#RootsTech is fast approaching -- Time to make plans

# RootsTech,  a huge conference held annually in Salt Lake City, Utah is fast approaching. The conference is scheduled for February 12th through the 14th in the Salt Palace Convention Center located in downtown Salt Lake City. The following keynote speakers are scheduled:

This is an interesting mixture of celebrities and prominent genealogical community leaders. I am planning on attending the Innovator Summit on Wednesday, February 11 as well as the rest of the conference. In addition to the stellar lineup of keynote speakers there are a number of special events also planned. These events include the following:

Thursday:
RootsTech Opening Social
Kick off RootsTech 2015 by joining us and thousands of others on Thursday, February 12, at 6:00 p.m. for a thrilling evening with YouTube sensations Alex Boyé and One Voice Children's Choir.

Friday:

RootsTech Innovator Showdown
Innovators take the stage and battle for the prize as they showcase the latest cutting edge technology in family history. Come help shape the future of the industry by deciding the winner with your live audience vote! This is an event with contestants, judges, demos, tough questions and $25,000 in total prize money. The show will be held in Hall D (keynote room) right after the keynote on Friday at 10:30 AM.

Friday:

Celebrate Your Heritage (Cultural Night)
On Friday evening, join us in the expo hall for extended hours until 7:00 featuring an entertaining event with performers showcasing the sights, sounds, and dancing from various world cultures. This events also provides you with more time to roam the expo hall packed full with interactive booths from hundreds of exhibitors from leading companies in the industry.

Saturday:

RootsTech Closing Event
Join us on Saturday, February 14, at our closing event featuring American Idolfinalist David Archuleta and the cast of BYUtv's Studio C. This will be the perfect ending to an incredibly successful and inspiring conference. The Closing Event starts at 5:15 in Hall D.

The Innovator Summit will have its own activities on Wednesday, February 11:

Wednesday:

Innovator Summit Social
Wrap up the day of Innovator Summit classes with networking, new friends, and light appetizers from 5:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday evening in the north foyer. You will have a chance to interact with other innovators and hear from executives from Ancestry.com, the Innovator Summit sponsor. (Innovator Summit Pass Required)

Wednesday:

Hack-a-thon
After the day’s festivities, join your fellow developers for a thrilling hack-a-thon challenge. Come see if you have what it takes. The hack-a-thon begins at 8:00 p.m. at the Convention Center.

Of course, there will be the usual giant exhibition floor exhibits. Saturday will be the special Family Discovery Day with a full schedule of special events and activities. Here is the current schedule of events:

When: Saturday, February 14, 2015
Where: Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah
Time:
10:00 a.m. Activities in Expo Hall
11:00 a.m. Leadership Training for Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders and Family History Consultants
1:00 p.m. Family Discovery Day Opening Session with Elder Neil L. Andersen
2:15 p.m. Classes and Activities
4:15 p.m. Closing General Session with Elder Quentin L. Cook
5:30 p.m. Closing event with American Idol finalist David Archuleta and the cast of Studio C from BYUtv

 As you can see from the banner at the top of this post, some of the bloggers have been chosen as "International Ambassadors." We're not really sure yet what this means, other than there will be a Media Hub near the center of the exhibit floor where the bloggers and other news media people will be able to conduct interviews and write posts. So far, a list of the bloggers participating is not been put on the website.

Of course, just as in past years, I will be writing as much as possible from the events and commenting on any new developments.