Today is the last day for the live RootsTech 2023 sessions! This conference always moves along so quickly and, before I know it, it’s time to wait for another year.

However, there is lots going on today so here are some suggestions:

Make sure to visit the Expo Hall and check out all the vendors. There are many different products and services about which to learn – everything from genealogy software to DNA kits and support to a myriad of ways to tell the story of your ancestors and everything in between.

Several genealogical societies have booths, including a few from outside the U.S.

The important thing to note about the Expo Hall is that when the live conference closes this afternoon, most of the vendors’ booths will also close.

As just important as checking out the Expo Hall is reviewing the LIVE sessions happening today.

Log in to RootsTech and scroll down the screen to the band of links to live sessions, grouped by time the session is being presented.

Use the arrows to navigate through each group of sessions.

Here is a sampling of some of today’s live sessions (in MST):

8:00 a.m.

German Big City Research: Tips and Tricks from Berlin and Hamburg in German by Karynne Moses

Finding Immigration Journeys to America from Italy by Kathy Kirkpatrick

9:30 a.m.

Discover the FamilySearch Wiki WOW Factor! by Lisa Louise Cooke

Let’s Play Connect the Forefathers! by Sherman McRae

1:00 p.m.

Family Research in Moravia – Opportunities and Challenges by Jürgen Sturma

1:30 p..m.

Creating the DeepBand: An Anchor Beyond the Census in England by Richard Taylor Rowley

Reminiscing, Reunions, and Recipes – Remember Your Family History One Bite and Story at a Time by Megan Heyl

2:00 p.m.

Searching for Places in Central Europe – the Historic Gazetteer GOV sponsored by CompGen in Germany

3:00 p.m.

Shared DNA Matches – The Only  DNA Tool You Will Ever Need by Diahan Southard

Have a fun day and make the most of your virtual attendance at the live portion of RootsTech 2023.

Luckily for everyone, the close of the in-person event isn’t really the end of the conference. RootsTech 2023 will really just be beginning because you can build your playlist today, if you haven’t already begun, and then watch all the sessions you want to your heart’s content.

 

 

 

 

NOTE: Because of the RootsTech 2023 schedule, Friday’s Family History Finds will be posted on Monday, 6 March 2023.

My typical RootsTech coverage in past years has been to write about live classes during the conference, followed up by a review of new-to-me vendors in the Expo Hall a few days later.

This year is a bit unique for a couple of reasons. I am a virtual attendee during the very first ever hybrid RootsTech conference. Second, I am aware that many of the conference specials offered by the vendors end with the close of the in-person conference.

Therefore, I’ve switched up my RootsTech schedule to talk about this year’s Expo Hall today, in the middle of the conference.

I have to admit that I was overwhelmed by the number of vendors in the virtual Expo Hall and I believe there are even more in the live hall in Salt Lake.

There are so many companies who are new-to-me (and that’s saying a lot given my previous in-person and online RootsTech experiences) that I can’t possibly highlight all of them.

Instead, let’s look at the big companies who sponsor RootsTech and make it happen and then I’ll provide links to a sampling of vendors with whom I’m unfamiliar.

Important to NOTE: My links are to each company’s website, not to their Expo Hall booth. BE SURE to visit the Expo Hall to learn about any conference specials! You need to be logged in to the conference to visit the Expo Hall online.

First, we have the Platinum Sponsors:

For those unfamiliar with Storied, it’s a newly launched company with which you can build your family tree based on stories and documents. I was part of the early testers and found it easy to use. It’s by subscription, but very affordable, and there is a $40 off special during the RootsTech conference.

Next are the Gold Sponsors:

Mylio Photos is a new company for me, also by subscription. The website invites users to “collect, curate, protect, and share your story and memories for the future.”

Now we have the Bronze Sponsors:

There are two newbies for me in this group. FileShadow is a “photo and file management system that you can use to gather your family photos and files into a secure vault.”

GENXT “offers open-source and subscription-based solutions for privacy-by-design collaborative genomic data analysis among personal genomics companies.”

Last, but not least, there are the Society Sponsors:

My Family Forward “is a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the serious health challenges our children are increasingly suffering with. Our mission is to help grow the family tree of humanity by transforming the way we conceive, birth, and raise our children.”

Scroll down to the very bottom of the page to check out the Featured Booths:

Now for just a handful of some new -to-me exhibitors, in ABC order, which can also be searched by CATEGORIES:

3DGenV – Showcase your family tree in innovative ways! (Products to purchase)

AniMap – Historical County Boundary Mapping: AniMap helps you target your search, informing you with details where a county was formed, what years changes were made including details on jurisdictional changes (RT Special $20/year)

EphemeraSearch – “We’re building a collection of old postcards, searchable by name and address.Our mission is to make it possible for you to peer into the everyday lives of your ancestors.” (Free, but solicits donations. sign up and share postcards in your own family collection, as well as view postcards already on the website.)

Family Tree Notebooks – “Easily Share Your Family History. Download the pages. Add text and photos. Print. Build books one page at a time.” (Six week master class for Guides Learning for $499 or Independent Study for $299.)

FamilyApps – A list of choices to connect with family members (Price isn’t evident and may vary with the choice of app in the collection.)

Germanology Unlocked – Products and services on offer to help with German research

MemoryWeb – A photo organizer for family historians (Free 14-day trial with no credit card needed, 6 mo. and 12 mo. specials offered during the conference.)

Related Faces – This company “uses AI to scan your photos and isolate faces. From here we compare those faces with our entire database, returning pairings with photos from your own collection as well as others.” (Free 14-day trial, 6 mo. and 12 mo. specials offered during the conference.)

The Search Party – This is a methodology course taught by Diahan Southard, Crista Cowan and Janet Havorka. ($97 for 17 lessons)

Finally, there are a LOT of companies offering various methods of storytelling. I didn’t feel comfortable picking out only one or two since I don’t have the luxury of speaking with company reps.

I do highly recommend taking some time today and/or tomorrow during the live portion of RootsTech to learn more about the massive list of products and services in the Expo Hall. You might find exactly what you are looking for!