RootsTech 2016 Keynote Speakers

RootsTech 2016 is just over a month away. It's held in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Salt Palace. One of the many highlights of the conference are the daily keynote speakers. I'm looking forward to all of them. Check out the daily schedule:

Thursday, February 4, 2016: 

• Steve Rockwood, managing director for the Family History Department and President/CEO of FamilySearch International.
•  Paula Madison, the subject of and executive producer for, Finding Samuel Lowe: From Harlem to China.
• Bruce Feiler, a New York Times best selling author and author of the column "This Life" that appears in the Sunday New York Times. 

 Friday, February 5:

• Josh and Naiomi Davis (Taza). Naomi is author of the blog, Love Taza.

Saturday, February 6:

• Doris Goodwin Kearns, presidential historian and Pulitzer-prize winning author. 

  

 

Family Discovery Day at RootsTech 2016

The latest announcement of RootsTech 2016 is below.

Also, registration for RootsTech is running at 50% more than this time last year. It's a good time to think about registering for RootsTech. After all the Salt Palace can only hold so many people! RootsTech registration is limited to 12,500 and Family Discovery Day is capped at 21,000. Just as important, if you are traveling from out of town, consider making accommodation arrangements.

SALT LAKE CITY, (November 23, 2015)—RootsTech, the largest family history conference in the world, announced today that Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Ruth Renlund, willlead its lineup for its free Family Discovery Day event, which will take place on Saturday, February 6, 2016, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. This incredible opportunity is specially designed for families and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ages eight and older.

 The free one-day event will feature inspirational messages, instructional classes, interactive activities, and exciting entertainment designed to teach Latter-day Saint families how to find their ancestors, how to prepare names for temple ordinances, and how to teach others to do the same. Attendees will also have access to the Expo Hall, where hundreds of exhibitors will showcase the latest technology and tools.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and FamilySearch International will host the event. Families are encouraged to register online at RootsTech.org.
Before Elder Renlund’s recent call as an Apostle, he served in the First Quorum of the Seventy and in the presidency of the Africa Southeast Area. After receiving B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Utah, Elder Renlund was a professor of medicine and the medical director of a cardiac transplant program. Sister Renlund graduated from the University of Maryland Law School in 1986 and practiced law with the Utah attorney general’s office. She served as president of the Utah Association for Justice. She also served on the Utah Supreme Court’s advisory committee for professionalism and was a member of the Deseret News board of directors.
In addition to Elder and Sister Renlund, attendees will hear from other Church leaders, including Primary general president Rosemary M. Wixom and Brother Stephen W. Owen of the Young Men general presidency.
Family Discovery Day will also feature additional Latter-day Saint speakers and closing event entertainment, which will be announced soon. Family Discovery Day is free, but registration is required. Visit RootsTech.org to learn more and to register.
 

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About RootsTech
RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch, is a global conference celebrating families across generations, where people of all ages are inspired to discover and share their memories and connections. This annual event has become the largest of its kind in the world, attracting tens of thousands of participants worldwide.


Disclaimer: I am a RootsTech 2016 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

And the Winner of the RootsTech 2016 Pass Is...

Marsha F.

Her comment encompasses what all of us are thinking.

I would love to attend!!!!

Marsha, I will be in touch later today with registration details.

Congratulations!

There's still plenty of time to register if you are planning to attend. RootsTech 2016. And plenty of Ambassadors are still giving away free passes on their blogs too!  

Sale at the In-Depth Genealogist

The In-Depth Genealogist is having a sale on their products right now. Just in case you're interested. My book, Digging For Ancestors: An In-Depth Guide to Land Records is among the many items on sale.

Win a Free 3-Day RootsTech 2016 Pass

That's right you can get admission to RootsTech 2016 for free! If you haven't seen my post over at The In-Depth Genealogist yet, here are the details:

I’m an Ambassador (and a speaker) for RootsTech 2016. One of the exciting things I get to do is give away a pass to one lucky genealogist.

