The following News Release is from FGS:
“Gone to Texas” – A Conference for the Nation’s Genealogists
March 27, 2014 – Austin, TX. Online registration is now open for the 2014 Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) Conference, scheduled 27-30 August 2014 in San Antonio, Texas. Register at http://www.fgsconference.org by 1 July 2014 for an early-bird discount. 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).
Josh Taylor, FGS President, shares, “This year’s FGS conference offers an exciting opportunity for anyone interested in researching their family history. This conference will offer over 160 educational sessions on records, strategies, and tools for genealogists of all levels. Sessions will be presented by some of the leading genealogists from the United States. Ten different sponsored luncheons will provide opportunities for networking.”
Platinum sponsors include leading family history companies, Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, and findmypast. Other participating and supporting organizations include Dell, Lexmark Board for Certification of Genealogists, National Genealogical Society, The Polish Mission of the Orchard Lake Schools, and Texas State Genealogical Society, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, and The National Huguenot Society.
Conference Highlights
- 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.
There are more activities and research opportunities too numerous to list. However, you can learn all about the 2014 FGS Conference and register for this exciting four-day event at http://www.fgsconference.org. Be sure to also visit or subscribe to the FGS Conference Blog at http://www.fgsconference.org/blog for more information.
Learn More and Stay Connected
Like FGS at: https://www.facebook.com/FGSgenealogy
Follow FGS on Twitter at https://twitter.com/fgsgenealogy and hashtag #FGS2014.
Visit San Antonio at http://visitsanantonio.com/
About the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS)
The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) was founded in 1976 and represents the members of hundreds of genealogical societies. FGS links the genealogical community by helping genealogical societies strengthen and grow through resources available online, FGS FORUM magazine (filled with articles for the family history community), and Society Strategy Series papers, covering topics about effectively operating a genealogical society. FGS also links the genealogical community through its annual conference — four days of excellent lectures, including one full day devoted to society management topics. To learn more visit http://www.fgs.org.