A-Z Challenge 2014: R is for Rootstech

Rootstech is a family history conference (one of the biggest there is).  It is held in North America (usually in Salt Lake, Utah) during February.  Some of the sessions are streamed live AND FREE over the Internet - I am so glad, because there is no way I could afford the plane fare and the entrance fee!  As its name suggests, it's all about genealogy/family history and technology; what's out there now, and what we can expect to come.  Even if you do not consider yourself very techno-savvy, it's worth either attending or viewing Rootstech.  Here are some of the stats for Rootstech 2013, taken from its site:

• Over 6,700 registered attendees from 49 U.S. states, six Canadian provinces, and 23 additional countries.
• 13,600+ views of live-streaming sessions on RootsTech.org.
• 100+ bloggers from Australia, Canada, Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

It caters for every level of genealogist.  Even if you are just starting out, there is a set of 30 beginner classes where the fee is $19 (about 11 GBP).  Some of the streamed-live-free sessions in 2014 included:
Top 10 Things I Learned About My Family from My Couch by Tammy Hepps
FamilySearch Family Tree: What's New and What's Next by Ron Tanner
Intro to DNA for Genealogists by James Rader
Genealogy in the Cloud by Randy Hoffman
Sharing Your Family with Multimedia by Michael LeClerc
Storytelling Super Powers: How to Come Off as Your Family's Genealogy Hero by David Adelman
Tweets, Links, Pins, and Posts: Break Down Genealogical Brick Walls with Social Media by Lisa Alzo
Getting the Most Out of Ancestry.com by Crista Cowen
Finding Family and Ancestors Outside the USA with New Technologies by Daniel Horowitz
Do It Yourself Photo Restoration by Ancestry Insider
Become an iPad Power User by Lisa Louise Cooke
Information Overload: Managing Online Searches and Their Results by D. Josh Taylor
A Beginner’s Guide to Going Paperless by Randy Whited
How to Interview Yourself for a Personal History by Tom Taylor
Five Ways to Do Genealogy in Your Sleep by Deborah Gamble
[info from the familiysearch.org website]

and, of course, plenty of classes, seminars, and an expo hall to wander around for those who were fortunate enough to get there in person.  See what I mean?  Something for everybody.