Hi Cousins, With the AGM and Mike's trip to Las Vegas now in the planning stages, I thought it might help to share part of an article from Richard Eastman's Online Genealogy newsletter regarding "genealogy conferences". You can sign up for the free edition of the newsletter at this website: http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/plusedition.html Maybe there are suggestions here that we can consider before all plans are finalized. Darlene Amark HBS #1239 Eight Tips for Getting the Most Out of Genealogy Conferences - published online with graphics and full formatting at http://eogn.com/wp/?p=14108 on Monday, January 24th, 2011 The benefits of going to genealogy conferences cannot be overestimated. Yes, we can probably sit at home and surf the web or go to local libraries and learn a lot. However, most conferences compress more learning experiences into a day or a few days than what most of us can experience on our own in a year. The two biggest benefits for me have been (1.) learning new things, new ideas, and new approaches to old problems, as well as (2.) getting to meet in person people that have made an impact on me and on genealogy. I attended my first national genealogy conference 23 years ago and have been to more than 100 conferences in four countries since then. Whether you are planning to attend a one-day local conference or a four-day national event, I probably can offer some advice. 1. Prepare yourself. Make sure you are mentally and emotionally ready to interact with a large group at big events. This is not a small, intimate group. Be prepared to meet a lot of people - presenters and attendees alike. Be outgoing, be inquisitive, and smile a lot. People enjoy talking with others who smile. 2. Choose the sessions that best serve your goals. All conferences post their schedules online well in advance of the conference. Some will even post the conference syllabus online a week or two in advance. Take some time to plan the sessions you will attend before you leave home. Make sure you know WHY you want to attend each one. Go to sessions that can advance your learning, expertise, and networking with the "right" people. Keep a calendar of the sessions you plan to attend as it is easy to get distracted when at the conference. 3. Attend luncheons. If the conference features luncheons, make sure you attend. Everyone wants to sit with their friends, but I would suggest that a luncheon is the perfect time to meet new friends. Look to see who else is at the luncheon, and see if you can sit next to someone with whom you would like to have a discussion, be it a speaker or an attendee. You can meet the most interesting people over a meal! 4. Focus on people as well as topics. We all want to learn new techniques or to learn from an experienced researcher. You might want to search for each presenter's name on Google before the conference to learn about that person's credentials and experiences. (Add the word "genealogy" after the person's name when searching.) Not only will you want to listen to that person, but you also may want to introduce yourself after the lecture or meet that presenter later if the opportunity arises. You can ask questions at conferences, unlike reading "how to" articles in books and magazines. 5. Have specific goals in mind. Conferences are great opportunities for networking. You can find more experts at a typical genealogy conference than at any other single location. That includes attendees as well as presenters. Do you see possibilities for collaboration? Do you share research interests? With limited time, having specific reasons and goals in mind can yield very effective results. 6. Bring a jump drive. You can find a lot of information at conferences, from presenters, from vendors, and from other attendees. If it is digital information, you can obtain copies on your jump drive and take all of it home with you. Carrying product brochures and other information on a jump drive is a lot easier than carrying it on paper! All that information is also less likely to get lost when you return home. 7. Make a name tag that lists your genealogy surnames of interest. It isn't high tech but it certainly is a great "ice breaker" to start a conversation. Names tags with surnames of interest usually attract leads from newly-found distant relatives. 8. Do timely follow up. Follow up with a sincere thank you note in email later. Let the organizers know what you liked or didn't like about the conference. Let the presenters know that you appreciated the presentation and especially enjoyed meeting them.