SALT LAKE CITY — One of the prominent keynote speakers at this year's RootsTech Conference is Buddy Valastro, also known as the "Cake Boss."
In addition to speaking at the conference, the reality television star and New York Times best-selling author will also serve as a celebrity guest judge for the first ever RootsTech cake decorating contest.
"Nothing brings family together like food," Valastro said in a recent phone interview with the Deseret News.
The contest will feature four different cake decorating categories: wedding, birthday, holiday and graduation. Each category will have three finalists with one being named the grand prize winner. They will all get to meet and take a photo with Valastro. Winners will also receive more than $20,000 in prizes from the baking and kitchen supply company, Orson H Gygi, and be featured on the company's I-15 billboard. Each cake entry will be on display during the last day of RootsTech, Saturday, Feb. 11, where thousands of people will have the opportunity to vote for a "People's Choice" winner for each category by the end of the day.
The deadline to submit an application is Friday, Jan. 13 at 11:59 p.m. For rules and guidelines and a link to register visit RootsTech.org.
The cake decorating contest is part of a new theme focusing on the role that food plays in family cultures, practices, connections and history, according to organizers. RootsTech organizers hope attendees will bring and share some of these family food traditions in the form of recipes, memories and more, said Paul Nauta, public affairs director at FamilySearch.org and a spokesman for the event.
RootsTech will take place Feb. 8-11 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. It is considered the largest family history and technology conference in the world and is sponsored by FamilySearch International.