You can have a chance to win a scholarship to help you attend RootsTech 2020 in Salt Lake City next February. The conference is the largest genealogical conference in the world. In 2018 more than 27,000 people from all 50 U.S. states and 47 different countries made the trek to Salt Lake City for this event and additional tens of thousands experienced parts of the event remotely. Later this month the first spin-off, RootsTech London 2019, will be held October 24-26.
The 10th annual event to be held February 26-29, 2020, in Salt Lake City continues its focus on the marriage of technology to family history research. It includes a variety of learning experiences which organizers describe:
What Is RootsTech?As a RootsTech Ambassador I have been authorized to offer one lucky reader a free all access 4 day registration to this event. This pass has a retail value of $299 although now for a limited time early registrations are available for $189. Included with this complimentary pass are:
At RootsTech, we believe in the power of family—and discovering your family story has never been easier! RootsTech is a 4-day event held annually in Salt Lake City, Utah, dedicated to celebrating family and discovering family histories. With over 300 breakout sessions, an exciting lineup of celebrity speakers, and a gigantic expo hall, we’ve got something we’re sure you’ll love.
Over 300 classes; Keynote / General sessions; Expo Hall and Special Evening events. It does NOT include any paid lunches or paid labs or workshops.The winner of this pass will be drawn from readers of this blog who have completed the following minimal requirements by November 4th, 2019 at midnight US Central time in an email with "RootsTech Scholarship" in the subject box and addressed to (infodoc at ddowell.com):
- Your statement that if you win you will be able to attend the Salt Lake City event; and
- One important learning objective for you during the conference.
In case you are having trouble with ideas for your learning objective you might want to review this post from my archives.
My own most rewarding experience during RootsTech 2019 occurred in the Family History Library just up the street from the Salt Palace convention center. Del Chausse, a former faculty colleague of mine from my California days always meets me for a week in Salt Lake City surrounding this event. We spend any free time in library research and fellowship with other attendees. Last year during my "free time" in the library, I was able to break through a brick wall that had frustrated me for about a quarter of a century. I found the christening record for my wife's favorite grandmother. We knew that the ship records said she was from Prussia when her mother brought her as a toddler to Chicago in 1891. We were stymied in all our attempts to identify her village of origin. Martha had given us a false clue that both she and her parents were born in Leipzig. That turned out to be only about 500 kilometers off target. Apparently a couple of older family members knew something when they told me in confidence that Martha always lied about where she was from because she didn't want anyone to think she was Polish. Since that breakthrough last February. We have been able to extend both her paternal and maternal lines back at least two or three generations. But this is a tale for another day.
What is your learning objective during RootsTech 2020? You only need to list one to enter the drawing for a free registration pass. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in Salt Lake City.
