There are different types of conferences-sponsored on the local, state, and national level. Local can be a genealogy group that annually sets up a conference on various topics relating to local history and how to get started conducting genealogy research. State & National conferences would be held by a genealogical society or a state/national chapter of a genealogical and historical society. All conferences will have a theme and request a call for papers/presentations that will highlight the theme. It is important for you to set up a plan for your conference experience. Here are tips to consider prior to attending a genealogy conference:
· Ask yourself what are you looking for, do you have goals for the conference? A goal could be to focus on learning new skills, enhancing skills, and networking with other genealogists. Recently I attended the National Genealogy Black Genealogy Summit and one of my goals was to learn about new technology gadgets and research techniques. Tony Burroughs (http://www.tonyburroughs.com) presented on Genealogy in the Electronic Age, which he outlined how to use some of the new gadgets to further your genealogy research. Angela Walton-Raji, who hosts a weekly podcast on genealogy (http://africanrootspodcast.com/) presented on the “First Days of Freedom: documenting soldiers, Contrabands, and Those still Enslaved During the Civil War. Lisa Lee (www.gotgenealogy.com) presented on “Finding your Unfindables” which provided tips on using the wild cards on ancestry.com and understanding that spelling of a surname really doesn’t count along with understanding the challenges of using the Soundex system.
· Location of the conference. Where is it? Have you been there before? Does the location link to any of your ancestors? Are there places you would like to visit?
· Can you do any research while attending the conference? This would be a great opportunity if you are close to a repository, such as the Allen County Public Library (http://www.genealogycenter.org/Home.aspx), Library of Virginia (http://www.lva.virginia.gov/), National Archives (http://www.archives.gov/index.html) and the local Family History Centers, etc.
· Check to see if there are local resources that you can tap into that will further your research or skills, such as a museum or library.
· Review the program guide; do you recognize any of the speakers and does the conference provide a specific track of sessions that you can follow? If you are new to genealogy research, this will be key to ensure you are getting the most out of attending the conference. You can attend a session that gets you started with learning the basics of genealogy research with the next session leading you through the specifics, such as researching vital or land records, the use of maps or using online resources and then how to tell the story.
· View the topics that interest you, what level is the presentation based on (basic, intermediate or advanced)-where do you fit?
· Speakers, read their bio’s to get an idea of who the presenter is and what they can deliver that will help further your research abilities.
· Consider the cost of the conference including your travel and hotel expenses. Maybe there is an opportunity to share a room.
· Make sure some of your time is spent networking. You never know who you will meet and share experiences.
· Have some fun!
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