RootsTech 2016 is February 3-6, 2016 at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah. RootsTech has over 200 classes, an enormous exhibit hall that's 25% larger than last year's huge hall, inspirational keynote speakers (read about Thursdays keynotes here), and much more. 

To enter, here's what you need to do:

• Send an email to michellesgiveaway@gmail.com. 
• Include:

1. Your name
2. Email address
3. Briefly say how attending RootsTech 2016 will help you tell your family’s story.

By entering the giveaway, you give permission to post your name on The In-Depth Genealogist blog along with a quote from your entry, if you are the lucky winner.

The contest ends at 11:59pm Pacific Time on Thursday, November 19^th. On Friday, November 20^th. I'll use Random.org to select the winner from eligible entries.

The winner will be announced first over at The In-Depth Genealogist. I will follow up with a post here within a day.

Disclaimer: I am a RootsTech 2016 Ambassador and received complimentary registration to RootsTech along with other perks.

RootsTech 2016 Announces Opening Day Keynotes, Bruce Feiler and Paula Williams Madison

SALT LAKE CITY, October 27, 2015—RootsTech, the largest family history conference in the world, announced today the first three keynote speakers in its all-star lineup for RootsTech 2016. The first general session (Thursday, February 4, 2016) will feature three inspiring speakers, which include New York Times bestselling author Bruce Feiler, award-winning journalist Paula Williams Madison, and the president and CEO of FamilySearch International, Stephen Rockwood.

Bruce Feiler is a bestselling author and columnist for The New York Times, where he writes the “This Life” column about today’s families. He is also the writer and presenter of the PBS Series Walking the Bible and Sacred Journeys with Bruce Feiler.

His latest book, The Secrets of Happy Families, reviews best practices for modern-day parents from some of the country’s most creative minds, including top designers in Silicon Valley, elite peace negotiators, and the Green Berets.

“RootsTech is the premier event for people who care about family history,” Feiler said. “I've become a passionate believer in the importance of telling your family history as a foundational tool for having a happy family. I can't think of a better audience to share my own story with.”

Paula Williams Madison is an award-winning journalist who is a former NBC executive. Currently, Madison serves as chairman and CEO of Madison Media Management LLC, a media consultancy company based in Los Angeles with global reach. She’s been named one of the “75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America” by Black Enterprise Magazine and was recently honored by the East West Players and AARP with their Visionary Award.

After a successful career in news journalism, Madison retired in 2011 and embarked on a search for her grandfather Samuel Lowe, who returned to his native China after living in Jamaica. Madison produced a documentary film on the topic, Finding Samuel Lowe: From Harlem to China. In April of this year, HarperCollins published a memoir of the journey Finding Samuel Lowe: China, Jamaica, Harlem.

Attendees can expect to hear about Madison’s compelling journey, including the resources that helped her. “I used FamilySearch.org to research and try to locate my family in China. This system will help people like me find their families,” said Madison. “Family to me means bloodline—past, present, and future. You have to honor the past as you live in the present so that you can guarantee a future for your family.”

Stephen Rockwood is the new president and CEO of FamilySearch International and managing director for the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Prior to joining FamilySearch, Rockwood was a successful entrepreneur, creating unique service offerings for worldwide customers and building several businesses from the ground up.

“We look forward to another great RootsTech conference as we invite attendees to discover their families in a world-class setting. We are thrilled to welcome Bruce Feiler and Paula Williams Madison,” Rockwood said. “Their personal experiences will be highly inspiring for many as we kick off this exciting conference.

Visit RootsTech.org to reserve your seat now to hear Bruce Feiler, Paula Williams Madison, and Stephen Rockwood at the Thursday morning general session on February 4, 2016. Passes start at just $29.

RootsTech 2016 will be held on February 3–6 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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About RootsTech
RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch International, is a global conference celebrating families across generations, where people of all ages are inspired to discover and share their memories and connections. This annual event has become the largest of its kind in the world, attracting tens of thousands of participants worldwide.
 

Disclaimer: I am a speaker and Ambassador for RootsTech 2016 and have been provided with free registration and other benefits.