Roommate Connections 2013

Are you looking for a roommate for the NGS 2013 Family History Conference? The NGS Roommate Connections message board might be able to help.

The Roommate Connections message board is the place to post a message if you have a room to share or if you are looking for a person who would like to share their room.

It's easy to get started. Click on the Roommate Connections link at the top of this page or go to
https://groups.google.com/group/ngs-roommate-connections. Click "About this group" and read the description. Next, click "Join the group." You will be asked to sign in to your Google account if you are not already signed in. Then join the group, choose how you want to receive messages, and start posting.

Please remember that information posted on this public bulletin board will be visible to all users of the site. It is suggested that the initial request include only minimal personal information. Members can then work out details using regular e-mail. Individuals are responsible for cost sharing agreements and NGS is not responsible for making or guaranteeing those agreements.

The NGS Conference Roommate Connections message board is for the sole purpose of finding roommates to share lodging for the NGS 2013 Family History Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. All postings will be reviewed by NGS for content before they appear on the site, usually within 24 hours. Postings not related to the purpose of the site will not be approved.

Roommate Connections 2013

A few exhibit booths still available

There are a few exhibit booths still available for Las Vegas. These remaining booths are sure to go fast so reserve now.

By exhibiting with NGS you can sell products, create awareness for your organization, and network with other companies and societies who have similar interests. The conference will feature over 100 exhibitors and you could be one of them!

Exhibit booths cost $270 for a business 10’x10’ booth, and $210 for a society 10’x10’ booth. The Exhibit hall will be located at the Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, just steps from the lecture rooms.

The exhibit floor plan may be found at http://shows.marketart.com/show318/sales/. Full exhibiting information including online sales is on the NGS website at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/exhibitor.

For questions, contact the NGS Conference Manager, Erin Shifflett, at conference@ngsgenealogy.org.

A few exhibit booths still available

Airline deals to Las Vegas

With just five months before the conference opens in Las Vegas, now is a great time to start shopping for the best air fare.

Southwest Airlines has recently opened up reservations for May. Besides offering competitive fares, Southwest allows all passengers two fifty-pound suitcases and a carry-on with no extra fee. Las Vegas is a hub for Southwest, so it offers a large selection of flights and offers regularly reduced fares to and from Las Vegas. To take advantage of Southwest’s reduced fares, sign up for weekly “Click N’ Save” emails or download the Ding! application to your desktop or iPhone for discounted limited-time deals on specific flights. For additional details and to sign up today, go to Southwest Airlines.

McCarran International Airport is serviced by most major airlines including American, Frontier, JetBlue, United, and more. There are websites that will help you get the best rate. One that I have used is Tripadvisor. The cheap airfare alert sends an e-mail when prices drop.

Airline deals to Las Vegas

NGS is pleased to announce that early bird registration is now open for the 2013 Family History Conference! The conference is expected to be one of the best ever, with informative lectures, amazing exhibits, and lots of opportunities for networking with fellow genealogists.

The main mission of NGS is to "grow the genealogical community by providing education and training." One of the ways we accomplish this is through our annual conference. NGS conferences, long recognized as one of the premier conferences, has been held annually for thirty-five years.

NGS selected Las Vegas as the conference site because it embodies the West, where different cultures, nations, and technologies connect. In addition to attending the NGS 2013 Family History Conference, participants will have an opportunity to tour Las Vegas and the surrounding area, including the Hoover Dam.

Register today and get the early bird savings. Registration is a fast and easy process. Simply go to the NGS website at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/attendee_registration and complete the registration form.

The early bird registration rate is $195 for members, $230 for non-members, and $105 for a single day. Early bird rates expire on 19 March 2013. Regular rates of $230 for member, $265 for non-members, and $115 single day begin on 20 March 2013.

If not a NGS member yet, pay just $30 more and receive a NGS membership with all the benefits. There is an option to join at the time of registration. To learn about NGS membership benefits, go to http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/become_a_member.

When registering, you can reserve a seat for numerous social events such as breakfasts, luncheons, the NGS Banquet, and tours. See prices for each of these event at registration or in the conference program.

A few of the wide-ranging sessions at the conference include "The Civil War in the American West," "Finding American Women's Voices through the Centuries: Letters, Journals, Newspapers, and Court Records," "Solving Historical and Family Mysteries with DNA" "When Our Ancestors Met the Law," "Not Quite Right: Recognizing Errors," "Immigration into Western US/Canadian Ports," "Las Vegas in 1910," and "Social Media Tools for Genealogy."

For complete information about the program, check out the online searchable program at http://members.ngsgenealogy.org/Conferences/Program2013.cfm and the downloadable PDF registration brochure at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conference_info. 

ONLINE PROGRAM AVAILABLE

A fully searchable conference program for the NGS 2013 Family History Conference is now available online at http://members.ngsgenealogy.org/Conferences/Program2013.cfm.

The theme of the thirty-fifth NGS Family History Conference is Building New Bridges. NGS varies the theme and geographic location of its conference annually and brings together thousands of genealogists and family historians to learn the latest in genealogical research.  The online searchable program allows you to review the full scope of more than 150 lectures over the four-day conference.

Some examples of the diverse program offerings include DNA, ethnic research, technology, immigration, the law, migration, methodology, religion, Skillbuilding, the West, and woman. There are more than 100 speakers including Robert Charles Anderson, Lisa Louise Cooke, Thomas W. Jones, Elizabeth Shown Mills, and Judy G. Russell.

A PDF version of the registration brochure is available at
http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/conference_info. The brochure includes information about lectures, sessions, speakers, luncheons, tours, pre-conference events, registration times and rates, and accessibility as well as general conference and exhibit hall specifics.

