The annual RootsTech conference is opening this morning in Salt Lake City. (Well, technically it opens a couple of hours from now. It is 6:00 AM local time as I write this.) However, as with any major conference, activities really started the day before with “sessions before the opening.” I see lots of people I know in the local restaurants and elsewhere so it is obviously a good-sized crowd gathering for this conference.

I am going to make one important point this early in the morning: if you cannot be here in person, you can still attend (FREE of charge) virtually. Simply open your computer, smartphone, or tablet computer and watch many activities from your living room or any other location of your choice.

Multiple activities are being broadcast worldwide on the Internet and the conference organizers are expecting thousands of people around the world to attend “virtually.” Some of them probably will lose sleep because of timezone differences.

In countries where English is not the dominant language, many viewers will listen to the events spoken in local languages being spoken by native speakers located near them in their local countries or nearby.

Yes, this is a major production involving thousands of people (both producing the conference as well as attendees) from around the world.

To attend the conference virtually with your computer, open a web browser and go to: https://www.familysearch.org/rootstech/.

To attend from your smartphone, tablet computer, or other mobile device, go to the Apple App Store or to the Google App Store as appropriate, and search for RootsTech. Once you find it, click on INSTALL or DOWNLOAD to download a special app created for this conference and within a minute or two, you can be watching the events live from Salt Lake City. The apps and the web site also provide all sorts of information about schedule times, speakers, and much, much more

.NOTE: Many, of the events are also being recorded on videotape and will be available “on demand” on your computer, smartphone, or tablet at a later date and time after being edited a bit. The dates of the rebroadcasts have not yet been announced but will be announced as the videos become available.

OK, I am going to shut down and go participate in today’s activities live.

See you at RootsTech (either in person or virtually!)