Wow, what a week! Just returned home after attending RootsTech2016 in Salt Lake City. So much to see and do. I will admit, the Expo Hall was my favorite place. With over 150 exhibitors I was like a kid in a candy store! I found myself returning again and again. Not only could you experience a hands-on demonstration but quite often you could speak with the inventor, author creator themselves.

The nice thing about having so many choices for sessions to attend is that you can session hop if you find the content isn’t what you thought it would be. A couple of standout sessions for me were NARA Mythbusters: Your Family IS in the Archives by Judy Russell, JD,CG, CGL and Understanding the Records of Immigrant Ancestors by Michael Hall. Both speakers had a ‘think outside the box’ approach that I enjoyed. So often we follow our checklist of sources and forget to turn the page just out of curiosity.

Another great event at RootsTech2016 was the Innovator Showdown. Top app developers from around the world have a chance to showcase their cutting-edge innovations. This year’s winner was TapGenes! A company description states “TapGenes connects the dots between your family, your lifestyle, and your health by combining them into an easy-to-understand genealogy health tree.”

I had a chance to meet and talk to the TapGenes team about their application. They are definitely a dedicated and friendly group. Check out their website to see what it’s all about!

Now I need to spend a couple of weeks going over my notes, handouts and expo literature so I can put into practice the things I learned.

Dame Sheila