RootsTech London

[Mean_genie]

RootsTech is a different kind of event from WDYTYA Live and other family history fairs. It has more in common with conferences, where the main attraction is the educational content, and the exhibit hall is a valuable add-on. There was a good range of (mostly) high-quality talks which were well-attended. Most of them were in a suite of lecture rooms on Level 3, so you couldn’t see how busy it was up there unless you were a ticket-holder, but there were plenty of paying attendees, and even the smaller rooms were bigger than those where talks are held at family history fairs.

This was the 10th RootsTech event organised by FamilySearch, it was just the first time it had been in London. The annual RootsTech in Salt Lake City is a much bigger event than the London one. FamilySearch invests great deal of money in family history so they are not looking for the sort of short-term profit that would apply to an ordinary commercial company.

[Josephine]

I've been following this thread with interest.

For anyone who doesn't subscribe to Dick Eastman's newsletter, he posted a write-up on the conference:
https://blog.eogn.com/2019/10/28/rootstech-london-is-a-roaring-success/

He also did a separate post for photos:
https://blog.eogn.com/2019/10/28/my-photos-from-rootstech-london/

Regards,
Josephine

P.S. I don't want to start a flame war but I just want to state that I like Donny Osmond. 

[Gartag]

Thanks for that Josephine, great article that really gives a good 'flavour' of the event and the photo's give you a truer feeling of the enormity of it.

I only managed 1 day and, although spending an agonising night recovering, thought it was well worth it and so wished I could have managed the three days.  There was just too much to fit into one day.  The whole event was well organised, everyone was helpful, friendly and....  well, like a giant family Reunion.  The atmosphere was electrifying, inspirational the vastness of it all was almost humbling.

I'm wondering if they will do it again next year, that would be so fantastic if they kept it the same format.  I would go out of my way to get a small party together and do the three days with an agenda to help us get the most out of it.

Ecstatically

Garth

PS: Didn't get to see Donny or any of the speakers....  just so much to do!

[Josephine]

You're welcome, Garth. I'm glad you enjoyed your experience; it sounds great!

Regards,
Josephine

[chiddicks]

Here’s my take on RootsTech if anyone’s interested.


https://chiddicksfamilytree.wordpress.com/2019/11/02/rootstechlondon-round-up/

[Gartag]

Mr Chiddicks, sir,

Thank you, that was as inspiring as the 'conference' itself.  Let's hope the organisers found it worth their while to bring it back (preferably just as it was) and many of the volunteers partake again.  This event really restores faith in that human nature still has bonding, friendly and supportive nature.

[chiddicks]

Thanks Gartag..........lets hope they do bring the event back to London, instinct tells me it might be every other year, but you never know!

Mr Chiddicks, sir,

Thank you, that was as inspiring as the 'conference' itself.  Let's hope the organisers found it worth their while to bring it back (preferably just as it was) and many of the volunteers partake again.  This event really restores faith in that human nature still has bonding, friendly and supportive nature.