do you need to do right now to prepare for RootsTech 2022?
Register. Go to https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/next/ and register. It’s easy. When you register, you can also choose to receive notifications and updates via text, email or both. Once you add your email and/or phone number, click on the sign-up button.
Once you register you can choose one of two free RootsTech experiences. The “Standard” experience provides you access to the sessions and the Exhibit Hall.
The “All Access” experience provides you access to the sessions and Exhibit Hall as well as the ability to create a personal playlist of presentations, chat online, and see all your relatives attending the event. All Access requires you to have a FamilySearch account. Both experiences are free, so it really is a matter of preference.
Make the Most of the Conference
How do you make the most of the conference?
Have a goal. Don’t just watch the conference like you would binge watch your favorite TV show. Decide beforehand what your goal for the conference is. Why are you attending? What do you hope to get out of it? What do you need to learn more about? Don’t make this yet another virtual event you watch and quickly forget. Make it an event that challenges you to improve your research, that helps you find something new, or helps you think differently about your research.
Visit the Exhibit Hall during the conference. Some exhibitors provide discounts, the opportunity to ask questions, and giveaways. While the RootsTech presentations can be viewed months after the conference, you can only interact with exhibitors during the actual conference. If you wait until after the conference, you lose your chance. Make it a priority to check out the Exhibit Hall so that you can benefit from all that the vendors are offering.
Make presentations a priority. The ability to create a playlist and view presentations for a year is a great option. However, what does that mean more often than not? We put things off and then end up not viewing the presentations that we initially felt were important. Decide right now to dedicate time during the conference and the week after to view those presentations. Don’t tell yourself that “someday” you’ll get to it because someday won’t arrive.
Download handouts for presentations and make notes. It’s not enough to simply download handouts from your favorite talks and then save them to your computer. Consider annotating them as you watch the presentation or noting some take-aways after you have finished. Consider what you need to take away from the talk and start using now. If there are must-have websites, take the time to visit and bookmark them so that you can access them again later.
Connect with those that can help. If you’ve signed up for All Access and have connected your FamilySearch account with your RootsTech account, take the time to explore what cousins are attending RootsTech. This feature allows you to see how they are related, who the common ancestor is, and the ability to message them. That person who is your 3rd cousin 4 times removed may have some answers you’re looking for.
See You at RootsTech!
Will I “see” you at RootsTech? I’m looking forward to another event filled with expert speakers providing important genealogy tips and vendors with the latest tools for genealogy.
Note: All screenshots taken from FamilySearch’s RootsTech website.