January 2026 is slipping by and another weekend has arrived. RootsTech is on the minds of many people at this time of year, including Randy Seaver’s.

Here is our challenge:

)  Are you registered for RootsTech 2026 yet?  It’s less than six weeks away – March 5-7, 2026. 

2)  What are you looking forward to either attending in-person or online?  What keynote talks, classes, or other events are you planning to attend?  For each day, list at least one class that is a “can’t miss” for you. At present, there are 206 online classes listed, but some are foreign language Keynote talks and replays.

I’ll again be in the #NotatRootsTech brigade, but I have already registered and added sessions to my home-viewing schedule.

I’ll definitely be browsing the online vendor hall, checking out new products and looking for good sales. That’s always a favorite of mine, both in person and virtually and one of my first stops at the conference.

I’m not much for keynote speakers and freely admit I rarely listen to any of them. One year, when I was an ambassador for RootsTech, we were given front row seats to one of the speakers. Although that person had an interesting story to share, at an hour and 45 minutes, it was about an hour too long. I think that’s the last keynote I attended.

I am registered for RootsTech 2026 and have added a handful of sessions to my preliminary schedule. I was pleased to see that not all of the intermediate/advanced sessions are in-person only and not recorded, as has often been the case in the past.

March 5:

The GPS in Practice: Examples of Reasonably Exhaustive Research by Angela Packer McGhie. She’s an excellent speaker!

Untangling the Darling Web: Advanced Strategies for Same Name Resolution by Bonnie Wade Mucia. A new-to-me speaker.

Reclaiming the Past: Analyzing Southern Claims Commission Files for Genealogical Research by Julie A. Anderson. Another new-to-me speaker.

When Nothing Found Means Something: Negative Search Results vs. Negative Evidence by Diana Elder. An excellent speaker. I’ve heard her presentations many times.

Provenance & Proof: Advanced Strategies for Finding and Using Manuscripts In Your Research by Kelly Richardson. New-to-me speaker.

March 6:

Navigating Archion: How to Use the German Church Record Website by Katherine Schober. I’ve heard Katherine and need to learn more about Archion.

Planning and Organizing Research Findings for Tough Problems by Kate Townsend, CG. New to me speaker.

Danish Probate Records by Jenny Hansen. I’ve heard Jenny and need to learn more about Danish records.

March 7:

The Lost Child by Nick Barratt. I’ve heard Nick and this story sounds interesting.

Wanted! Seeking the Identity of Unknown Parents by Dana Palmer. I’ve heard Dana and reviewed her new book about FamilySearch. I always enjoy talks about methodology, especially to use on brick walls.

So far, I’ve only added these ten sessions to my schedule. I’ll probably add a few more before the conference begins.

That’s it for my list!