RootsTech London Wrap-up

Despite there being several other interesting-looking family history events in the UK and Ireland this year I decided to make RootsTech London my choice over a year ago when it was first announced. I applied and was accepted as an Ambassador, for which I received free admission, with part of my obligation being to write this concluding summary. You probably noticed I also gave the event a lot of mention in blog posts this year, and I’m glad I did as everyone I spoke to there really enjoyed the experience.

Australian Ambassador/Blogger Jill Ball interviews one of the
many helpful LDS staff

I'd arranged a Canadian meetup at a pub attached to the hotel where I was staying on the Wednesday prior to the opening, as had the Australians. The Australian event was much more crowded — there were something like 60 of them at RootsTech. Although I didn’t get a number for Canadian attendees we had 10 at the meetup and I met others.

On Thursday morning at a breakfast hosted by Ancestry Ambassadors were told about recent developments with the company and what they’re going to be doing in the future. Naturally, DNA was mentioned, with the updated ethnicity estimates. There is a big emphasis coming on European records in 2020 as well as the 75th anniversary of World War II. Will there be any Canadian records?

The ExCeL exhibition facility, close to London City Airport on the North-side of the Thames, is a long building with an underground stop at each end. The part used for RootsTech was at the Eastern end. I got a fair bit of exercise walking back and forth from my hotel which was of the Western end. Fortunately, the weather was cooperative, not too cold and one could walk inside the first day. On Friday and Saturday the UK’s biggest gaming event, EGX London MCM Comic Con had probably over 100,000 attendees meaning access to the western end was restricted.

Daniel Horowitz conducts a draw at the MyHeritage stand

RootsTech registration was a model of efficiency. We had been sent name tags by email and asked to print them out to ease the registration process. I'd done so but then had a small issue — a Canadian excuse better than ”the dog ate my homework.” I’d brought some maple syrup over for relatives, something they've come to expect, but one of the containers leaked on my printed pass. Fortunately, it was no problem to print another and it took only a couple of minutes to collect everything I'd needed including a backpack you’ll probably see me using.

The speaker for my first session, 1 of 11 in that timeslot, was Angie Bush on DNA Tools Everyone Can Use! She emphasized that none of the tools provides proof that a particular relationship is correct or not and recommended joining the “What Are the Odds?” Facebook Group. For and most of the other presentations there’s written background at https://www.rootstech.org/london — go to Agenda, then Schedule.

The other presentations I attended on Thursday were:
Exploring ethnicity estimates, by Debbie Kennett
The Psychology of Searching - why are you looking for dead people? By Penny Walters
Remember Then: memories of 1946-1969 and how to write your own by Janet Few
On-line Church Court Records: a Neglected Genealogical Source by Colin Chapman

On Friday:
A day in the life of an Ancestry ProGenealogist with Joe Buggy, Celia Heritage, Ursula Krause, Janette Silverman
FamilySearch Records: the Most Valuable Collections for Your Family History by David Ouimette
My Ancestor Was A Liar: Ignorance, Half-truths & Wilful Deceit by David Annal
Examining your DNA matches with DNA Painter by Jonny Perl
DNA Testing Panel Discussion with John Cleary, Maurice Gleeson, Laura House, Debbie Kennett, Michelle Leonard, Donna Rutherford

Saturday Keynote speaker Donny Osmond is flanked by LDS
staff while moving between interviews

On Saturday:
Inferred matching techniques for chromosome mapping by Jonny Perl
Staying alive! The making of history video clips for preserving family memories. By Marc Jarzebowski
The Power of Siblings by Donna Rutherford
When family trees and DNA results combine: The world of Ancestry DNA communities by Crista Cowan
Behind the headline with Newspapers.com: Live podcast recording by Brad Argent and Michala Hulme

Each day there was a keynote session in a huge auditorium large enough for all attendees. For Ambassadors, there was reserved seating a few rows back from the front although everyone had a good view from multiple large screens. The best of these was the Thursday session by Dan Snow. View all the Keynotes at https://www.rootstech.org/category/2019-london-keynotes-general-sessions

Did you ever see as large a fan chart?

As if that wasn’t enough there were lots of shorter presentations in the Exhibition Hall with free admission. Often Ancestry, FindmyPast and FamilyTree Maker would have simultaneous presentations at their stands. Ancestry had as many as 14 presentations each day. There were two additional areas for Exhibition Hall presentations, ask the expert areas, an area with activities appealing to youngsters, computers with self-service and more. If I was living in London I’d find it worthwhile to travel just to visit the Exhibition Hall.

Connecting with other attendees was an education: the person who through a DNA test found her father was not her father, a New Zealander whose father was on the same ship on which my father was sunk by a Germain raider in the Pacific in 1940, chatting with Canadian Penny Allen who lives in London working as a librarian, and making a connection with a fifth cousin once removed attendee via the FamilySearch Family Tree app.

Without hesitation, I’d rate this as the most successful family history event I’ve ever attended — and I’ve been to a few. It was big enough to offer lots of choices, small enough that you weren’t overwhelmed by the crowds as I felt the one time I attended RootsTech in Salt Lake City. And there was lots of British content along with more generic presentations.

I along with many others certainly hope it won’t be the last RootsTech London.