NGS Announces 2028 Family History Conference Location and Dates

NGS Chooses Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for the 2028 Family History Conference

The National Genealogical Society (NGS) eagerly announces that it has selected the location for the 2028 NGS Family History Conference. Our event will be held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 17-20 May, at the Benton Convention Center. North Carolina offers a beautiful place to gather with remarkable opportunities for research. No matter your skill level or background, Winston-Salem will provide a unique learning experience and a community of people for connection and support. NGS looks forward to the role the North Carolina Genealogical Society (NCGS) will play in welcoming genealogists and family historians with help from the Forsyth County Genealogical Society (FCGS) in Winston-Salem. “We are thrilled to partner with NCGS and work alongside FCGS to bring our conference to such a compelling destination, and we appreciate the assistance from Visit Winston-Salem. With its deep history, importance in American migration, exceptional research collections, and rich cultural heritage, North Carolina offers countless ways to explore the people, places, and stories of the past,” said Matt Menashes, CAE, NGS executive director. The Great Wagon Road, which passed through what is now Winston-Salem, was the major highway of the day for settlers migrating from Pennsylvania, Virginia, and other areas. North Carolina became a crossroads for migration: some people settled permanently, some remained for only a few years or generations, and others continued to the Deep South, the Midwest, and beyond. “NCGS is excited to be the local host for the NGS 2028 Family History Conference in Winston-Salem. North Carolina has a long history going back to indigenous peoples and the first European inland settlement in North America at Fort San Juan in 1567. If you have pre-Civil War U.S. ancestry, free or enslaved, there is a good possibility that they lived in or passed through North Carolina, whether you know it or not,” said David M. McCorkle, NCGS president. “Plus, our state is excellent for anyone researching ancestors with extensive and easily accessible public and private archives, and very few restrictions on record access.” What You Can Explore in Winston-Salem and North Carolina Many people live within an easy travel distance of Winston-Salem, and research resources give genealogists and family historians plenty of reasons to make a trip for the conference in 2028. Places and topics of interest include (but are not limited to):  Old Salem Historic District - The Old Salem Visitor Center, Moravian Archives, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, St. Philips African Moravian Church, and other sites preserve and share the stories of Moravian, Black, and Indigenous peoples and of the American South. Libraries and Institutions - Winston-Salem is home to the North Carolina Room at the Forsyth County Public Library, Bethabara Park, Reynolda Historic District, and Wake Forest University’s Z. Smith Reynolds Library. In Raleigh, the State Archives of North Carolina keeps centralized archives of most original county records and all state records. The Library of North Carolina and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill also provide great research opportunities. Religious History - Religious freedom was an attraction to those who settled in North Carolina. The Winston-Salem area offers the chance to explore the Moravians who founded Bethania in 1759. Other religious traditions represented in the state include Quakers, Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, and Episcopalians. Occupations and Industries - From textiles to tobacco, discover historical contexts for understanding ancestors’ lives and additional avenues for genealogical research. Save the Date and Get Excited An inviting destination, Winston-Salem combines the amenities of a larger urban area with the more accessible atmosphere of a smaller city. The Benton Convention Center is centrally located downtown within walking distance of hotels, restaurants, and shops. Check out Winston-Salem and get excited for this conference. History traveled through North Carolina. In 2028, genealogists will too. Plan to join us 17-20 May 2028 to learn, connect, explore, and perhaps uncover an unexpected North Carolina chapter in your own family story while in Winston-Salem. Look Forward to 2027 Don't miss out on the next conference. Watch for registration to open for the NGS 2027 Family History Conference, 19-22 May, in Madison, Wisconsin, later this year! Visit the Family History Conference Website

Images courtesy of Visit Winston-Salem

Get a Preview of the NGS 2025 Family History Conference

Are you curious about details of the National Genealogical Society (NGS) 2025 Family History Conference, Tales & Trails, in Louisville, Kentucky? Are you wondering if you will go? Watch a recording of the Conference Preview webinar to get your questions answered and learn more about what is planned for 23-26 May.

• Get highlights of the program agenda from the plenary to the more than fifty lectures that will help you build skills during and after the conference. You'll get valuable education by attending live sessions, and participating in Louisville gives you access to every lecture in the app through 15 July 2025.
• Find out how adding FOCUS: A Pathway to the Future for Genealogy and Family History Organizations or a workshop or a tour can enhance your experience.
• Learn about the special Memorial Day event at Cave Hill Cemetery & Arboretum.
• Discover opportunities to enjoy time with fellow genealogists and family history enthusiasts through other unique, fun, informative events including luncheons, dinners, expo hall activities, and more.

We hope to see you all in Louisville, Kentucky on 23-26 May. You can also find information and register at any time on the conference website.

Hotel Reservations Now Open for NGS 2022 Family History Conference

Hotel Reservations Now Open for the

NGS 2022 Family History Conference

Starting today, at 12:00 p.m. (ET), you may reserve hotel accommodations for the NGS 2022 Family History Conference, Our American Mosaic. The conference will be held 24‒28 May 2022, at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center, 1400 J Street, Sacramento, California.

