The 42nd Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree will be held
Friday through Sunday, June
10-12, 2011. The conference will again be held at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel,
2500 Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505.
2010 was a record-setting year in terms of attendance, with over 1700 attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and volunteers filling the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport. We anticipate that our attendance numbers will grow slightly and we look forward to welcoming everyone to Burbank!
You'll find a highlight of the weekend here. Click on the buttons above to get the details on registration (both online and by mail) speakers, schedule, hotel reservations, maps and directions, local resources and sights, and those all-important FAQs. If you don't find what you're looking for, drop us a note [SCGSJamboree@gmail.com] and just ask. We're here to make your Jamboree experience the best ever.
REGISTER ONLINE OR BY MAIL
The Jamboree Shopping Cart is now open for business! Use your Visa or Mastercard to register online. You will find separate sections for:
SCGS member registration
Non-member registration
Family History Writers Conference registration
If you prefer to register by mail (using your check) or by phone (with a credit card), print out the registration form, fill it out and send it, or call SCGS during office hours at 818.843.7247.
If you are not a member of SCGS, think about joining. You'll begin to see benefits immediately, including discounted registration fees for Jamboree. You will, of course, enjoy other benefits of membership.
CLASS SCHEDULE
With 130 concurrent class sessions running over the three days, you're sure to find just the tip you need to vault over that stubborn brick wall. Jamboree offers classes for those who are taking their very first step to those who are advanced researchers. Jamboree offers search strategies for using traditional repositories (libraries, courthouses, historical societies), to dozens of resources on the Internet. Download the extensive schedule to learn the speakers, title and descriptions of the presentations. You'll find the geographic and ethnicities, record types and target audiences to help you select the sessions you want to attend.
EXHIBIT AREA
Between sessions, during the lunch breaks and throughout the day, you'll be kept busy by visiting almost 70 exhibitors, commercial vendors, genealogical societies and heritage organizations, speaker / authors, and others. Schedule enough time to visit all the booths, and don't be shy. Strike up conversations with the booth staff. They have lots of information and are looking forward to sharing it with you.
MARRIOTT HOTEL RESERVATIONS
The Marriott has designated special room rates for Jamboree attendees. Make your hotel reservations online before May 9, 2011, to receive special pricing of $155 for single or double. You can also call the Marriott to reserve your room at 1-818-843-6000 or 1-800-736-9712 and refer to group GENGENA.
You may wish to check the Marriott website for special senior or AAA rates that may result in a lower room rate. Reservations and Hotel Information.
If you do book a room outside of the Jamboree discount, please email SCGSJamboree@gmail.com and give us your name and confirmation number. We will work with the Marriott to assure that you are identified as a Jamboree participant. PLEASE NOTE: Each guest room booked offsets the cost of our meeting spaces, so it is crucial to the Jamboree budget that your reservation is linked to our account.
FAMILY HISTORY WRITERS CONFERENCE
2011 will feature its second Family History Writers Conference, held the day before Jamboree, on Thursday, June 9. Our distinguished speakers include:
John Colletta, PhD, FUGA. John is an acknowledged expert in the field of writing family history. He is author of two manuals -- They Came in Ships: A Guide to Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor's Arrival Record and Finding Italian Roots: The Complete Guide for Americans -- and numerous how-to articles. His latest book -- Only a Few Bones: A True Account of the Rolling Fork Tragedy and Its Aftermath -- is a history of the German-speaking merchants of the Mississippi Delta during Reconstruction.
D.G. Fulford, co-author of For Our Children's Children, The Designated Daughter blog, and founder of TheRememberingSite.org.
Dawn Parrett Thurston has taught family history writing classes for 15 years and has helped hundreds of people write and publish their stories. Signature Book published her book, Breathe Life into Your Life Story: How to Write a Story People Will WANT to Read, in 2007.
Loretto "Lou" Szucs, FUGA, Lisa A. Alzo and Tom Underhill's panel discussion will review options for publishing your book when it is complete. Lou is Vice President of Public Relations for Ancestry.com. Lisa is a professional genealogist, author and lecturer. Tom Underhill is president of Creative Continuum.
Biff and Nancy Barnes will also address aspects of publication, inclluding organization.
PARTNERSHIPS WITH GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES
Society Row. We value the partnerships that have been established with area genealogical societies over the years. This year, we will offer several programs that we hope will encourage the participation of these societies in Jamboree. Societies are invited to staff one of the free exhibit tables in the Convention Center lobby. The tables will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and a society can reserve one table for a single day (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday). Contact Leo Myers [leo.myers44@gmail.com] for details on this new program.
