Roots Tech Conference

Roots Tech is an annual conference in Salt Lake City, Utah that takes place at the Salt Palace. This conference is specifically designed for family history and genealogy. But, anyone and everyone can come! Whether you currently work in family history or genealogy, have an interest in, or want to start working on family history and genealogy, this conference has everything that you need to know!

Roots Tech is typically a two day conference but can be up to three days. The conference takes place over the last weekend in February and is full of activities and speakers! Each day typically starts pretty early and will go well into the evening. You are not required to attend everything, in fact it is impossible to attend everything! Roots Tech is designed to include multiple sessions and speakers on various topics. I have been three years in a row, and each year is different. Generally, each morning everyone will meet together for the general break out session which includes a welcome and the agenda for the day. The next four or so hours have up to 12 different breakout sessions you can attend based on your interests. Lunch is provided as well as networking opportunities. Then it is back to break out sessions, and sometimes the evenings have entertainment of some sort.

This year, many breakout sessions included new apps being developed to more accurately record and update family history work and genealogy. With the technology boom we are currently in, apps have made everything so much easier. Many people have even made family history easier and more accessible so that anyone can do it! Other breakout sessions include motivational speakers, “a day in the life of” history workers, volunteer work in family history, and even sessions on how to do family history work and genealogy. There are several booths that are fun to walk around both outside the breakout sessions and in the conference rooms.

Many companies donate money each year to help with family history work and DNA linking. These booths show the projects that are currently under way as well as ways you can get more involved. Big companies like ancestry.com have massive sales on DNA kits and other products and services that assist you in your family history work.

Everyone is welcome! However, Roots Tech can be expensive. I have found it is best to volunteer for part of one day, and then get free admission for the rest of the day. This allows you an all access pass to everything and you get to be more involved in Roots Tech.

For kids, there are several videos that play, face painting, and even games and activities to do. This past session, there was a cake decorating contest that was fun to see and vote on. In the evenings, bands will come play and sometimes the Sundance Film Festival winning films will be playing. No matter what age you are, what occupation you have, or who you are with, Roots Tech is for everyone and is always a blast!