RootsTech 2025 Survival Guide

I am bringing this blog out of the "cemetery". It's almost time for RootsTech 2025, which is held annually in Salt Lake City, Utah. This event runs from Thursday, March 6th through 8th, and includes hundreds of classes, vendors, keynote speakers, and more! It's my favorite genealogy conference and what pushed me to become a professional genealogist when I first attended in person in 2017. 

Classes

There are so many different types of classes that you can choose from within the same time block. It's best to review via the mobile app for any class updates (including room changes, cancellations, etc.). You can also review a list of classes via the website at https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/schedule. 

 Yours truly is giving two in-person classes and a broadcast webinar (details below - all times are in Mountain Time)

• Escaping the Famine: Exploring Irish Settlements in Canada
• Thursday, March 6th at 3:00 PM - online only on www.rootstech.org (it should be recorded and available for replay)
• Using Tax Records in Your Family History Research 
• Friday, March 7th at 8:00 AM - Room 155EF
• "Oh Yes I Went to the Front!" Women in the Civil War
• Saturday, March 8th at 1:30 PM - Room 155A

Expo Hall

The vendors are in a very large area of the Salt Palace Convention Center. You will see large windows overlooking the space. It's very close to the ballrooms and the rooms where the keynotes are held. You can find major vendors like Ancestry, MyHeritage, Findmypast, specialized DNA companies (GEDMatch, DNA Painter, Banyan DNA, and more), individual vendors showing their latest tech tools, book sellers (like Deseret), and others. Many vendors will have RootsTech specials on DNA kits, memberships, books, and more! 

The hours for the Expo Hall are 9:00-6:30 on Thursday, 9:00-6:00 on Friday, and 9:00-3:00 PM on Saturdays. Thursday night from 5:30-6:30 PM is Night at the Expo Hall. This gives you a little more time for shopping! 

There is a Expo Hall Passport you can bring to vendors to get stamped. If you visit the required booths, you are entered to win some great prizes. One year I won a Dell laptop backpack. 

If you need to ship anything home, there is a local UPS store at 32 W 200 St, about 2 blocks from the Salt Palace. They have daily hours, including Sundays. 

Update: Here's a floor plan of the Expo Hall - https://rootstech2025.mapyourshow.com/8_0/floorplan 

General Sessions and Keynotes

Every day during the conference, there is a General Session at 11:00 AM where you can hear from multiple speakers across the major genealogy companies sponsoring the event. They talk about the latest tools released around RootsTech (if not that day). In-person keynotes are also done toward the end of the session. Unless specified otherwise, they are held in Hall E (the Main Stage room) of the Salt Palace near the staircase at the front of the convention center. Here's a schedule of what to expect:

• Thursday, March 6th - 9:30 AM 
• FamilySearch Global and Tech Forum 2025 - hear from leaders from FamilySearch as they showcase new features and highlights from around the globe. https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/familysearch-global-and-tech-forum-2025

• Thursday - March 6th - 11:00 AM - General Session  with Keynote Dana Tanamachi (New York City-based artist and designer) - https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/speakers/dana-tanamachi/en 
• Friday - March 7th - 11:00 AM - General Session with Keynote Rachel Platten (Emmy Award-winning multi-platinum artist, singer, and songwriter) - https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/speakers/rachel-platten/en 
• Friday - March 7th - 12:15 PM - Ballroom B
• Virtual Keynote Screening - bring your lunch and hear from the following keynote speakers: Ysabelle Cuevas, Los Chicaneros, and Ndaba Mandela (Nelson Mandela's grandson)
• Friday - March 7th - 1:30 PM - Industry Highlight Forum 
• Saturday - March 8th 9:30 AM - Impact Forum with Mylo Fowler and Lindsay Fulton
• Saturday - March 8th - 11:00 AM - General Session with Keynotes Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall (the Olympics power couple)  - https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/speakers/tara-davis-woodhall-and-hunter-woodhall/en 
• Saturday - March 8th - 1:30 PM - Family Discovery Session 

FamilySearch Library

Late night hours are back at the FamilySearch library! From Monday (3/3) through Saturday (3/8), the library is open 9 AM to 8:00 PM. The library is just a few blocks away from the Salt Palace, located right near Temple Square. 

Dining

Lots of options throughout the city, including the general area around the Salt Palace and Temple Square. City Creek Mall has a big food court for a quick meal. For restaurants, I highly recommend going a little earlier for dinner and possibly making a reservation. Within the Salt Palace, there are food trucks in the Expo Hall, some food vendors (where you can buy pizza, pretzels, etc.), and also a mini mart where you can buy some hot food and other snacks (chips, soda, juice). This one has a limited capacity as it's one where you use your credit card to enter the turnstile, so if there is a long line, you may want to skip it until later. 

Other Logistics

• Wear comfortable sneakers! I can't emphasize this enough. It's a lot of walking. 
• Show up to sessions early enough to get a seat. If the room is full, you will need to find another session to attend. 
• There is a coat check on the lower level near the ballrooms. I can't recall if there is a charge. You may want to bring a sweater with you if you get cold. 
• Many rest rooms throughout the Salt Palace
• There are lots of places where you can plug in your phone and computer to charge up or work. 

Let me know if I missed anything you want to know about! It's going to be a great week, and I hope to see you there to catch up and get those RootsTech selfies. 

See you soon!