Whether you’re participating online or traveling to Salt Lake City, here is what you need to know about Rootstech 2026.
RootsTech 2026 Virtual Conference
You can participate from home for free! You can register to be part of the online conference at https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/registration/online/. After you register, the website helps you plan your classes.
If you’re looking for information or to connect with others taking part online, use or look for the hashtag #NotAtRootsTech
RootsTech2026 In-Person
RootsTech is inspiring online, but to me, there’s nothing like the inspiration and excitement of attending in person. Salt Lake City, surrounded by the beautiful Wasatch mountains, is a great, navigable, friendly city.
If you’re attending in person, don’t forget to download the RootsTech app. It’s your guide for sessions, access to syllabuses, and easy-to-access maps of the Salt Palace and the Expo Hall.
RootsTech 2026 Classes
There are 87 in-person educational sessions offered on Thursday and Friday, and Saturday offers 70 more.
Online participants have their choice of over 200 sessions. Some will be live-streamed. Other classes will premiere as the conference begins and will remain available on demand so you can continue to learn new things throughout the year.
Together is the 2026 Theme
The organizers are intentional each year about creating a theme that will permeate the conference—from keynotes to classes to activities. So look for ways that genealogists can celebrate family and each other—together.
RootsTech 2026 Keynotes
Four speakers are featured on the Main Stage each day at 11 am MST.
- Steve Rockwood – President and CEO of FamilySearch
- Marlee Matlin – Academy Award-winning actress, director, and activist (March 5)
- Tara Roberts – National Geographic Explorer in Residence, author, and historian (March 6)
- Steve Young – NFL Hall of Famer and Super Bowl MVP (March 7)
Family Discovery Day, a sort of mini conference within RootsTech for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and other interested parties, also takes place on Saturday, March 7. This will features Elder Ronald A. Rasband and his wife, Sister Melanie Rasband, at 1:30 p.m. MST
Virtual keynotes will also add to the experience.
- Gardiner Brothers – Award-winning Irish dancers and viral content creators
- Jessica Soho – Award-winning Filipina broadcast journalist
- José Hernandez – Mexican-American engineer and NASA astronaut
- Zico – Brazilian football legend
Expo Hall
This year’s Expo Hall features over 130 companies, with vendors offering personalized help via a conference chat feature, product demonstrations, and conference-only specials and deals. It’s a great place to get information from societies and pick up swag or ribbons from vendors.
The virtual Expo Hall offers an online experience, with options to chat with vendors.
Relatives at RootsTech
Relatives at RootsTech is a FamilySearch app which helps you find close and distant cousins. This can help you break down brick walls by finding common ancestors. It works if you are connected to the collaborative family tree at Family Search.org.
FamilySearch offers this feature on the FamilySearch app or you can access it on a desktop or laptop.
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It will be accessible during the conference and through April 2026.
Make the FamilySearch Library Part of your RootsTech 2026 Experience
In front of the Family Search library
The Family Search Library (previously known as the Family History Library) has extended hours during the week of RootsTech. Starting on Monday, March 2, you can get there as early as 9:00 a.m. (yes, I plan to!) and stay as late as 8:00 pm.
Other notes
Check Out My Classes if you’re in-person
- Immigrant Experiences: How to Use Community Context to Transform Family Stories –Thursday, March 5, at 9:30 am MST in 255 D
- Your Story Matters: How to Add Your Chapter to the Family History – Friday, March 6, at 3:30 pm MST in 355 BC
Also, Genfriends, the YouTube Genealogy panel show will be recording from the Expo hall. Stay tuned for that.
Health and Safety
As in all other years, comfortable shoes are a must, as is drinking plenty of water.
It’s also easy to get overwhelmed or exhausted trying to take in everything. Pace yourself. Spend time making new friends. That’s the biggest joy of RootsTech.
Disclosures and Things
RootsTech’s sponsor, FamilySearch, gives Media members perks at RootsTech, like a free pass and VIP seating. We do NOT, however, receive a commission on passes sold.
Also, I won’t recommend things I don’t think my readers will enjoy.
Your Opinion: What should people know about RootsTech 2026?
RootsTech attendees, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
