NGS Conference in Kansas City

One of the largest genealogy conferences in North America takes place this coming week in Kansas City, Missouri. The 2008 National Genealogical Society's Conference in the States and Family History Fair will be held May 14 through 17, 2008.

The NGS annual conference is always a major event, and this year's edition is no different. In fact, I hear that the society has already sold more advance registrations than the total attendance of last year's conference. More than 175 presentations will be offered on a wide variety of topics, including “getting started in genealogy,” DNA, maps, ethnic studies, military records, land records, online web sites, research techniques, becoming a professional genealogist, records in various European countries, Civil War topics, and much, much more. Those presentations will be intermixed with workshops, luncheons, tours, receptions, and a banquet.

For more information about the Conference in the States and Family History Fair, including a description of all the presentations and biographies of all the presenters, download the conference brochure at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/2008NGSRegistrationbrochure.pdf.

Of course, my favorite place is the Exhibitors' Hall, and I expect it to be a “happening place” this week. Traditionally, new products and services are often introduced at the NGS conference. I hope to cruise the Exhibitors' Hall often in order to see “what's new” and then to write about those discoveries in future newsletters.

I'll also spend a lot of time in the Footnote.com exhibit in booth numbers #219 & 221. Please drop by and say “Hello.” The Footnote.com team will also be there to demonstrate the web site's many historical documents. More than one hundred other vendors will also be demonstrating their products and services.

I will once again sponsor the “Laptop Lounge” at the NGS conference, thanks to a lot of assistance from Footnote.com. You can check your e-mail at any time by using the free Wi-Fi network that I will set up. The Laptop Lounge will be part of the Footnote.com booth in the Exhibitors' Hall. I'll write more about the Laptop Lounge in a separate article.

If you have a chance to be in Kansas City this week, I'd strongly recommend that you stop by the Hyatt Regency Crown Center Hotel and join in the festivities. I suspect you will be glad that you did.

Comments

[Michelle Woodham]

Dick,

I've read your newsletter since Jan. 97 and always enjoy your conference write ups. This will be my first conference! Looking forward to finally meeting you!