FREE Society Workshop Friday morning. Thanks to sponsorships provided by the Federation of Genealogical Societies and the California State Genealogical Alliance, we are pleased to offer the first-ever Society workshop during JamboFREE Friday morning. The Society Workshop runs from 8:30am to 12noon and is limited to 200 attendees. Preregistration is requested. Three highly respected speakers will deliver these outstanding presentations:
George G. Morgan: "The Shape of the 21st Genealogical Society." Genealogical societies must adopt new strategies and modern technologies and adapt to today's trends, to attract new members, and to grow and expand. This session will describe and illustrate how modern societies have evolved and implemented new ideas to grow and succeed.
Cath Madden Trindle, CG: "But It's My Family! Copyright Issues for Genealogists." Whether writing or collecting a family history, editing a family or society newsletter, this session offers a discussion of current US copyright law, International copyright, pending legislation, fair use, court actions and ethical issues of copying and sharing genealogical information electronically or in print.
Jana Sloan Broglin, CG: "Program Program, Git Yer Program." Is your society striking out for ideas for meetings? Is attendance down in your "ballpark?" Are your lectures hitting home runs? Find out how to hit a home run at each meeting or seminar. Included are discussions are the details: contracts, advertising, equipment, room set-up, and "housing" of the speaker. A sample society-speaker contract will be included in the handout. Bring your ideas on finding great speakers who'll stay within your education budget.
Saturday Society Breakfast. Thomas MacEntee, publicity chair for the FGS Conference and Illinois Genealogical Society, will share his vast experience with social media tools such as blogs, Twitter and Facebook. New marketing techniques have taken on new power in the 21st century. Learn how to harness the power of these methods to market your genealogical society. In-person attendance is limited to 100, but we will also be offering the session as a FREE webinar. You'll miss the calories from the yummy breakfast, but that's all you'll miss. Reserve your webinar seat: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/653515569
Group Trip to Burbank. How about making Jamboree a group event for your society members? We'll help you plan it, help you publicize it, and reward the organizer for the effort. Your group will get one free registration for every 10 members who are in your group. The San Diego Genealogical Society uses their annual train trip to Jamboree as a society fundraiser. You can, too. If you're interested in exploring this further, contact us at SCGSJamboree@gmail.com.
These are just a few of the collaboration opportunities. Read more here.
STAY IN TOUCH WITH JAMBOREE
The best way to stay updated on all the Jamboree news is through the Jamboree blog. It's painless: Just sign up one time to have updates sent directly to your email. Your email address will remain confidential and will be used for no purpose other than Jamboree updates.
You can also follow SCGSGenealogy on Twitter (#scgs11). Facebookers, join the SCGS Group and add Jamboree to your list of events. On GenealogyWise.com, you can join the SCGS Group on GenealogyWise, as well as the Jamboree group. While you're at it, send friend requests to Paula Hinkel and Leo Myers.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Special Events - Banquets and Breakfasts.
Friday banquet June 10 - Tony Burroughs, FUGA - "You'z Ain't from 'Round Here, Is Ya? -- Trials and Tribulations of Finding Where My Ancestors Came From." Tony is one of the most entertaining and knowledgeable speakers around. Anyone who has seen Tony in action can attest that this presentation will not be the usual recitation of repositories and resources. And we promise ... even the least interested, eyeball-rollingest spouses will enjoy spending an hour with Tony. The banquet entree is filet mignon. Limit 400.
Saturday breakfast #1 - Thomas MacEntee - "21st Century Marketing for Genealogy Societies." With the emergence of social media tools such as blogs, Twitter and Facebook, marketing techniques have taken on new power in the 21st century. Learn how to harness the power of these methods to market your society. Limit 100. Breakfast buffet.
Saturday breakfast #2 - Kory Meyerink, AG, FUGA - "Genealogy Jeopardy." Match your knowledge with that of three prominent local professional genealogists. Come watch this exciting, live, genealogical version of America's favorite game show. You will know the topics, but will you know the questions that go with the answers? Limit 100. Breakfast buffet.
