When the #52Ancestors prompt for Week 8 landed in my inbox — “A Big Decision” — I smiled. Because I had already made mine.
I am attending RootsTech 2026 virtually again, and this time more intentionally than ever. And it was absolutely, deliberately, enthusiastically a choice.
It would be easy to frame virtual attendance as settling. As the next best thing for people who can’t make it to Salt Lake City. But after six years of attending RootsTech virtually, I know better. Virtual RootsTech, done right, is a different kind of experience — not a lesser one. And this year, I’m going into it more prepared than ever.
Six Years In: What Virtual RootsTech Has Taught Me
I have been attending RootsTech virtually since 2019. In that time, I have completed nearly 300 sessions. That number still surprises me when I say it out loud.
What I’ve learned over those six years is simple: the conference gives you everything you put into it. Show up passively, and you’ll get a handful of interesting talks and a cluttered downloads folder. Show up with a system and a purpose, and you walk away with actionable knowledge that changes how you research.
I’ve learned to treat virtual RootsTech less like a conference and more like an intensive professional development sprint. That mindset shift made all the difference.
My Preparation System: How I Build My RootsTech Schedule
My prep starts the moment the session schedule goes live.
This year, I worked smarter. I screenshotted every page of the session catalog and fed the images into an AI tool to generate a .csv file of all the sessions. From there, I built out my tracking spreadsheet with an added column for “Track Tags” — my own subject tags that tell me at a glance what a session covers.
Here’s something people don’t always realize: the RootsTech app only lets you add four sessions per time slot. Any additional sessions I want to track go directly into my .csv so nothing falls through the cracks. I include in-person-only sessions on my list as well, just in case they get recorded or flipped to an online format. I’d rather have them tracked and not need them than miss something because I didn’t plan for it.
About a week before the conference opens, I go back through the full catalog again. Sessions get added late. My priorities shift. I refine the list, update the tags, and finalize my Priority 1 sessions. This year, I have 28 of them.
Some of those Priority 1 sessions fall in the middle of the night for my time zone, which is a reliable reminder that RootsTech is a global event. I’ll catch those on replay — but at least they’re already on my list.
Choosing Sessions That Serve My 2026 Genealogy Goals
I am not attending RootsTech 2026 to fill my time. I’m attending it to move specific research projects forward.
My focus this year is firmly on Intermediate and Advanced/Professional level sessions. The sessions I’m prioritizing fall into a few clear categories:
Proof arguments, GPS standards, and organizing research findings. These sessions speak directly to where I want to take my practice. Whether or not I formally pursue certification or accreditation this year, building these skills now makes every research project stronger. I’ve been thinking seriously about both the NGS and Board for Certification of Genealogists pathways, and RootsTech gives me a chance to deepen that foundation in an intensive format.
Polish and Eastern European records. I have several sessions on my list that focus on records from Poland. These speak directly to my research on the Knysz family line. Finding sessions that address the specific regions and record types relevant to my great-grandparents’ origins is exactly the kind of targeted learning I look for.
AI for writing and DNA projects. Artificial intelligence is changing how genealogists work, and I want to understand it deeply — not just use it casually. I have sessions queued on using AI for writing and for DNA research projects. The DNA sessions are especially timely. I am actively working on three DNA-focused projects in 2026, and I’m looking for every methodological edge I can find.
See: Declaring My Bold Genealogy Goals 2026: Accountability Starts Now
The Trade-Off I’m at Peace With
Let me be honest about what I’m missing.
The hallway conversations. The exhibit hall, where I could discover tools and services I never knew to look for. The energy of being in the same room with thousands of people who love this work as much as I do.
Those things are real, and I do feel their absence.
But here’s what drove my decision, and why I’m genuinely at peace with it.
This year’s budget and calendar were already committed before RootsTech registration even opened. I’m enrolled in the NGS Advanced Genealogy Certificate Course. I have a DNA Discoveries course from Family Tree (UK) starting on March 3rd that runs for a full month. The OGS conference is already on my calendar, and that’s where I’ll get my in-person genealogy fix this year. Those investments reflect exactly where I want my professional development to go in 2026 (See: “Hello Again: The Genealogist Behind These Stories“)
I also help care for my parents, and being several states away from home for an extended conference isn’t something I take lightly. Family comes first.
And honestly? I want to wait until I have enough targeted research to justify a full week at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. When I go to Salt Lake City, I want it to be purposeful. A full research trip — not a side excursion squeezed around a conference schedule.
I’ve made peace with the trade-off because I’m not choosing the easier path. I’m choosing the right path for this season.
Taking Two Days Off Work (Yes, Really)
One more thing I do that makes attending RootsTech virtually work for me: I take two days off from my regular job.
I have a job that pays the bills. Most genealogists do. And if I tried to squeeze RootsTech into my evenings and lunch breaks, I’d spend the next three months catching up on replays that I’d never quite get around to finishing.
Taking those two days off means I’m present for the conference while it’s happening. It means I’m not scheduling replays indefinitely into the future. It means I show up at the end of RootsTech with notes I can actually act on.
That decision alone has transformed my virtual conference experience more than any other single change I’ve made.
The Big Decision
Every year I attend RootsTech, I make a choice about how seriously I’m going to take it.
Virtual attendance could be passive. It could be background noise while I do other things. It could be a halfhearted collection of downloaded handouts I never open again.
I choose to make it none of those things.
The decision to attend RootsTech 2026 virtually was a big one, but not because it was hard. It was big because it was deliberate, and aligned. It was made in the context of my full picture — my professional goals, my family commitments, my financial priorities, and where I want to be as a genealogist twelve months from now.
That’s what a big decision looks like. Not always dramatic. Sometimes just clear.
FAQs
Q: Can you watch RootsTech sessions virtually for free? A: Yes — RootsTech offers free virtual access to many sessions. A pass is required for full access to the complete session library and replays.
Q: How many sessions does RootsTech offer? A: RootsTech offers hundreds of sessions across skill levels, from beginner to advanced/professional, covering genealogy research, DNA, technology, and cultural heritage topics.
Q: What is the RootsTech Ride Along? A: The RootsTech Ride Along is a collaboration between Geneabloggers and Projectkin that encourages members to share blogs, vlogs, and opinion pieces about RootsTech at RideAlongPartners.org.
Are you attending RootsTech 2026 — in person or virtually? I’d love to hear how you’re preparing and what sessions are on your must-watch list. Drop a comment below!
Join the RootsTech Ride Along
This post is part of the RootsTech Ride Along, a collaboration between Geneabloggers and Projectkin designed to increase visibility and encourage community connection during RootsTech. Members are sharing their blogs, vlogs, and opinion pieces at RideAlongPartners.org — covering everything from conference prep to session recaps.
I’ll be posting here throughout RootsTech as part of the Ride Along — and yes, proudly as a member of the Bunny Slipper Brigade. That’s what we call the virtual attendees who get to watch every session in the comfort of home, bunny slippers optional but encouraged.
If you’re participating in the Ride Along too, come find me. The more the merrier — slippers welcome.
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