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