by Lisa Cooke | Jun 25, 2014 | 01 What's New, Conferences
Discounted early-bird registration for FGS 2014 (the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference) ends on July 1st. Early registrants receive a $50 
discount for the full four days, or a $20 discount for any single day. Click here for details.
The conference will be held August 27-30, 2014 in San Antonio, Texas, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. This year’s conference theme is “Gone to Texas,” and the local hosts are the San Antonio Genealogical and Historical Society (SAGHS) and the Texas State Genealogical Society (TSGS). Lisa will be giving three presentations at this conference and will be in the exhibitor hall–click here for more details.
The conference offers opportunities for all who are interested in researching their family history, with over 160 educational sessions on records, strategies, and tools for genealogists at all levels. The exhibit hall features over 70 vendors offering a wide range of genealogical products and is open and free to the public. Luncheons, workshops, and special events provide additional opportunities for networking and learning. Make sure to get your tickets to these conference “extras” early to guarantee your spot.
by Lisa Cooke | May 22, 2014 | 01 What's New, Conferences, Travel
The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) has updated its events calendar, which include annual and regional conferences, an Alaskan cruise and more! FGS conferences are always great, and now they’re doing cruises. Here’s the lineup:
2014 National Conference. Registration is still open for “Gone to Texas” in San Antonio, Texas, August 27th-30th. Lisa will be there! Read more about this FGS conference here.
2015 National Conference. Click to read the Call for Papers for the 2015 National Conference, “Connect. Explore. Refresh,” to be held concurrently with Rootstech in Salt Lake City, Utah, February, 11th-14th.
2015 Alaskan Cruise. Join your friends and fellow genealogists on the first FGS Cruise in the fall of 2015. This event promises to deliver a memorable vacation and education from leading genealogists on a variety of topics. Watch for additional information in late 2014. (You already know about Lisa’s British Isles cruise this summer, right?)
2015 New York Regional Conference. The New York State Family History Conference returns to Syracuse, New York September 17-19, 2015. Organized by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society and the Central New York Genealogical Society, the second biennial conference has expanded to include three tracks of lectures, a significant increase in attendance, and an enlarged space that will accommodate many more exhibitors and societies of interest to attendees. One of the conference focal points is researching New York families, a pursuit that offers unique challenges and requires special techniques and knowledge; the other focal point is building general research skills. In 2015, the event will be hosted as a regional conference of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), which will provide topics and events for genealogical society leaders and volunteers as part of the conference’s activities.
2016 National Conference. Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Federation of Genealogical Societies. Hosted in Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, the 2016 conference will feature the latest news and updates from the family history community, a full exhibit hall, the popular Society Showcase, and sessions related to the Midwestern states, research methods, and other topics.
by Lisa Cooke | May 21, 2014 | 01 What's New, Conferences, Social Media, Volunteer
Genealogy bloggers, societies, writers and editors are invited to become FGS 2014 Ambassadors. Ambassadors help to spread information about the FGS Conference in San Antonio, Texas, August 27-30, 2014, through social media to their friends, colleagues, and everyone interested in genealogy.
FGS 2014 Ambassadors will be:
§ Writing about the conference on their blog.
§ Using the hashtag #FGS2014 on Twitter.
§ Mentioning FGS 2014 on Facebook, Google Plus, and other social networks.
§ Letting their local historical and genealogical societies know about the conference.
Benefits to FGS 2014 Ambassadors:
§ Ambassador badge logo to display on your website.
§ Giveaways for active ambassadors, including conference registrations and discounts, special event tickets, and more.
§ Potential to be guest blogger on FGS Conference Blog.
§ Link to your blog or website on the FGS Conference blog’s Ambassador Page
§ Part of Twitter list of FGS 2014 Ambassadors.
§ Ambassador badge ribbon at the conference.
Click here to register as an FGS 2014 Ambassador and to find the FGS 2014 Ambassador badge to add to your blog or other social media account. Lisa will see you in San Antonio in August! Be sure to circle her classes on your schedule and stop by and say “hi” at her booth in the exhibit hall.
by Lisa Cooke | Apr 2, 2014 | 01 What's New, Conferences
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.
