What if You Can't Go to NGS 2012?

Last year for the FGS conference I posted an article on how to "attend" the conference from home.  What If You Can't Go To FGS 2011 was a look at ways you could still participate in the conference from home and even look towards attending in 2012.  I followed that posting with one entitled What if You Can’t Go to RootsTech 2012 . Conferences can mean a lot of expense for participants. So what if you can’t go to NGS 2012? All is not lost, there are still ways you can participate.

Follow #NGS2012 on Twitter. By using the NGS hashtag #NGS2012 you can follow the latest news from  the conference including information about vendors, presentations and events. For more about the NGS conference and social media see Social Networking at the Conference .

Check out the NGS Bloggers. Whether you follow them on Facebook, Twitter,  or their blogs, you are sure to learn about what is happening both during and after the conference.  A list of official bloggers can be found on the NGS Conference Blog  . Content provider and NGS 2012 vendor Accessible Archives  has made following the Official Bloggers easier by creating a Google Reader Bundle.

Learn More by Checking Out Conference Tools.  Exhibitor and Speaker spotlights found on the NGS Conference Blog  provide important information that you can follow up on by checking out vendors and speaker's websites, blogs and social media postings.

What About Next Year? In my original posting for FGS 2011, I wrote "The FGS conference (or RootsTech or NGS) is yearly,  start planning now to attend next year. With 12 months until the next conference you can work on finances, clearing your calendar and arranging for someone to take care of family members or even bring them with you. (Those who know me often see my kids trailing behind me.) I have written before on this blog and also in an article for Internet Genealogy about saving money so you can do more genealogy.  And I mean it. Yes, I use coupons, specials and discounts so that I can save money and go to conferences. Save money now to store away but also consider ways to save during the conference like finding a roommate, shopping for travel deals, etc. Start now, it's always great to have something to look forward to."

Not convinced it’s important to save up to go to a conference. Check out this NGS Video on What to Expect .There's no doubt in my mind that conferences can be a valuable part of your genealogical education.

It's impossible to go to every genealogy conference. Fortunately, conference organizers are finding ways for those unable to attend to still participate. Take advantage of these opportunities and let conference organizers know how much you appreciate attending from home.