Getting ready for RootsTech

Our arrival in Utah was accompanied by the usual winter snow storm with snow blowing sideways in 20 to 30 mph winds. The temperatures are in the 20s but Tuesday dawns bright and sunny. Our car is covered with snow, but it is melting rapidly. I spent many years living in Salt Lake and have a pretty good idea what to expect. It always seemed to storm the days I had free to go skiing, but sometimes the weather cooperated and we had beautiful warm weather and could ski in our shirt sleeves. RootsTech is downtown in Salt Lake, although no place in Salt Lake or Utah Valley is ever very far from the ski resorts.

RootsTech is promised to be different than what many of the media or bloggers in attendance are accustomed to from typical genealogy venues. On Wednesday we are invited to a FamilySearch Media Tour of the FamilySearch Film Distribution Center. Upon our return we are invited to a dinner at The Roof Restaurant, atop the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and overlooking the world famous Temple Square. I have eaten there before and the food is excellent.

The Conference itself starts off with a Media Breakfast at 7:00 am. It is fortunate that I am a very early riser because this promises to be a very busy and long day. This event will include a breakfast buffet, a brief presentation and media orientation and tour of the RootsTech Community Zone Exhibit Hall and the Media Hub before the RootsTech conference “officially” begins that morning. We will then attend the opening/key note session with a presentation by Jay L. Verkler. Quoting from the RootsTech website, "Mr. Verkler currently serves as President and CEO FamilySearch, sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FamilySearch has gathered the largest collection of genealogical records in the world. Operations include worldwide image and information collection, product and tools delivery, and patron services in over 4,500 family history centers around the world."

This promises to be a very busy and interesting week.