After long anticipation, RootsTech 2023 is finally here! Today, March 2nd, was the first day of this 3-day conference. Here's a quick recap of what happened today, in case you couldn't join us.
Participants gathered together virtually and in-person all through this first day of RootsTech. The conference opened with a welcome song from our emcee, Kirby Heyborne, followed by Steve Rockwood, CEO of FamilySearch International, introducing this year's theme of Uniting, and a keynote address from American Idol winner Jordin Sparks.
The Innovation and Tech forum took the Main Stage later in the day. Dr. Nick Barrat was the host, with Marco Polo CEO Vlada Bortnik as the featured speaker. Other developers, such as GENXT, Synium, Storied.com, Bank of Memories, and MyHeritage, also had time on the stage to showcase their newest family history products. Presentations included an augmented reality story platform from Ericsson and a way to calculate relationships based on a photo from KinSame.
The Expo Hall was open throughout the day for in-person and virtual attendees to experience the products and offerings from many companies and organizations firsthand.
Today's Trending Videos
Don't want to miss out on the best content at RootsTech? Check out some of the top trending videos from day 1.
Don't Forget about Relatives at RootsTech!
Find out if you're related to others—either in-person or virtual—at the conference by signing up or signing in with a free FamilySearch account. Once logged in, you can even go one step further! Create your own unique share link to post on your social media and find relatives outside of RootsTech.
Weren't able to find any relatives at the conference?
Don't fret! We appreciate you being a pioneer in your family at this year's RootsTech conference, and we still have ways for you to experience Relatives at RootsTech 2023.
Use the FamilySearch surname tool to compare your family name with a friend's. You'll learn the origins of both names and the countries that the names are most likely to appear in together.
If you're new to family history and haven't started building your family tree yet, Relatives at RootsTech has something for you too! It provides some easy helps that will let you get started on adding family members to your tree!
Our Top Picks
If you're not sure what sessions to watch, here is a list of some of our favorites you won't want to miss.
What Is RootsTech?
RootsTech is a place that focuses on uniting communities, friends, and families through family history. The conference is hosted by FamilySearch and sponsored by other leading genealogy organizations. Day 2 of RootsTech will be full of more opportunities for being inspired, connecting with others, and learning from the best classes about how to find your ancestors.
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