Now that I’m a proud Texan, it’s even more exciting that I’m speaking at “FGS 2014!”
The annual meeting of the Federation of Genealogical Societies is in San Antonio, Texas, this year on August 27-30. Online registration is now open: register here by 1 July 2014 for an early-bird discount.
This year’s conference theme is “Gone to Texas. “This conference will offer over 160 educational sessions on records, strategies, and tools for genealogists of all levels,” says Josh Taylor, FGS President. “Sessions will be presented by some of the leading genealogists from the United States. Ten different sponsored luncheons will provide opportunities for networking.”
FGS 2014 Conference Highlights
I’ll be giving three talks at FGS 2014 and I’ll be in the vendor hall, too. Here are the session numbers and descriptions. I hope you’ll come by and say hello!
Here’s more of what you’ll find at FGS:
- Conference Sessions: A wide variety of genealogy-related lectures and workshops for all experience levels. Attendees will be able to learn about Texas and neighboring states research, African-American and ethnic origin research, military research, genetics, technology, migration, methodology and more.
- Exhibit Hall: The large exhibit hall will feature the latest software, books, maps, databases and gadgets on the market for genealogists and family historians, as well as information about genealogical organizations. Representatives of FGS member societies will staff their booths in the special Society Showcase area.
- Special Events: On Wednesday evening, local hosts San Antonio Genealogical and Historical Society and Texas State Genealogical Society invite registrants to an evening at the Institute of Texas Cultures, an amazing museum located directly behind the convention center. On Friday evening, The San Antonio Conservation Society hosts a festive evening with strumming guitars, shining horns, a capella voices of mariachis and local artisans at work at La Villita. The Conservation Society only hosts 10 of these events each year and FGS is excited to able to offer this. Details can be found at www.fgsconference.org.
- Focus on Societies: On Wednesday, August 27, 2014, sessions are jam-packed with ideas and tools to help societies promote themselves, increase membership, and develop sources of revenue. The day kicks off with a first ever, half-day workshop to develop a plan and tools to use to enhance and guide their society forward.
- Librarians’ Day: On Tuesday, August 26, 2014, ProQuest will sponsor a full-pre-conference day of sessions designed for librarians, archivists, and other information professionals serving family history researchers.
