FamilySearch announced today that its free online family history event RootsTech Connect will return on 3-5 March 2022.
FamilySearch, the world’s largest free genealogy website, hosted the RootsTech family history conference in Salt Lake City annually from 2011 to 2020.
In September 2020, in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it announced that the 2021 conference would be replaced by RootsTech Connect – a free, global online event in February 2021.
Steve Rockwood, FamilySearch International CEO, said: “After RootsTech Connect 2021, we realized that we could bring the joy of family history to millions of people, no matter where they are, through an online, virtual RootsTech experience.
"As we continue to chart new territory with RootsTech, we plan to make the virtual event a regular part of the experience and look forward to all the new opportunities that will open to people everywhere.”
RootsTech Connect 2021 was attended by over one million people from 240 countries and featured online family history talks and classes, a virtual Expo Hall and message boards for visitors to chat to one another.
In October 2019, RootsTech held its first international conference in London.
The scheduled 2020 London event was cancelled due to coronavirus, and RootsTech have now confirmed that they will not hold in-person events in London in 2021 or in Salt Lake City in 2022.
For 2023 and beyond, RootsTech said it planned to offer “a hybrid online and in-person model with content that is expanded and accessed throughout the year”.
Rosemary Collins is the staff writer of Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine
