National Genealogical Society | Tips for First Time Conference Attendees

Tips for First Time Conference Attendees

Program highlights

The conference has a number of tracks or lecture themes. When you register, we ask you to indicate the lectures you plan to attend so we can anticipate the audience size for each lecture. You can change your selection and attend any lecture in any track.
If you are new to genealogy, we recommend the Family History Skills Track, which covers the basic records you need to research your family. Experienced speakers will tell you how to analyze each type of record while providing many examples from their research.
If you have been researching for a while, you might enjoy the methodology lectures in which you will learn how to hone your research skills to help break through your brick walls.
If you have been researching for some time and want to improve your genealogical skills, then the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) Skillbuilding Track may be your preference.
You are free to move from track to track throughout the day and conference. However, as a courtesy to the speaker, please do not leave a lecture once it has begun.
Some lectures will be well attended. The largest lecture rooms will hold 500 people. Some of the specialty lectures will be in smaller rooms with limited space. If there is a lecture you really want to hear, we recommend you find your seat twenty minutes before the lecture begins.
Many of the lectures will be recorded with CDs available for purchase for $12 each at the conference and after the conference through a link on the NGS website. If there are two or more lectures you want to hear at the same time, check the program. Lectures not being recorded will have a pen in the lecture square indicating you need to take notes.
Each lecture has a number assigned: Wednesday lectures begin with a W, Thursday with a T, Friday with a F, and Saturday with an S. The lectures on Wednesday begin with 101, on Thursday with 201, on Friday with 301, and on Saturday with 401. Understanding the numbering system will help you find lectures in the Syllabus and order recorded lectures on CD ROM.

Exhibit hall

As you enter the exhibit hall you will see the National Genealogical Society booth. Stop by and see our publications, including the Research in the States series, and talk to our staff about education courses. Many conference attendees collect conference pins, which are available for purchase in the NGS booth.
There will be over one hundred vendors in the exhibit hall. Ancestry.com and FamilySearch will have large booths with computers available to search for your ancestors. There will also be several booksellers and a number of vendors selling family history software. If you have not yet purchased family history software, the exhibit hall offers a great opportunity to compare the features and benefits of each alternative.
Many local and national genealogical societies and professional organizations will also have booths. You will have an opportunity to visit with the officers and staff, view their publications, and ask questions.
If you make too many purchases to fit everything in your suitcase, UPS will be available in the exhibit hall on Saturday to handle any shipments home.
Bring return address labels to use when signing up for drawings in the Exhibit Hall. Social events. It is helpful if the labels also include an e-mail address and phone number.
There will be three luncheons each day sponsored by a major genealogical society or organization. Each luncheon includes a speaker. The speaker, title of the talk, and menu are listed in the registration brochure, which will be available as a PDF online in December 2011.
Luncheons provide networking opportunities for you to meet other genealogists. If you prefer to browse the exhibit hall instead, a food concession will be open each day through the lunch hour. The conference hotels will also serve lunch each day.
There will be a variety of evening activities during the conference. Check the registration brochure for details.

Conference syllabus

We ask each speaker to submit a four-page summary of the highlights of their lecture. We print these summaries in a syllabus. All conference attendees will receive the conference syllabus on Flash Drive as part of registration. Early bird registrants may order a print syllabus for delivery at the conference for $20. We recommend that first time conference attendees seriously consider ordering the printed syllabus.

About two weeks before the conference, we will make the syllabus available for your review on the conference website. You will be sent an e-mail letting you know when it is available. This early release provides you with an opportunity to print the summaries for the lectures you plan to attend if you did not order the printed syllabus. We will also have syllabus print stations at the conference, but you will be limited to printing 20 pages at a time. The syllabus on Flash Drive (and print version if ordered) will be distributed with other registration material.

Networking at the Conference

Be sure to take business cards or a small pad of paper so you can exchange contact information with people you meet at the conference.
You may also want to bring your family history database on a flash drive so you can share your gedcom file with any cousins you meet. It is also always good to have a recent back up.

When you arrive at the conference

If you pre-registered for the conference, you will pick up the conference materials at a booth in the lobby of the convention center labeled “Attendee Check-In.” The booth will be open from noon until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 8 May 2012, and will open at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning. You will need to show personal identification to receive your conference materials. Before you leave the booth area, check to make sure you have all the tickets for events you purchased when you registered.
Your name tag provides you with access to all the lectures and the general sessions. Be sure to wear your name tag at all times. You will need a ticket to workshops and to the paid social events. The last day to purchase tickets for workshops and the social events is 24 April 2012. However, we recommend you purchase tickets as soon as possible, as space is limited and the events fill up quickly.
You will receive a tote bag with your program and other conference materials. Put your name on your program in case you lose it. We only print enough copies for each attendee to receive one. The tote bag will help you carry your program materials as well as purchases you make in the exhibit hall.

What to pack

Business casual clothes are proper attire for most of the conference. If you have registered for the NGS Banquet, business attire or a cocktail dress is appropriate. You will notice the speakers all wear business attire.
Convention centers can be cold, so be sure to bring a sweater or jacket to wear during the day.
Comfortable shoes are a must.
Ohio weather can be unpredictable in May. You may need a sweater or jacket if you go out for the evening.
A shower is possible any day during the week, so you may want to pack a small umbrella.

Where to research

Review “Research in the Cincinnati Area” in the conference flyer. Additional information will be posted on the conference blog as it becomes available, so check this area from time to time.

Sightseeing and dining

Downtown Cincinnati has great restaurants. Some require reservations, especially on the weekend.
“The Hospitality Booth” across from “Attendee Check-In” will have a comprehensive visitors guide available.

Airport and parking

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is about 10 minutes from the convention center and hotels.
Conference hotels do not have airport shuttles. Shuttle service is available at the airport and costs about $20 one-way or $30 round-trip. Taxi service is also available for about $27 each way. For further information, go to http://www.cvgairport.com/transport/bus_taxi_limo.html.
It is a good idea to make shuttle reservations in advance to speed up the commute from the airport to your hotel. Making them a few days before your departure is enough time.
If you are driving to the conference, parking at the convention center is available. Click here for map.
Leave the hotel about two hours before your airline departure time to allow time at the airport for check-in and security. Most airlines recommend that you arrive at least ninety minutes before your departure time. If you have any questions, check your airline's website.

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