Drink Lots of Water in Las Vegas

Most people know what a desert is, and most people know that Las Vegas is in a desert.

But many first-time visitors to Las Vegas don’t know what it means to them that Las Vegas is in the desert.

• It means they’re unlikely to encounter bad weather, because Las Vegas averages only about four inches of rain per year.
   
• It means that the sun shines brightly most days, so it is wise to wear a hat and sunscreen.
   
• It means that most Las Vegas buildings are nearly always overly air conditioned (and cold), so they need to bring a jacket and sweater and dress in layers.

Most importantly, it means that they need to drink water. Lots of water. In Las Vegas’s desert climate the human body’s cooling system works overtime. Because visitors don’t feel themselves perspiring, they forget to drink enough water to stay hydrated. Also, people who are on vacation tend to sleep too little and consume salty foods, caffeine, and alcohol—all of which contribute to dehydration.

Many genealogists consider caffeine an essential food group, especially when they are sleep-deprived at a conference. NGS and the LVH are providing free water stations in every lecture room. These will be replenished throughout the day, so attendees will have a ready supply of fresh water at every session. All restaurants offer free water and the food concessions sell bottled water.

The Southern Nevada Health District suggests drinking one full glass of water per hour to avoid dehydration while visiting. NGS and the LVH ask you to take advantage of the free and plentiful water provided so you can stay healthy and enjoy the conference and Las Vegas!

For more information visit the Southern Nevada Health District http://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/health-topics/visitors-health.php

Thanks to Stefani Evans, Conference Chair, for this important advise.

Drink Lots of Water in Las Vegas

GenChat Live at the Conference

By Jen Baldwin, The In-Depth Genealogist Director of Operations and NGS 2013 Official Blogger

Friday, 10 May is a very special #genchat! We'll be coming to you LIVE! from the 2013 NGS Family History Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada... but wait! There's more!

We are grateful to the conference planning committee and NGS for allowing us to have the ultimate social media social event! The In-Depth Genealogist and Conference Keeper will be co-hosting this #genchat from the Internet Cafe inside the conference venue, and we are incredibly excited. This means that all #genchatters attending the conference will be able to sit down face to face, utilize the complimentary internet provided by NGS, FamilySearch and Findmypast, and chat both in person and on Twitter.

We hope that many of our #genchat friends will join us for this very special it-only-happens-once-a-year event. New to Twitter? New to Twitter chats? That's ok! We would love to see you there as well. We'd love to show you how it works, help you through the process and introduce you to our awesome little community.

Be sure to follow @indepthgen and @confkeep for news, updates and other information surrounding #genchat. It doesn't just end in Vegas, we'll be chatting all year! You can find our schedule on the Conference Keeper website, and you can find fantastic resources on all of our chat topics on The In-Depth Genealogist.

If you have any questions, connect with Terri O'Connell (@tracingmyfamily) or Jen Baldwin (@ancestryjourney) through the NGS 2013 conference app or on Twitter.

GenChat Live at the Conference

Plan Ahead

Before you leave home, there are a few things you can do to prepare that will help make your conference experience more enjoyable.

Make Your Lecture Schedule
Decide which lectures you would like to attend. The daily schedule is available online at http://members.ngsgenealogy.org/Conferences/Program2013.cfm or in the NGS Conference Mobile App. The schedule includes information on whether the session is being taped or not, room location, etc.

Most lectures will be recorded. Attendees may assume that a lecture will be recorded unless it is marked with the "notes" symbol (see below). The “notes” symbol accompanies only sessions that will not be recorded. Please see the daily schedule grid inside the program. JAMB, Inc. will tape and sell lecture CDs during the conference.

In Conference Program indicates that the session will not be recorded. Please take notes.

Download Syllabus
To view and download syllabus pages for those lectures from the NGS website, go to http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/2013syllabus. Many speakers will refer to these pages in their lectures.
Note: Due to the large size of the file, please follow the instructions on the page to download and view the file successfully.

Print Syllabus Pages
Print pages of those lectures you plan to attend. You can also print pages from the syllabus at the LVH Business Center, but that could get expensive if you plan to print more than a few.

Plan Ahead

Attendee Check-in and Onsite Registration

The start of the conference is almost here! Attendee check-in begins at 12 noon on Tuesday, 7 May 2013, at the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino (LVH) Conference Center. Follow the signs to the Conference Center from the LVH lobby. The NGS Conference registration desk is located in the Ballroom Foyer.

If you pre-registered for the conference, simply go the check-in desk marked with the first letter of your last name during the hours listed below and collect your conference materials (bag, program, name tag, syllabus on flash drive, and print syllabus if you ordered one).

