10 Reasons to Attend FGS 2015

Are you considering attending the FGS 2015 conference February 11–14 in Salt Lake City, Utah? Do you need a few more reasons why you should go? Here's your list. 

1. Network with other society leaders, sharing the latest ideas.

Are you an officer, board member, committee chair, or volunteer for your society? Attending FGS 2015 will give you an opportunity to meet other society leaders. Many societies deal with the same issues, and one of them may have the solution to a problem your society is experiencing.   

2. Visit the world’s largest collection of family history materials, just minutes away.

Salt Lake City is the dream destination for genealogists and family historians for one big reason — The Family History Library. The library is in walking distance of the Salt Palace Convention Center and many hotels. Add on a few extra days to your stay or schedule some research time during the conference (it's open until 9:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday during that week). 

3. Get tips from the pros for finding those elusive ancestors!

Speakers at FGS conferences are some of the most knowledgeable and gracious professionals in the genealogy community. Not only do they share that knowledge during sessions, but many are happy to answer questions throughout the day. 

4. Spend time relaxing and socializing with other genealogists from around the world.

Do you dream of talking about genealogy with people who don't roll their eyes and tune out? Your "people" will be at FGS 2015. Strike up a conversation with the person next to you in a session, a luncheon, the Expo Hall, a restaurant, or the hotel lobby. You'll be glad you did.

5. Find the latest family history gadgets and gizmos in the Expo Hall.

The shared FGS-RootsTech Expo Hall will be huge — 120,000 square feet of vendor booths with special vendor presentations in the Demo Theater. 

6. Go behind the scenes of family history on TV at the FGS Opening Event.

Join fellow attendees for a night exploring the amazing world of television and family history. The program includes screenings of some of the most popular programs, followed by an in-depth panel discussion on the tricks of the trade. Panelists will be announced closer to the conference.

7. Visit genealogical societies from across the U.S. at the FGS Society Showcase in the Expo Hall. 

Society Showcase will be completely re-vamped for FGS 2015. You'll find flyers from FGS member societies in areas where your ancestors lived and left records. Connecting with those societies might be the key to finding answers to your most difficult research questions. 

8. CONNECT with new genealogy friends and blaze new research trails.

Genealogist are friendly and they make great friends. They will rejoice in your research triumphs and commiserate with you on brick wall problems. Friendships that last a lifetime develop at FGS conferences.  

9. EXPLORE presentations on a variety of topics in the classrooms and the new tools you learn about each day.

The FGS 2015 conference program has something for every genealogists and family historian from beginners to the most experienced. Methodology, records, ethnic research, and migration topics are only some of the sessions waiting for you.

10. REFRESH your interest in family history, and leave FGS 2015 ready to tackle those challenging research projects!

After experiencing items 1 through 9, you will have a renewed energy and focus for your research. That translates to solving problems, which is the ultimate goal for all researchers. 

Register today for FGS 2015.

Original 10 Reasons created by Cyndi Ingle and D. Joshua Taylor were expanded for this post.