Saturday, March 24, 2018

RootsTech 2018~An Opportunity to Feel and Be Inspired!

RootsTech 2018 Theme

RootsTech is unlike other genealogy conferences in many ways. 
One of those ways is daily opening sessions which include celebrity and industry speakers and the last two years, family comedian Jason Hewlett.
Why is that important and why should you care?
Often as we go about our genealogy research, looking for family and their stories, we can get frustrated, lose focus and stuck in a rut. Let's be honest. It can be a lonely pursuit.

The opening sessions of RootsTech can get you motivated and excited to do what we love! 

Starting each Keynote session, we were woken up and energized by the clean comedy of entertainer Jason Hewitt. He had us dancing, laughing and in tears as he was touched by the emotion shared by the speakers he introduced.

Enjoying the antics of Jason Hewlett

Industry leaders spoke of new projects to obtain records, technical advances in DNA and how to motivate and encourage the love of family and this important work of remembering those who have gone before.

We were welcomed to RootsTech 2018 by Steve Rockwood, President of FamilySearch International.

My Favorite Quote from Steve Rockwood

Scott Fisher of the genealogy podcast Extreme Genes leads panelists discussing the future of genealogy.


My Heritage Announced DNAQuest. Helping adoptees by offering free DNA Tests. 



Excitement for Season 3 of Relative Race was in the air as host Dan Debenham gave us a sneak preview of the show! If you haven't been watching, you really should!


Findmypast announced the digitization of more Catholic Church records!


The folks from Ancestry got my attention when talking about DNA stories. 
These happen to be mine!!


Celebrity Keynote speakers awed us with their tender stories of family, had us riveted in our seats with musical performances and touched our hearts when they couldn't contain excitement over being presented with documents and records to add to their family tree,

Brandon Stanton gifted photographer of Humans of New York explained how he began taking pictures of the people he met on the streets and his ability to pull the most amazing stories from this subjects. He touched my heart with the projects and people he supports. 


Raising money for childhood cancer

He was touched as David Rencher, Chief Genealogist at Family Search introduced him to family.

Learning out about family stories.


Olympic Skater and all around nice guy Scott Hamilton shared, for the first time in a keynote address, stories about his family.  He described his growing up years as an adopted child, his surrogate parents in the skating world, his marriage and struggle to have children and what it felt like the first time he held his son. He also shares how he and his wife were able to adopt two children from Haiti.
He understands that knowing who we are and where we come from brings stability and peace in our lives.


Scott Hamilton beginning his keynote address

A man proud of his family!
Learning his ancestors overcame adversity too from Diane Loosie, Family History Library Director

 Mexican Singer Natalia Lafourcade, you may know her from her song in the movie Coco, had us all in tears with her beautiful pure voice. She performed several songs for us including "Remeber Me"    which she sang live for the first time. Natalie headed to California the next day to sing it during the Acadamy Awards!  



The look on her face says it all. Natalie was surprised, and emotional as part of her family tree was revealed to her on stage.


Much anticipated speaker, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. from the PBS television series, "Finding Your Roots" shared his first experience in learning about an enslaved ancestor when he was a boy and the importance of never giving up on research.


Although having looked for years, just before arriving in Salt Lake, he received this copy of the newspaper obituary he remembered reading as a child. 

Circled is the Obituary for his once enslaved ancestor

Why attend these special RootsTech opening sessions? The sheer joy of experiencing these moments with other genealogists. That look of yes, we KNOW and UNDERSTAND with those sitting near us. 


Friends waiting for the day's opening sessions to begin!








Coming out of the hall, heading to our classes or the expo hall with a renewed feeling of I can do this, I want to do this! Now, let's go learn something that will help us do this!!


Why? Becuase of the opportunity to feel and be inspired! 

If you weren't able to attend RootsTech in person or view them on Livestream or simply want to watch these wonderful keynotes and see the recorded classes again, they can be watched by clicking on this link

Before you know it, we will be hearing about the speakers, classes, and events for RootsTech 2019.
I encourage you to go and experience the largest genealogy conference in the world!

Were you there, listened live or watched the recording? What was your favorite speaker or moment of the opening sessions?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Helping you climb your family tree,




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