welcome to the ancestral findings podcast have you ever considered going to a genealogical
conference if not you should think about it there is a lot of good information at
these conferences that can help you break through brick walls and make you a better
genealogist here's how to decide if you should attend one and which one to attend
have you ever attended a genealogy conference you have probably seen notices for them either online
or in person if you have been doing genealogy research for even a short amount of time they are
given at the local regional and national levels and can be small online gatherings or large groups
at hotel ballrooms conferences can also range from a talk on one genealogical topic alone or
events that tackle many genealogical subjects in a series of workshops if you have ever wondered if
attending these conferences is worth your while as a genealogist here is what you need to know about
them what level of researcher are you are you a beginning genealogist someone with more moderate
experience or are you an expert with decades in the field behind you regardless of your level
of experience there is a genealogical workshop out there for you even the experts among you no one is
so experienced that there is nothing new for them to learn after all when looking at genealogical
workshops take your level of experience into consideration against what the workshop is
offering it will not do you any good to go to a beginners conference if you already have quite
a bit of experience likewise you are wasting your time and will only become confused if you attend a
high-level conference for experienced genealogists if you are a beginner look for conferences that
match your skill level for smaller conferences this might involve a talk on just one topic while
large conferences may have a mix of workshops for genealogists of all skill levels when you find one
that matches your skill level look further into what the workshop is offering is it something you
need or want to learn then attending is a great idea and you will probably come away with at least
one useful thing out of it and probably several new techniques or resources you can use what do
you want to learn different conferences teach different things before signing up for one go
over the schedule carefully what exactly are they teaching and is it something you need or want to
learn that will make you a better researcher is it a topic that will interest you there's no point in
going if you will be bored however if there is at least something that may be of interest to
you or help you with your research it is well worth considering attending with single topic
workshops you should be able to decide at a glance if the topic is for you at large conferences with
a variety of workshops being offered you may find that some workshops are not for you but some are
you can confidently go to the conference attend only the workshops that intrigue you and come away
feeling like it was time well spent in furthering your genealogical endeavors if you learn something
you will be happy you went so make sure there is something being offered for you to learn do you
mind traveling most small one topic genealogical workshops are held at the local level and should
be simple for you to attend however unless your city is chosen to be a host for a large
genealogical conference you will probably have to travel at least a short distance to go to one and
maybe a long distance so are you willing to travel and if you are how far are you willing to go it
will all depend on how much the information being offered at the conference is worth to you this is
a personal decision but you will know whether or not you want to make the journey when you peruse
the conference schedule also keep in mind that most local single topic workshops are geared
toward beginners and sometimes intermediate level genealogists the large multi workshop conferences
are typically geared towards intermediate to highly skilled genealogists so your skill level
will usually influence how are you must travel to get the information you seek it is not always this
way but it is the general rule when it comes to genealogy conferences if you become skilled
enough you may even find yourself being asked to give a one topic local workshop to beginners
how much time and money do you have to spend at a conference small single topic workshops
are usually for just a few hours on a morning or evening and are either free or only cost a
nominal fee these are the easiest to attend for obvious reasons but if you are skilled beyond
the level of the workshop it might be useless for you to attend it especially if you know the topic
well enough you could be teaching it it is true that beginning genealogists usually spend much
less time and money on conferences than those with higher levels of skill just because of the
nature of genealogical conferences the larger conferences for more skilled researchers can
last an entire long weekend and cost much more than a local conference you also have to factor
in the costs of getting there and back home and of acquiring accommodations during your stay at
the site of the conference do you have 3 to 4 days to spend at a genealogical conference that offers
dozens of workshops for all skill levels and on all kinds of intriguing topics do you have the
money to do it taking travel hotel and food into consideration in addition to the conference's
entrance fee do you have money in your budget to buy products and services from the vendors
who will be in the vendors hall between workshops because there will almost certainly be at least a
few things you discover there that you need if you can answer yes to all of these questions then the
conference will not only be doable for you it will be a joy for you to attend there is plenty
you can get out of a genealogical conference and you should definitely go to at least and
ideally several just know what you're going to what it offers what your own skill level is and
research objectives are and budget accordingly when everything falls into place genealogical
conferences are a crucial part of being the best genealogist you can be thanks for listening to
the ancestral findings podcasts hey are you looking for free resources to help you in
your genealogy research then visit ancestral findings com for more helpful information