It’s official I am going to RootsTech later this month.  RootsTech is the largest genealogy conference in the world.  I have read about RootsTech for the past few years with dreams of going one day, and this year I get to attend.  RootsTech is held the end of February in Salt Lake City, Utah.

RootsTech provides over 300 classes taught by some of the leading professionals in the genealogy world.  Classes range from organization, methodology, DNA, marketing, social media, and history.  There are classes for the beginning researcher and for the professional genealogist and there are classes for the professional genealogist.  Honestly, there are classes for everyone even if you think you aren’t interested in genealogy.  There will also be an expo hall with over 100 vendors from the big genealogy research and DNA companies like Ancestry, 23 and Me, My Heritage, Fold3, Findagrave.com, and Family Search, along with other smaller brands that specialize in printing, publishing, organizing and preserving heirlooms.  Also there we will be genealogy organizations such as Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society, the Sons and Daughters of the US Middle Passage, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the General Society of Mayflower Descendants.  Genealogy podcaster, Lisa Louise Cooke, of Genealogy Gems will be there as we as Amy Crow Johnson of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  But I think I’m most excited to go by the genealogy reality show, Relative Race, booth and hopefully get to see one of the cars from the show in person.

Although there will be more than enough at the actual conference to keep me busy, I also plan on visiting the Family History Library.  The Family History Library houses the largest collection of genealogy material.  So I’m really excited to see if I can locate some records that I haven’t been able to find in Arkansas.

I’m going to pack some warm clothes, my walking shoes, my trustee genealogy backpack and head off for a genealogy adventure.  I plan on meeting some of my favorite bloggers and podcasters.  I am going to meet up with a couple of people that are subscribed to my blog.  I’m going to stop by the booths of some of the websites I use on a regular basis and find out what new is coming out for 2019.  And I’m going to get to see and hang out with some other members of the Sons and Daughters of the US Middle Passage and the Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society.  I’m expecting this to be a very busy four days with a couple of late nights.  But I know I’m going to have so much fun, learn a lot, and meet some great people.  Let me know if you have any suggestions for a first time RootsTech attendee.  If you are there and see me make sure to stop me and say hello.