RootsTech organizers weren’t sure how people would respond when they made the decision to host a free, all-virtual conference in 2021.
The end result far exceeded expectations. The free family history event reached more than 1 million people in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
“We thought, ‘Holy cow, there is an appetite for people to know about their family history,’ that is universal, that is clear,” said Jonathan Wing, a RootsTech manager.
What is the next step in 2022?
“Bring a higher level of energy to the screen,” said Jen Allen, director of events at RootsTech.
“That’s hard to do,” she continued. “When you have 30,000 people gathered in a room and you’re all cheering for the same thing, that’s easier. But we’re all in different places behind a computer screen watching this. The biggest thing that we are trying to bring this year is just more energy that will penetrate through that computer screen, wherever you might be watching it.”
Efforts to bring more energy to the online platform will be on display as RootsTech 2022 is unfurled March 3-5. Registration for the three-day family history conference is free for the second year in a row.
What is RootTech?
RootsTech is a global event that combines family history and technology and offers a forum where people of all ages across the globe can learn about genealogy, discover their family heritage, share memories and make meaningful connections.
It was first organized in 2011 by FamilySearch International, a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
This theme for this year’s RootsTech conference is “Choose Connection.”
Who is speaking at RootsTech 2022?
FamilySearch has announced a diverse lineup of keynote speakers. These main stage sessions, featuring two keynote speakers at a time, will be available in 11 languages.
Thursday, March 3:
- 10 a.m. MST — FamilySearch CEO Steve Rockwood and French baker Apollonia Poilâne.
- 8 p.m. MST — Palestinian comedian and actress Maysoon Zayid and actor Matthew Modine.
Friday, March 4:
- 2 p.m. MST — Argentine singer Diego Torres and Brazilian actress Thaís Pacholek.
Saturday, March 5:
- 10 a.m. MST — Food Network’s Molly Yeh and African boxing champion Azumah Nelson.
- Elder Ulisses Soares, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Sister Rosana Soares, will be the featured keynote speakers at the event’s Family Discovery Day.
Participating in RootsTech allowed Modine to learn more about his own family heritage.
“It’s always interesting to speak to somebody who is curious about your life,” Modine said in a Deseret News interview prior to the conference. “No matter what walk of life you come from, learning about your past through discussion and sharing information about your family is a revelation. In this case with RootsTech, it becomes magnified by the fact that the organization has the ability to reach into your past and help you learn and understand things about your family that you didn’t know.”
Actor Matthew Modine will be one of the featured keynote speakers at RootsTech 2022.
Brian Smith
How will RootsTech keynotes be different in 2022?
The global pandemic restricted travel in 2021 and for many of the keynotes the only option for recording their remarks was via Zoom or other videoconferencing technology.
This year provided more options. In some cases, organizers prerecorded some keynote speakers at small events with a live studio audience. They also produced documentary-style presentations for others as a way to make each session more engaging.
“We recorded some of our keynotes with an audience so you could have that feeling of energy in the room, of somebody giving an address, kind of like a TED Talk,” Wing said. “That was something we were able to test out and I’m excited to see how it resonates with everybody.”
Nelson’s keynote was captured as part of a small RootsTech event in Accra, Ghana, last November. Other live events were held in Argentina with Torres and in France with Poilâne.
Modine’s keynote was filmed documentary-style in New York City. Elder and Sister Soares filmed their keynote in their homeland of Brazil.
Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife Rosana will be the featured keynote speakers at Family Discovery Day, a free, all-virtual event held during RootsTech 2022. Part of the Soares’ message will originate from their homeland of Brazil.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Organizers hope the videos and productions, which also showcase dance, food and storytelling, will provide a good experience for all.
“The people who are highlighted in these videos are from all over the world, speak different languages, come from different cultures,” Allen said. “We are bringing them together to share the incredible diversity that this world has to offer.”
The expanded RootsTech learning library
Last year participants were introduced to a vast online learning library of more than 1,500 sessions, which provided information on almost any family history or genealogy-related topic. Those classes are still available on-demand.
RootsTech 2022 will add close to 900 more sessions in more than 30 languages from presenters worldwide, many in a shorter format.
Participants can use the My Playlist feature to create a customized list of sessions.
“The classes have always been core to RootsTech. People want to learn,” Wing said. “It was interesting to see in a global audience we get a whole different slew of ages and interest levels.”
Relatives at RootsTech
“Relatives at RootsTech” is a popular feature of the Family Tree app that allows users to see a list of relatives and how they are related.
The experience went worldwide with RootsTech 2021 and FamilySearch engineers have been working to improve the experience in 2022, FamilySearch said in a news release.
“Relatives at RootsTech” is a popular feature of the Family Tree app that allows users to see a list of relatives and how they are related.
FamilySearch screengrab
“This is a wonderful experience for people when they find, discover, and connect with others that they’re related to, especially for those that are discovering new relatives. There’s this amazing connection experience,” said Todd Powell, a product manager for mobile apps at FamilySearch.
Another fun feature is the Surname Connection, a tool that allows two people to check the history and locations of their last names and see if they are related.
Clicking on this link can help you discover if you are a relative of actor Matthew Modine.
What is the theme of RootsTech 2022?
The theme for this year’s conference is “Choose Connection.” RootsTech organizers are planning to launch a social media campaign for #ChooseConnection that will feature an original song and music video.
Learn more at rootstech.org.