Monday, June 17, 2019

Takeaways From the SCGS Genealogy 2019 Jamboree

I collected my blog posts for the SCGS Genealogy Jamboree 2019:


*  We Are Off to the Genealogy Jamboree!! (posted 30 May 2019)


*  My Day 1 at SCGS Genealogy Jamboree 2019 (posted 31 May 2019)


*  Photos From Day One at Jamboree 2019 (posted 1 June 2019)


*  My Day Two at the SCGS Genealogy Jamboree (posted 1 June 2019)



*  My Day Three at Genealogy Jamboree 2019 (posted 3 June 2019)


*  Photos From Day Three (Sunday) of Genealogy Jamboree 2019 (posted 3 June 2019)


My takeaways from this Jamboree include:

*  I attended 6 of 16 classes, and enjoyed presentations by Judy Russell, the DNA panel, Peggy Lauritzen, Michael Lacopo, Bruce Buzbee, and Michael Strauss.  Some classes that I wanted were full when I got there.

*  I had a first-hand look at RootsMagic Version 8 from Bruce Buzbee at their exhibit table, and noted that the graphic interface and navigation will be significantly different from Version 7, so there will be a learning curve for most users.  However, no major new features are expected.

*  The ProGen alumni lunch on Saturday with about 25 attendees was a lot of fun; besides lunch, organizers Denise Levenick and Cyndy Richardson organized a quiz of items used in the past.  We had to guess what they were.  I knew none of them, so posted a photo on Facebook and several responders suggested some of the items.  The lunch discussion was excellent in The Daily Grill.

*  There were several new DNA entrepreneurial companies in the Exhibit Hall, including DNA2Trees, DNAGedCom/Genetic Family, CelebrateDNA! and perhaps more.  I'm happy to see that the field is still creating new processes and products.  

*  The Exhibit Hall was missing several companies that are usually there - Findmypast, AmericanAncestors, GenealogyBank, 23andMe, Lisa Louise Cooke were especially missed.  There may have been others.  On the other hand, I enjoyed talking to the folks at the exhibits for Ancestry, FamilySearch, MyHeritage, RootsMagic, Legacy Family Tree, Geni.com, Family Tree Maker, Living DNA, Legacy Tree Genealogists, Moorshead Magazine, GenDetective, Family ChartMasters, Mayflower Descendants, DAR, and several more. 

*  It seemed that there were fewer attendees at this Jamboree (Friday through Sunday) than in years past, and the exhibit hall did not seem to have as many exhibitors.  

*  The weather was cool and gloomy - the famous June Gloom in Southern California.  Unfortunately, this resulted in my wife staying in the hotel room all day because it was too cold to go to the swimming pool.

*  We did not go to either of the evening dinners, and haven't in the recent past.  Linda and I went out alone to eat on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday lunch.  

*  SCGS announced that there would be no Jamboree in 2020, and that they were evaluating how to best serve the community in 2021.  This may be a case of volunteer burnout and turnover.  I don't know.  It will be disappointing to have no multi-day conference in 2020 west of Salt Lake City.  Perhaps multi-day conferences are becoming obsolete. 

*  We did have a treat on Sunday night - we stopped in Huntington Beach on the way home and had dinner with our daughter's family.  It was fun to see and share time with the three grandchildren.

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Copyright (c) 2019, Randall J. Seaver

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