Registration for the conference will begin Saturday, 1 December 2012.

ONLINE PROGRAM AVAILABLE

Conference Tours

                                                     Photo courtesy of Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority

The NGS 2013 Conference Local Host Committee has arranged a fantastic lineup of tours on Tuesday, 7 May 2013. Two tours will be held during the day and one at night. This is an opportunity to see the area without the bother of renting a car, and is a great way to meet fellow conference attendees before the conference gets into full swing.

Hoover Dam and Ethel M. Chocolates Tour, 8:00 a.m.−2:00 p.m.
This special six-hour, motor-coach tour allows NGS participants to explore the rich history of the Hoover Dam, enjoy a buffet lunch, and tour a chocolate factory and its botanical and cactus garden. After coaches depart from the LVH East Tower Entrance, professional guides will provide commentary on the history of southern Nevada and Hoover Dam, the Depression-era engineering marvel that opened the American Southwest to settlement. This all-inclusive tour includes admission to the Visitor Center and participation in the Dam Tour and the shorter Power Plant Tour. Participants have ample time to participate in their selection of tours. The Hoover Dam is not just a tourist attraction. It operates 24 hours a day and produces water and power for millions of people in the Southwest. Not to be missed is the terrazzo star map which shows the star alignment from the dam on the day in 1935 that it was dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Next, participants will enjoy a buffet lunch at the Fiesta Festival Casino where six cooking stations offer international specialties. The tour closes with a visit to the famous Ethel M. Chocolate Factory, where visitors may enjoy free samples and stroll the Botanical and Cacti Gardens before returning to the LVH. This tour requires walking. The cost is $74 per person and includes all admissions and lunch.

Museums Tour, 8:30 a.m.−1:30 p.m.
This five-hour tour, created just for NGS attendees, visits two Las Vegas-area museums: the Clark County Museum and the National Atomic Testing Museum. Depart from the LVH East Tower entrance for the thirty-acre Clark County Museum, which is accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies and directed by our Friday evening banquet speaker, Mark Hall-Patton. The exhibit hall features items from pre-historic to modern-day southern Nevada, and the historic buildings depict daily life in the area through the decades.
The National Atomic Testing Museum depicts Nevada’s twentieth-century role as the nation’s atomic testing grounds. View more than 12,000 artifacts in interactive displays that present the history of the development and testing of the nuclear bomb. A special exhibit, “Area 51: Myth or Reality,” sheds light on the most secret place in America. This tour includes walking. The cost of $48 per person includes all admissions.


Night Tour, 6:00 p.m.−11:00 p.m.
Experience the full brilliance of neon Las Vegas in a five-hour tour! When darkness falls, Las Vegas lights the desert sky with glowing neon and illuminated displays. Coaches leave the LVH East Tower entrance to explore shows of water, music, and light on the Strip and Downtown. Stop at the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, featured on the History Channel’s reality television show “Pawn Stars,” where participants are granted immediate access. Browse for one-half hour before heading for the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign, where passengers may disembark and snap souvenir photographs before enjoying the Fountains of Bellagio and the Bellagio Gardens.
As the tour continues, experienced guides highlight the city’s history, its wedding chapels, and the famous and infamous who married here. Once Downtown, take in the overhead light and musical show featuring the Fremont Street Experience’s two million lights and state-of-the-art sound system. Participants will have plenty of time to enjoy the light and sound and visit some of Downtown’s other famous sites before returning to the hotel. Although routes may vary, the tour incorporates the sights and stops described. This tour requires walking. The cost is $58 per person.

Tours can be purchased starting Saturday, 1 December 2012 on the NGS conference registration website at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/attendee_registration. Sales close when
pre-registration closes on Monday, 22 April 2013.

Conference Tours

Ten reasons to stay at the conference hotel

Reservations are being accepted for the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

TEN REASONS TO STAY AT THE CONFERENCE HOTEL:

1. The hotel and conference center are under one roof
2. Only ten minutes from McCarran International Airport
3. Las Vegas Monorail begins at the LVH and can take you to six major Strip resorts
4. Within easy reach of the Strip but without the hustle and bustle
5. Parking is free
6. Assortment of restaurants, bars, and shops within the hotel
7. Entertainment in the LVH Theatre, Tempo Lounge, and Shimmer Cabaret
8. Pool
9. Fitness Center
10. Casino

The LVH - Las Vegas Hotel and Casino
Rate: $119 for singles or doubles; additional person $35
Cut Off Date: 15 April 2013

Reservations by Telephone: 1-800-635-7711
Reservation Link: https://resweb.passkey.com/go/NGSFH2013

Located at:
3000 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Tel: 702-732-5111
Web: http://www.thelvh.com

All rooms subject to local, state, and federal taxes. Attendees must request NGS conference rate when making the reservation via the telephone. Self-parking is free. Valet parking is free but tip is expected. No resort fee. Upon making your reservation, the LVH will require a one night's room rate plus as deposit. 

Cancellation Policy: The first night's deposit plus tax will be charged to the credit card immediately. Deposit is fully refundable as long as reservation is cancelled at least 14 days prior to arrival.

There are a limited amount of rooms so be sure to book early.
 

Ten reasons to stay at the conference hotel

NGS 2013 Family History Conference to be held in Las Vegas!

Mark your calendars for the NGS 2013 Family History Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The conference will be held 8-11 May 2013 at the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino (formerly Las Vegas Hilton), 3000 Paradise Road, Las Vegas.

During the next ten months, we will be posting on this blog the latest conference news about accommodations, lectures, presenters, events, vendors, registration, local research and historical sites, and practical tips for conference veterans and first time attendees alike.

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NGS 2013 Family History Conference to be held in Las Vegas!