Coming to Salt Lake City, Utah at the end of February and the first of March for the RootsTech.org conference can be a weather challenge. It could be snowing and/or raining or cold or not-so-cold. Whether you are a local and drive to the Salt Lake Salt Palace Convention Center or fly into town to the newer Salt Lake City Airport, the weather is always a factor and it is a good idea to prepare for the alternatives. Here is a link to a map of the Salt Palace.
RootsTech is worth the time and expense of attending in person. However, there are two options. You can attend in person or view hundred of online classes for free. The website, RootsTech.org, is the source for what information is available about the event with two tracks for those who choose to come in person and those online. I have been to every RootsTech conference either in person or online since the first one in 2011. Quoting from Wikipedia,
While some claim that RootsTech is an outgrowth of three former conferences, the Conference on Computerized Family History and Genealogy, the Family History Technology Workshop and the FamilySearch Developers Conference, these three conferences were invited to participate in the original 2011 RootsTech, but some of them remain in existence today. The RootsTech conference was an entirely new and different event.
Actually, the BYU Family History Technology Workshop is alive and well and is being held this year on February 27th at the BYU Hinckley Alumni Center in Provo, Utah. I will be presenting at both the workshop and the RootsTech conference.
Here is a link to my classes at the RootsTech 2024 Conference. This link might or might not work, but you can search the class list online by presenter to find me. I am a media representative, a speaker, and an exhibitor at RootsTech so you can find my by asking around. In past years, I have found that internet connections in the Expo Hall are spotty to non-existent. Perhaps this year will be different.
There is also a booth in the Expo Hall for the BYU Library which includes the BYU Library Family History Center. A number of the BYU Library Family History Center missionary volunteers with be working at the booth.
What else do you need to know in order to enjoy the RootsTech 2024 conference in person? You need to know that there is a lot going on during the conference besides classes and presentations. For some, the main attraction is the Expo Hall. Although there will be 250+ class sessions that are available only in Salt Lake City, there are an additional 120+ exhibitors/sponsors in the Expo Hall. My wife and I will spend most of our time in the Expo Hall. We are involved in The Family History Guide booth and my wife is in charge of all the volunteer workers at the booth. I will be involved in presenting some short classes at the MyHeritage.com booth and wandering around talking to people and learning about the updates to all the developers and vendors at the conference.
Salt Lake is a good place to visit any time of the year, regardless of the weather. There are hotels and restaurants within walking distance of the Salt Palace. But if you want to stay close to the Salt Palace, you may have to make a reservation far in advance. By the time this blog post appears, hotel space near the convention center will be at a premium.
Oh, did I say walking distance? Yes, you will find that Salt Lake City is a walking city. The blocks in the downtown area are 660 feet long and the streets are 130 feet wide. The Salt Palace is large and you will spend a lot of time walking. Make sure your shoes are comfortable and your feet are ready for the exercise. The Salt Palace Convention Center is "across the street" from a major shopping mall called the City Creek Center. There is a lot of parking available but be prepared to pay for parking. There are a number of good hotels within walking distance also. About hotels, you need to realize that Salt Lake City is a major metropolitan area with traffic challenges and parking challenges. Here is a link to the SLC.gov website about parking.
If you come to Salt Lake City by air, there is transportation by light rail called the TRAX from the airport to downtown Salt Lake City. The price of the TRAX is very reasonable and free in the downtown area. We live in Provo, Utah 45 miles (approximately) south of Salt Lake City and there is train service from Provo to Salt Lake on the FrontRunner. Even though we could stay in our home and commute (as many people do every day) from Provo to Salt Lake City, we find that staying closer to the Salt Palace helps us survive being at the conference and walking all day into the night.
Of course, the RootsTech conference is right down the street from the world famous Salt Lake City, Utah FamilySearch Library. During the day, there are free ATV shuttles back and forth to the FamilySearch Library. There is a lot to see in downtown Salt Lake City and a lot of construction. Fortunately, the major hotel construction around the Salt Palace is finished but there will likely be construction in the area.
Since I spend so much of my time online. Attending the RootsTech conference in person is not to be missed. It is the only opportunity I have to meet some of the people I talk to online in person. Find me if you can, I am glad to meet and talk to as many people as possible.
