The Federation of Genealogical Societies has just opened registration for the 2010 annual genealogy conference. It will be co-hosted by the East Tennessee Historical Society and the Kentucky Historical Society. It will be held in Knoxville, TN on August 18-21, 2010 (Wednesday-Saturday). The theme for this conference is “Rediscovering American’s First Frontier”. Genealogy conferences are a great educational tool, but also an awesome networking experience!

J. Mark Lowe and Kent Whitworth will be this year’s keynote speakers. . Mark Lowe is a full-time professional genealogist, author, and teacher who researches primarily in original records and manuscripts throughout the South. Mark has published articles in the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly, North Carolina Genealogical Society Quarterly, Genealogical Speakers Guild SPEAK!, The Longhunter, and other society publications. His weekly local history article appears in the Robertson County (Tennessee) Times. Kent Whitworth, a seventh-generation Kentuckian, joined the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) as executive director in January 2004. During his tenure, KHS has focused on enhanced branding and marketing efforts, aggressively grown the KHS collections, raised funds for the KHS Foundation endowment, and reinstated the Kentucky History-mobile. Prior to joining KHS, Kent served as the director of the East Tennessee Historical Society in Knoxville.

Are you an information service provider in a genealogical, local history, library, archive, or other society serving family history researchers? They would enjoy having you join the Federation of Genealogical Societies and ProQuest at the annual Librarians Day sponsored by ProQuest. This year they hope to offer, as in past years, information that those that assist the family history researcher can utilize professionally and personally. Join your fellow librarians on Wednesday, August 18, 2010, at 8:30am for a day that has been tailored specifically for you!

Banquets and special events will be offered during this conference. Here are some of the events you can look forward to:

• Tuesday:The East Tennessee History Center is one of the premier research centers in the Southeast. Located here are the McClung Historical Collection, focusing on Tennessee research but with heavy resources for research across the country, especially in the Southeast, as well as states of heavy migration to and from Tennessee.The Museum of East Tennessee History's signature exhibition "Voices of the Land: The People of East Tennessee" is a people's history covering three centuries of life in the region. A special exhibit in honor of the FGS conference will focus on the state's pioneer settlers and migration.Come visit the gift shop while you are there!


• Wednesday: Ballads, Mountain Stories and Country Fare - Enjoy a country-style dinner and the music and stories of Sheila Kaye Adams, a seventh generation ballad singer who learned the songs from her granny while growing up in the mountain community of Sodom, North Carolina. Sheila mixes the songs and sounds of British Isles ballads passed from generation to generation with a sprinkling of folk songs and stories of mountain life and people. An award-winning author of several books and recordings, she has performed across the nation and the British Isles, including appearances at the National Book and Smithsonian Folklife Festivals. Price for this event is $20 that covers meals and performance.


• Thursday: The Genealogy Guys Podcast is the longest continuously running genealogy podcast in the world. Thousands enjoy it each week around the globe. Join The Guys as they record a "live" episode at the conference, sharing news and discussing your genealogy questions. It's an exciting hour you won't want to miss!


• Friday: War of 1812 Bicentennial Reception


• Saturday: Ancestry.com offers FREE classes!

Hotel and travel arrangements can be found here!
A FGS Conference News Blog has been set up to keep everyone informed on conference updates.

Partner Organizations:

• Ancestry.com


• Familysearch


• Family Chronicle


• New England Ancestors


• Allen County Public Library


• American Society of Genealogists


• Association of Professional Genealogists


• BCG Education Fund


• Board for Certification of Genealogists


• East Tennessee Historical Society


• Friends of the National Archives-Southeast Region


• Genealogical Speakers Guild


• Georgia Genealogical Society


• International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists


• International Society of Family History Writers and Editors


• International Society for British Genealogy and Family History


• Kentucky Historical Society


• Kentucky Land Office


• National Archives and Records Administration


• National Genealogical Society


• North Carolina Genealogical Society


• ProQuest


• Tennessee State Library and Archives