The conference will feature more than 150 genealogy lectures on a wide variety of topics. Lectures will focus on African American research; Asian and Pacific Islander research; BCG Skillbuilding; DNA; European and Middle Eastern research; Hispanic and Latin American ancestry; immigration and migration; methodology; Native American research; New England research; non-traditional families; records and repositories; reference services; society management; technology; the 1950s; western states; and writing. NGS will also welcome special guest speakers.

NGS offers attendees a choice of two hotels with discounted rates. The official conference hotels, the Hyatt Regency Sacramento and the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel, are in walking distance to the convention center. Both hotels offer complimentary Wi-Fi. Several parking garages with affordable parking are located in close proximity to the Safe Credit Union Convention Center.

As a rule, conference hotels tend to fill quickly. To ensure room availability, early reservations are recommended. Hotel reservations close 25 April 2022.

The hotels are offering the NGS rate three days before and three days after the conference, based on availability, so participants can do research or go sightseeing in the area. Check the hotels’ websites for COVID-19 regulations, cancellation policies, and amenities. Full details and links for NGS discounted, online reservations can be found on the NGS conference website. Attendees must request the NGS Family History Conference rate if making phone reservations.

Sacramento is home to several research facilities such as the California State Archives, California State Library, and several genealogical organizations. It also has twenty-eight museums including the Crocker Art Museum, California State Indian Museum, the Sacramento History Museum, the California State Railroad Museum, and the Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum. The city features art galleries, breweries, coffee bars, fine restaurants, and an historic landmark district, the Old Sacramento Waterfront. To learn about research facilities in the area, refer to the conference’s Announcement Brochure on the NGS conference website.

The NGS 2022 Family History Conference will run five days. It promises to offer many opportunities for family historians to advance their research, hone their skills, and network with fellow genealogists. Be sure to reserve your hotel accommodations as soon as possible.

COVID-19 Regulations
We fervently hope that the COVID-19 pandemic will have subsided by May 2022. Nevertheless, please be advised that NGS will adhere to regulations issued by the California Department of Public Health and Sacramento County Order of the Health Officer.

The SAFE Credit Union Convention Center has GBAC Star Facility Certification, which means it meets “the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention.” The Convention Center also abides by state and county protocols.

All conference participants—including sponsors, guest speakers, lecturers, exhibitors, and conference attendees—will be required to comply with the laws, rules, regulations, orders, and ordinances required at the time of the conference to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19. NGS will apprise all participants of the required protocols and procedures in advance of the conference.

Today—Last Chance to Register for NGS 2020 Live!

Last Chance to Register for NGS 2020 Live! 

Today is the last day to register to participate in the NGS 2020 Live! event on 20 May, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (EDT)—the first segment of the NGS Virtual Conference. Registration closes at 11:59 p.m. (EDT) today.

NGS 2020 Live! kicks off the NGS Virtual Conference featuring five great speakers. These five lectures are the first of over 85 lectures to be offered as part of the amazing line-up for NGS’s On-Demand lecture portion of the virtual conference ready for you on 1 July.

• “Validating Unsourced Online Information,” Thomas Wright Jones, PhD, CG®, FASG, FUGA, FNGS
• “Breaker Boys and Spinner Girls: Child Labor Laws and Their Records,” Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGLSM 
• “Echoes of the Women Who have Gone Before—Celebrating Women’s Suffrage,” Steffani Raff  
• “Turning Witnesses into Evidence,” Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA
• “What If? Learning About DNA Through Case Studies,” Blaine T. Bettinger, PhD,

NGS 2020 Live! also includes product sessions from our Platinum Sponsors, Ancestry, FamilySearch, and FamilyTreeDNA; the NGS Awards program; live chat; Q&A;  25 drawings for genealogy-related prizes, and more! To participate in NGS 2020 Live! and win prizes you must register by 11:59 p.m. (EDT) today, 15 May, to receive your invite to the streaming event. 

The second component of your registration to the NGS Virtual Family History Conference is NGS 2020 On-Demand!, which begins on 1 July. This two-part conference is a tremendous value. Your registration includes both NGS 2020 Live! and NGS 2020 On-Demand! You can select one of three package levels. Each offers a choice of more than 85 lecture sessions to build a package from. Any package you register for includes repeat viewing of the five-featured lectures from the NGS 2020 Live! event at your convenience after 1 July until 15 May 2021. 

Starting in June, Playback Now will contact registrants and ask you to select from the more than 85 lecture topics offered as part of NGS 2020 On-Demand! to build your package of audio-visual presentation recordings. Access to these recordings begins 1 July and includes repeat viewing for your selected sessions until 15 May 2021, plus over ten additional sponsored bonus lectures, as well as the five-featured lectures from NGS 2020 Live! You can start to review the current list of lecture sessions and bonus sponsored lectures at the NGS Conference website.