Saturday banquet June 11 - Curt B. Witcher, MLS, FUGA, FIGS - "The High Tech and High Touch of 21st Century Genealogy." A look at how technology has changed the face of genealogy, and how we can apply it to do better research and make our societies more successful. Learn how these changes will affect the way that we will research in the future. Curt's fiery presentation at RootsTech ignited the imagination and passion of everyone who heard him. The meal will be a yummy buffet, with chicken breast, beef sirloin, and baked salmon, with all the fixin's. Limit 400.
Sunday breakfast #1 - NEHGS breakfast - Chris Child and David A. Lambert - "Tales from the Reference Desk." Some of the most interesting, funny and entertaining genealogy stories have their genesis in sincere questions asked by research patrons. Start your day Sunday laughing as you listen to some of these stories. Breakfast buffet. Limit 100.
Sunday breakfast #2 - Don Beld and Anne Copeland - "Heritage Quilts: The Fabric of Family History." Genealogists and quilters share so many traits: A love of history, interest in the paths that have been followed from the past to today; creativity; and the ability to see how even the smallest details contribute to the big picture, whether it's genealogy facts or fabric. Learn how to preserve your heritage quilt and learn the stories behind several beautiful quilts. Representatives of the Genea-Quilters.com group will also be on hand. Breakfast buffet. Limit 100.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2011 JAMBOREE
1. Registration Packet Pick-up - Thursday Evening and Friday Morning. Last year we experimented with a Thursday night pickup of registration materials. It was so successful that we are extending it to Thursday night AND Friday morning. Early check-in will be for pre-registered attendees only. Walk-in registrations will be processed until Friday at noon. Thursday evening pick-up will be in the lobby of the Marriott. Friday morning, look for the packets on the lawn between the Convention Center and the main hotel.
2. JamboFREE sessions will ensure that in these economically challenging times, expense will not be a barrier to learning. Several concurrent sessions, each lasting three hours, include a Genealogy Librarian's boot camp, a repeat of last year's highly popular Kids' Family History Camp, and beginner genealogy sessions. For the first time this year, Jamboree will offer a three-hour session for genealogy society leaders, sponsored by the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and the California State Genealogical Alliance (CSGA). Please register for your JamboFREE session, including the tours listed below. The Kids' Camp will be on Thursday late afternoon; all other JamboFREE sessions will be held Friday morning.
3. The Genealogy World round table discussion has been expanded to three hours and moved to Friday morning as part of the JamboFREE offerings. You'll find almost 20 different discussions going on during each of two time slots. The session affords an excellent opportunity to network, to explore research tactics for specific geographic regions of the world, and to exchange tips and techniques on an informal basis. A complete list of round table discussion topics will be announced at a later date, and we'll have some unassigned tables so you can bring up your own topic. There is no charge to attend the Genealogy World session, but we ask that you registration in advance.
4. Unfortunately, we have learned that Ancestry will not be offering scanning at the 2011 Jamboree. We are very grateful for Ancestry's continued support of Jamboree as a Diamond Sponsor.
5. Inspired by the highly successful RootsTech conference, Jamboree will be offering several webinar sessions that can be viewed remotely by 1,000 registrants.. The sessions include Saturday morning's Society Breakfast led by Thomas MacEntee, who will speak about Marketing 21st Genealogical Societies. Jamboree's trademark Blogger Summit will be presented again in 2011, as will Chris Pomery's DNA session on Sunday morning. Legacy Family Tree's Geoff Rasmussen will sponsor a free webcast of one of the Legacy training sessions.
6. Friday morning will provide an opportunity to choose from three optional tours:
- The Southern California Genealogical Society Family Research Library
- Hollywood Forever Cemetery
- The newly remodeled and expanded Los Angeles Family History Library
7. Small, intimate workshops will provide the skills for you to improve your computer skills in using Excel, Skype, Second Life, and other programs. A repeat of the popular platting workshop by Anne Miller and David Armstrong is also scheduled. Registration for these sessions will be conducted online on May 1, 2011. Each workshop will be limited to only 20 attendees. For the computer sessions, attendees should bring their laptop or netbook computer and workshop attendees will be asked to complete an advance homework assignment.
8. You don't have to register for specific sessions, other than additional-fee events. However, please make sure you provide your correct contact information, including your email address. We will send everyone a pre-Jamboree questionnaire in May. That's when you will tell us the sessions that you are planning to attend. We hope that everyone will take a few minutes to answer this computer-based questionnaire so we can do the best possible job of assigning classes to the appropriately-sized rooms.
You'll have a great time at Jamboree! Register today!
