Thursday, November 20, 2014

Thoses Places Thursday - Federation of Genealogical Societies 2015 Conference


Two Conferences 
One Location
  
February 11-14, 2015
Salt Lake City
FGS & RootsTech2015 Conference

........... both conferences (FGS Conference) are right around the corner. Time to start armchair planning. I love this part of the planning process because anything is possible. Reality sets in later down the line where you have to make those final decisions.


I need to sit down with the schedule of classes and see what is being offered. I am also attending the 'twin' conference, RootsTech, so I need to read about what is being offered there also. AND then somehow come out with a great schedule with back ups just in case classes I choice are full. This is going to be frustrating, because there are enough good classes to take from either conference and now I have two conference classes to choose from to whittle down into one schedule. To me it seems it is unfair to the conference goer and to the instructors too. It should not be a competitive affair. OK OK I am off my soap box now.

When I go through classes I look for anything NEW, anything to do with Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and now Massachusetts, and anything that catches my interest (that I cannot explain - it is a personal choice) .  I have my magic markers (probably several markers in different colors) handy and start marking the ones that I first think I may be interested in attending.  AND, yes I do look to see who is instructing each class also......  it does make a difference to me. I look for presenters I have not heard of, presenters I have not taken a class from yet. I like to hear about the same subject from many different people...... sometimes you connect and sometimes you don't. I look for instructors that are dedicated to certain subjects or locations. I feel I am beyond the basic classes but I am not above taking one if an instructor interests me, or the write up of the class is of interest, basic or not.

I don't think I have ever picked a class by the instructor.........  ooops, yes I have. TWICE!! In the beginning I had heard so much about Elizabeth Shown Mills and her FAN concept along with sourcing. I was not disappointed but had to 'fight' for a seat. I also attended a class several years back because Judy Russell, The Legal Genealogist was speaking. I had been told that her blog was the one to follow and so I did. Now I had an opportunity to hear her and meet her. AND I did. Again, not disappointed. But normally I do not look at the instructors till after I have chosen classes and are starting to cut ones or are looking for the those back ups, then I start looking at who is speaking. You know as well as I do, that we don't connect with everyone and/or you need to hear the same information from a different view point.

Next  I will need to read about all the other activities going on, luncheons available, exhibit hall, and the LIBRARY........  along with some down time (when will that happen 2-4 AM?)  Squeezing the exhibit hall into the conference time will be the most difficult to do. I have signed up for a luncheon each day of the conference so most of the lunch break will be taken up ........... I will be able to spend the entire day and into the evening on Monday and Tuesday at the LIBRARY. Need to start going through the LIBRARY catalog to make my to-do list. Society Day is held on Wednesday, and then there are full days of conference classes and labs on Thursday, Friday & Saturday.......... with two conferences of classes to choose from I don't think I will have problems filling up my days. IF by some twist there are time frames where I didn't choose a class or it was full I will be down at the exhibit hall. I need to go through the exhibitors and see who I really want to visit and learn more about. 

So much to do and so little time..............  


No comments:

Post a Comment