RootsTech Connect is happening virtually again this year on 3-5 March–at the end of next week! If you haven’t registered yet, take 30 seconds to register here. Once again, it is completely free! I will be presenting one class titled Mission: Possible – Engaging Youth in Family History. I just attended a speaker meeting where they gave us a preview of some things that are planned for the event, and I’m excited to share them with you.
Theme: Choose Connection
This year’s theme is Choose Connection, and there will be a number of ways to participate and share how you #ChooseConnection through social media. The web page rootstech.org/connection will be live during the event, and you will be invited to share on social media how you #ChooseConnection, then asked to invite others to do the same.
You may also choose to participate in social media trends like “Tell me how you choose connection without telling me,” “Compliment a Stranger,” “A conversation with your fan base,” or by simply sharing the most recent photos you have that depict connection. Or, you may want to participate in the dance challenge by choreographing a dance to the Choose Connection song performed by Aaliyah Rose, a past participant on The Voice. It’s a catchy, upbeat tune – you’ll love it!
Additional experiences have been created to help you #ChooseConnection. The first Relatives at RootsTech. This has been a wildly popular experience in years past. It allows participants to see which attendees they are related to. This experience is live now. Log into familysearch.org/connect to participate. Perhaps you are related to me! Click the image below to find out!
In addition to being able to post an image like the one above to social media to find out how you are related to your friends, RootsTech has also created a surname experience so two people can see how their surnames are connected without logging in or creating a FamilySearch tree. Another experience will show you how you are related to the celebrity keynote speakers. Again, the relatives around me experience and social media posts to find out how you are related to your friends are live now. The other experiences will be available during the conference March 3-5.
Main Stage
This year, the main stage will have its own page. Here is where you will watch the keynote speakers and other events. This will go live on Thursday, March 3, at 10 am MST with the opening keynote by the CEO of FamilySearch International, Steve Rockwood. Additional keynote speakers for the event include Argentine singer Diego Torres, American actor Matthew Modine, French baker Apollonia Poilâne, Ghanaian boxer Samuel Azumah Nelson, Food Network’s Molly Yeh, Palestinian comedian Maysoon Zayid, and Brazilian actress Thaís Pacholek.
Learn from Experts
Over 360 speakers from all over the world will present 700+ classes during RootsTech Connect. Sixty will be live sessions, with recordings available after they are presented. The rest have been pre-recorded and are available for on-demand viewing once the conference begins. The website should be up and running later this week, and you will be able to explore sessions and add those you are interested in watching to your playlist. Classes will go live at 11 am MST on Thursday, March 3. Don’t forget to leave a message in each session’s chat for the presenter – I’d love to hear from you and I know others would too!
Content from last year’s RootsTech Connect will also be accessible this year for double the learning opportunities. You will be able to filter by year to view the new content. If you missed my session from last year, you can search for 3 Easy Ways to Document Your Ancestor’s Life at FamilySearch to watch it.
Expo Hall
There will be an Expo Hall again this year, with 99 exhibitors who have prepared over 600 demos and classes. Be sure to stop by the Expo Hall to see what they have to offer. In addition, the Innovator’s portal will feature eleven companies and there will be a special Innovation Session Friday March 4 at 10:00 am. Watch this session to learn all about the up-and-coming technology in the genealogy world.
RootsTech Store
If you want to purchase RootsTech swag, stop by the RootsTech store to get your T-shirt or other items with the RootsTech logo on them.
Sessions for Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
If you are a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, be sure to watch the leadership instruction session and Family Discovery Day. Elder Bednar, Elder Gong, Sister Johnson, and Sister Aburto will be hosting the Leadership Instruction session. On-demand viewing will premier on Thursday, March 3, 2022, at noon MST on ChurchofJesusChrist.org and YouTube and will be available at 6 p.m. in Gospel Library. Elder Ulisses Soares and his wife Rosana will be the featured speakers during Family Discovery Day, held Saturday, March 5 at 2:00 pm MST on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
I hope you will enjoy your RootsTech experience! Maybe we will “bump” into one another during the event. I’d love to connect with you!