If you haven't registered for the conference, no worries. Registration will be available onsite at the Las Vegas Hotel Conference Center beginning 12 noon on Tuesday, 7 May 2013.

Attendee Check-in and Onsite Registration Hours 
Tuesday, 7 May 2013
12:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, 8 May 2013
7:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Thursday, 9 May 2013
7:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Friday, 10 May 2013
7:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Saturday, 11 May 2013
7:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, the friendly registration and Ask Me volunteers will be available to assist you.

Attendee Check-in and Onsite Registration

Don’t Miss Ancestry Day at NGS

Join Ancestry.com’s Barefoot Genealogist, Crista Cowan, for Ancestry Day in Las Vegas at the NGS Family History Conference on Saturday, 11 May. Enrich your NGS conference experience and take advantage of the few remaining spaces available at the Ancestry Day. Whether you are new to Ancestry.com or a long time user, the classes will help take your research to the next level. 

Registration is only $25. Space is limited. Register Today!

Ancestry Day will be held in Ballroom A at the LVH Convention Center. The first class begins at 9:00 a.m. You can find the full schedule at http://ancestrydayngs.eventbrite.com/.

Don’t Miss Ancestry Day at NGS

Stay Connected During the Conference

Stay connected before, during, and after the NGS 2013 Family History Conference with social media tools dedicated to sharing information and connecting individuals at the conference. And now is a great time to prepare for social networking during the conference.

TOOLS TO USE AT THE NGS 2013 FAMILY HISTORY CONFERENCE:

NGS Conference Mobile App

A free conference mobile app is available for the conference, download at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/maximize_your_experience.

From the app dashboard, there is access to the conference program, presenter, and exhibitor information; maps of the conference space at the Las Vegas Hotel (LVH); LVH and local information; photo gallery; See other attendees and "friend" them; News–follow the conference blog; follow the conference on Twitter and Facebook; download documents from vendors; follow the most up-to-date information from conference organizers with Alerts; connect to one of the official conference bloggers; and access the conference program inconference docs.

Before the conference, explore the app and be sure to create a personalized schedule with reminders, make a "to do" list, and check the maps. During the conference you can provide feedback and post conference photos.

NGS 2013 Conference Blog at http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/.
Keep the conversation going, check out the NGS Conference blog



NGS Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ngsgenealogy or directly from the conference app dashboard.
"Like" NGS and post your conference experiences on Facebook,



 Twitter hashtag #ngs2013), go to https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NGS2013&src=hash or directly from the conference app dashboard. Ask questions of other attendees before and during the conference. Send NGS a tweet (@ngsgenealogy) and use the official hashtag #ngs2013. Everyone can follow the chatter on Twitter through the conference app.


NGS YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/NGSGenealogy.
NGS has uploaded 24 videos about a variety of genealogy subjects.




Feel free to take photographs in the Exhibit Hall, but please refrain from taking photographs during the sessions or capturing, transmitting or redistributing the syllabus or presentation materials. Go to http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/social_media_policy to review the NGS Social Media Policy.

Have fun at the conference and remember to stay connected! 

Stay Connected During the Conference

Visit the NGS Booth for Prizes, Book Signings, and More!

Photos by Scott Stewart

Visit the NGS Booth #205 each day in the exhibit hall and enter to win the prize of the day.

• Wednesday, 8 May 2013–Free conference registration to the NGS 2014 Family History Conference in Richmond, Virginia

• Thursday, 9 May 2013–Choice of one volume from the Research in the States series

• Friday, 10 May 2013–Free one-year individual NGS membership

• Saturday, 11 May 2013–Choice of an American Genealogy Special Topics series course on CD

All winners will be announced at 4:45 p.m. daily, except Saturday, when the drawing will be held at 2:00 p.m. Winners need not be present to win.

Browse our publications, including the Research in the States series and the educational courses. Our friendly staff will be happy to answer all your questions.



Daily Schedule of Events at the NGS Booth #205

Thursday
9:00 a.m.–10:50 a.m., Book Signing with Laura Murphy DeGrazia, CG^SM, FGBS, author of the latest release in the Research in the States series, New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County.

2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m., meet and greet the NGS Quarterly Editors with Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA, and Melinde Lutz Byrne, FASG.

Friday
10:45 a.m.–12:00 p.m., Book Signing with Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA, author of Mastering Genealogical Proof.

2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m., meet and greet Shirley Langdon Wilcox, CG, FNGS, and NGS Salt Lake City tour group leader. Come and talk to Shirley about the benefits of researching with NGS at the Family History Library. 

Saturday
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m., Book Signing with Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FNGS, FUGA, author of Mastering Genealogical Proof.

Staff members, Susan Yockey and Illyce Mac Donald

Visit the NGS Booth for Prizes, Book Signings, and More!