Notes from the Media Center

Well, as of today, I have been  at the NGS Conference for two days . We came in early Tuesday morning to attend one of the pre-conferences (Librarians Day) and then plunged right into the main conference the next day. If you have never been to a national conference, be prepared to make time for a lot of extra activity beyond the scheduled sessions! Each major company has been conducting focus groups, dinners and product sessions either the day before the conference, or each evening/lunch that is available. In fact, we were just approached a few minutes ago to attend another group discussion that will cover one specific feature of a genealogy program. As hectic as all of this makes the conference, I actually love this new trend of impromptu or rapidly scheduled break-out sessions to encourage dialogue and sharing of ideas. It's very reminiscent of RootsTech. And don't forget your new genealogy friends! Some of your dance card will just be filled with dinner invites and group meetings at the nearest pub!            

As I finish up this brief update, I was excited to find a nice place behind the literal "green" curtain for the official bloggers. This is my first gig as an official blogger and was intrigued by the "media center" option. I didn't think I would use this kind of space, but I found it priceless as a quiet place with very little distraction and tables with power strips! I could work and charge multiple devices at once! Which meant I could type and worry about draining my batteries as I worked. That actually reduces the stress level when navigating this kind of environment. Well, I must head out again.....this place never stops! Favorite memory so far: getting to sing Happy Birthday to Mr. Myrt - Dear Myrtle's counterpart. That was memorably followed by Graeter's ice cream for dessert! Ready for more fun - two more days to go!