Register before midnight tonight, Friday, 15 May, for one of these three package options.  

• The “Full” Package includes registration for the NGS 2020 Live! virtual conference on 20 May; streaming access to your choice of twenty NGS 2020 On-Demand! sessions from 1 July 2020 through 15 May 2021; an electronic copy of the virtual conference syllabus, and sponsored bonus lectures.
• The “Works” Package includes everything in the Full Package with an additional twenty-five NGS 2020 On-Demand! sessions you select (a total of 45 lectures you choose), a USB with audio recordings of ALL the recorded sessions (more than 100 hours of audio content that can also be streamed to your mobile device). Plus, the sponsored bonus lectures.
• NGS 2020 “Light” Package includes registration for the NGS 2020 Live! virtual conference on 20 May; an electronic copy of the virtual conference syllabus; and ten NGS 2020 On-Demand! sessions of your choice. You also will receive access to the full list of sponsored bonus lectures.

Be part of NGS 2020 Live! Register now to join us along with more than one thousand genealogy enthusiasts and enjoy the first part of the NGS Virtual Conference streaming to your computer or mobile device on 20 May.

For more information about NGS 2020 Live! and NGS 2020 On-Demand! or to register, visit our conference website.

Questions? Email the Conference Registrar, Courtney Holmes.

Hotel Reservations Now Open for the

National Genealogical Society’s 2019 Family History Conference

FALLS CHURCH, VA, 15 AUGUST 2018—Effective 15 August 2018, you may reserve accommodations for the National Genealogical Society’s forty-first annual Family History Conference, Journey of Discovery, which will be held 8-11 May 2019 at the St Charles Convention Center (SCCC), One Convention Center Plaza, St. Charles, Missouri.

The conference will feature more than 150 unique lectures on topics such as census, court, immigration, land, migration, military, and vital records as well as DNA, ethnic resources, government documents, maps, regional topics, technology, and much more.

NGS offers attendees several discounted hotels, convenient to the convention center. Embassy Suites St. Charles is the conference hotel and is connected to the 2019 NGS conference center site. Other conference hotels offer a variety of room rates, free parking, and internet service. Most offer free breakfast each morning. When making a reservation, be sure to ask for the 2019 NGS rate. Seven hotels, within a two-mile radius of the conference site, will have a complimentary shuttle service to the SCCC. Two additional hotels are a little farther away and do not offer shuttle service. Uber and taxi service are also available.

Since past experience has shown that conference hotels tend to fill quickly, early reservations are recommended if you intend to register and attend the conference. The hotels are offering the NGS rate three days before and three days after the conference, based on availability, so participants can do research or go sight-seeing in the area. Please check the hotels’ websites for cancellation rules and for additional amenities. Full details and links for NGS discounted, online reservation can be found on the NGS conference website.

St. Charles has a small-town feel and friendly people. Come early or stay after the conference and take a day trip to wine country, tour the Foundry Art Centre, and dine at a variety of restaurants and breweries. To learn about area research facilities for family history, several of which offer national collections, refer to the conference’s Announcement Brochure on the NGS conference website.

The four-day NGS 2019 Family History Conference promises to be a great opportunity for family historians to advance their research, hone their skills, and network with fellow genealogists. Be sure to reserve your hotel accommodations as soon as possible.

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogical education, exemplary stands of research, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Falls Church, Virginia, based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, and guidance in research. It also offers many opportunities to interact with other genealogists.

Registration Opens for Bloggers and Members of the Media Attending 2017 NGS Family History Conference

Registration Opens for Bloggers and Members of the Media  Attending 2017 NGS Family History Conference

Arlington, VA, 7 MARCH 2017— Registration is now open to the press, social media writers, bloggers, radio show hosts, and other media to register for official media credentials for the National Genealogical Society (NGS) 2017 Family History Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, 10-13 May 2017. The conference, one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious genealogy conferences, features more than 175 lectures. Topics include methodology, problem-solving, DNA and genealogical research, resources and research techniques for exploring your African American, Native American, female, German and Scots-Irish ancestors, and much, much more. As many as 2,000 genealogists and family historians will be on hand for the conference.

To register to receive your media credentials, go to http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/official-social-media-press-registration/. Registration is open through 21 March 2017. NGS will notify registrants their acceptance by 24 March 2017. For more information on the NGS Social Media Policy, see http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/press/social-media-policy.

Official media will be

§  permitted to use the official press and blogger logos

§  granted use of the press table at the conference

§  linked to the NGS Family History Conference blog

NGS recognizes the importance of media who regularly draw attention to records, research methods, tools, software, events, and other areas of genealogy. In recognition of the media’s contribution to the field of genealogy, NGS will award the person with the best coverage $100 and next best coverage $50 to use towards attendance at the 2018 Family History Conference.

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Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogical education, exemplary standards of research, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Arlington, Virginia-based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, and guidance in research. It also offers many opportunities to interact with other genealogists.

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