Get Ready for RootsTech Connect 2022

In 2021, over a million people from more than 240 countries and territories showed up to attend the free and virtual RootsTech Connect global weekend event. It was such a success that the RootsTech team is doing it again this year!

The next RootsTech Connect conference will be held March 3–5, 2022 (may vary by time zone). And like last year’s event, it will be completely virtual and completely free.

This year’s theme will be announced during the Opening Session on March 3rd. And like all RootsTech themes, it will be a good one, I promise!

What to Expect in 2022

After an extraordinarily successful RootsTech Connect conference in 2021, it almost seems as if nothing new would be necessary in order to produce an equally successful conference this year. But that didn’t stop the RootsTech Team from being hard at work behind the scenes to make the 2022 conference even better than it was last year!

The following is a preview of what you can look forward to.

Keynote Speakers From Around the Globe

As per usual with a RootsTech conference, the keynote speakers will be amazing. What’s different this year is that, instead of appearing live on the main stage during the conference, keynote talks have been prerecorded in each speaker’s home country, in front of a live, native-language audience. According to RootsTech Director Jen Allen, “Filming in each homeland means we capture the flavors of each culture more authentically and on a much bigger scale…These prerecordings are turning out beautifully and will help attendees feel like they are at a live event, even though it is virtual.”[efn_note]”RootsTech 2022: Behind the Scenes with the RootsTech Team,” FamilySearch Blog, https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/rootstech-2022-website-sneak-peek.[/efn_note]

2022 keynote speakers include:

• Maysoon Zayid, Middle East/American Actress, Comedian and Disability Advocate
• Thais Pocholek, Brazilian Actress and TV Personality
• Molly Yeh, Asian American star of the Food Network’s show Girl with a Farm
• Azumah Nelson, African Boxer and Ghanian National Hero
• Diego Torres, Argentine Singer and Recording Artist
• Matthew Modine, American Actor famous for Stranger Things and The Dark Knight Rises (and one of my 80s crushes)
• Apollonia Poilane, French-American Baker and CEO of Poilaine Bakery

Fewer Sessions

Last year, RootsTech Connect offered more than 2,000 virtual sessions covering topics from historical records to DNA to preserving family stories and more. But this year’s conference will have fewer sessions. Per Jen Allen, “It was actually too much to be able to discover and watch everything you might want to. There will still be a lot this year, but not as much. We will be serving up only the best of the best for each topic.”[efn_note]”RootsTech 2022: Behind the Scenes with the RootsTech Team,” FamilySearch Blog, https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/rootstech-2022-website-sneak-peek.[/efn_note]

That said, there will still be plenty to watch in ’22. RootsTech attendees will have access to more than 1,500 new sessions by hundreds of presenters in a dozen different languages.[efn_note]Translation services will be provided for key topics.[/efn_note] You will also find a few new categories and unique topics that you may not have seen before at RootsTech.

Like last year’s RootsTech Connect conference, content is expected to stay on the website for at least a year – possibly three – so you don’t have to try to watch all of it during the live conference.

Improved Website Design

To provide a better learning experience in ’22, the RootsTech technology team has been busy making upgrades to the website, which was brand-new last year. What this means for you is an improved ability to search for specific topics, along with the option to filter by topic, language, and world region.

More Fun in the Expo Hall

Last year, about 90% of RootsTech Connect attendees were new to RootsTech, so many people didn’t know what an Expo Hall was/is, or what to expect from it. In ’22, RootsTech will be making attendees more aware of what the Expo Hall is and why it’s valuable. According to Jen Allen, “We’ll have more opportunities for ‘digital swag,’ like free downloads and other giveaways.” (RootsTech swag? Yes, please!)

Unlike last year, the RootsTech Calendar tool will now integrate live Expo Hall events alongside other scheduled events. “These live sessions in the Expo Hall will help pull people in, teach them what’s new and great, and boost the energy of the online experience,” said Allen. “We are also adding some gamification, which is a popular feature of in-person RootsTech conferences. We’re working on games that will encourage people to visit the virtual vendors and bring the fun factor.”[efn_note]”RootsTech 2022: Behind the Scenes with the RootsTech Team,” FamilySearch Blog, https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/rootstech-2022-website-sneak-peek.[/efn_note]

Connect With Cousins From Around the World

One of my favorite parts of any RootsTech conference is Relatives at RootsTech and the opportunity to connect with new cousins from around the world.

If you also enjoy connecting with relatives at RootsTech, then you’ll be happy to hear that it will be back again in ’22. According to Jen Allen, “In 2022, [Relatives at RootsTech] will be even better. The look and experience may be similar, but last year it could only support so many people before our servers would crash. This year it will support millions more people at the same time, helping everyone find out if they’re related.”

In other words: Thousands. Of. Potential. Cousins.

How to Prepare For Relatives at RootsTech

To participate in Relatives at RootsTech, you will need to sign up for a free FamilySearch account and connect to the FamilySearch Family Tree. If you need assistance in doing that, here’s a helpful post on how to upload a GEDCOM file to create your FamilySearch family tree. If your tree is stuck on Ancestry, here’s how to download your GEDCOM file in 4 easy steps, which you can then upload to FamilySearch.

You should also take some time to verify the accuracy of new branches to which you connect and correct any mistakes that have been made by other contributors. Doing so will help the Relatives at RootsTech tool find more – and more correct – connections for you.

Are we cousins? Click below to find out and leave me a note in the comments!

Register Now For RootsTech Connect

Registration for RootsTech Connect is completely free, no matter where or when you are in the world. Head over to the registration page today to sign up so you don’t forget. As of February 18, 2022, more than 400,000 people have already registered!

Be sure to subscribe to the RootsTech social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, and invite your family and friends to do the same. You won’t want to miss out on the fun games, scavenger hunts, and other activities as we get closer to opening day of the biggest family history event of the year!

In the meantime, you can catch up with what you may have missed from past RootsTech Conferences.

• Watch classes and presentations from 2021 (sign in for a better experience)
• Watch older classes and presentations

New to RootsTech? Take a look at these Frequently Asked Questions.

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As a RootsTech Influencer, I may have been provided with various material and non-material promotional items; however, opinions about the conference are my own. See my Disclosure Statement for more information.

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