RootsTech Invites Participants to Come ‘Together’ at 2026 Worldwide Event

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For 15 years, RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch, has provided a place for people all over the world to learn, share and make life-changing family discoveries and meaningful connections — together. That is why “Together” is such an appropriate theme for the 2026 conference, said Jonathan Wing, director of events for FamilySearch International.

RootsTech, the world’s largest family history conference, may be experienced in person or virtually across the globe on March 5–7, 2026.

Wing announced the 2026 theme on Wednesday, December 17, during a live event streamed on various FamilySearch channels. He was joined by five of 10 global emcees who will represent a region of the world and guide participants through RootsTech experiences in their respective languages. 

“There’s so much power in that word ‘together,’” Wing said. “It’s power in numbers. It’s people coming together for a common goal, common cause ... who want to make meaningful discoveries in their family history.” 

Each year, people from over 50 countries come to the RootsTech event at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, and millions more “come to experience the learning, the entertainment, and the connections that are available at RootsTech online from all over the world.”

Isaac Turner, the British English emcee from Chorley, England, recounted that his mother, who had been ill and bedridden for months, found a poetry book written by her great-grandmother, which brought her comfort, encouragement, and a connection with her ancestor. “This theme of ‘together’ doesn’t just apply to us now here who are on the world coming together through RootsTech,” he said. “It’s all generations coming together. That’s what family history does for us. ... It’s about the past, present and future.”

For the first time, RootsTech will have an emcee representing the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. “People on social media come to me to learn about their ancestry,” Katrina Trevenen signed. “So I’m thrilled as well to do even more on top of what I do now for the deaf community and help them enjoy RootsTech.”

See this related story from Church Newsroom. Registration Now Open for RootsTech 2026

Experience RootsTech in Your Language

The 10 RootsTech global emcees who will share stories on the conference’s main stage are:

ASL: Katrina Trevenen

Katrina Trevenen is the founder of Daily-Dove, a platform sharing faith-centered messages that inspire connection with Christ and everyday divine influence. She also serves as an ASL translator for the hymn team at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, ensuring spiritual messages are accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.

British English: Isaac Turner

Isaac Turner is an actor from Chorley in the rainy north of England. A lover of people, stories, and adventure, he’s often off on spontaneous trips or exploring London. When not traveling, he enjoys spending time with friends, reading, and working on his next creative project.

Philippines: Janella Renner

Janella is Filipino-American and passionate about music, education and family. Janella’s experience includes work with CNN Philippines and the Filipino Communications Department for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

French: Rosca Nsiete

Born near Paris of Congolese descent, Rosca draws inspiration from both her African and French roots, and she loves celebrating the harmony between her cultures. A passionate musician, she sings and plays guitar and once performed in an opera during her years at a performing arts conservatory.

German: Hannah Gruse

Hannah was born and raised in Berlin, Germany. After completing a service mission, Hannah studied to become a paralegal. After building her career in various law firms, she now contributes to the Church’s legal department. She loves serving in her ward Relief Society presidency, working out with her boyfriend and traveling the world.

Italian: Denise Sottili

Born in Florence to a family of musicians, Denise grew up with an audience. She worked previously for FamilySearch International, focusing on Italian and Portuguese records, but she is continuing her academic pursuits to deepen her background. Denise is a mother of three and lives in Pisa, Italy.

Japanese: Hiromi Ogata

Hiromi was born and raised in Yamaguchi, Japan. Five years ago, she came to Hawaii when her husband started studying at a university abroad. Since then, she lived in California for her husband’s work and now resides in Arizona. She has previously worked as a radio commentator, her childhood dream job.

Korean: Jin Young Park

Jin Young Park has a degree in psychology and holds a Ph.D. in journalism. She has a background in hosting and media and has worked as an announcer at KBS and TBN. She is also a published author on the topic of communication skills. Jin Young is a wife and a mother of three children, and she lives in Gwanju, South Korea.

Portuguese: Nicole Luz

Nicole is a vocal phenomenon who has been widely recognized for her talents on both stage and screen. She has a considerable social media presence that is influenced by her music, and she has published more than 30 songs that are available on various platforms, such as Spotify and YouTube.

Spanish: Junior Tovar

Junior is a Bolivian songwriter, musician and producer, with a marketing degree from BYU–Idaho. Now part of the team of Grammy-winner Tony Succar, he has built a global following with millions of views and uses his multilingual skills to blend music, marketing and storytelling.

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Upcoming Dates

During the streamed event, Wing also announced the following upcoming dates:

• January 5: FamilySearch will announce the full keynote lineup at the same time. 
• January 8: The full class schedule calendar becomes available.
• January 13: Early bird pricing ends.
• January 23: The 2026 theme song, “Where You Belong,” will be released.

What to Expect From RootsTech 2026

Professional genealogists, students of genealogy, family historians and other attendees will be coming together to network, learn, get help, assist others and make strides in their own family history journeys. This year’s conference includes:

• Inspiring keynote speakers on the Main Stage

Enjoy presentations from well-known keynote speakers and industry experts as they share stories of their own family, discoveries they’ve made, and how genealogy has shaped their lives. Keynote speakers from previous RootsTech conferences include award-winning actor, producer and director Sean Astin, author, speaker and grandson of Nelson Mandela Ndaba Mandela, and Emmy and Tony award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth.

Browse the RootsTech video library to watch speakers from previous years.

• Classes

Participate in 200+ genealogy classes offered by RootsTech, covering skill levels from beginner to professional and spanning many topics.

View the 2026 Class Preview to get an early look at some of the classes being offered this year.

Try a beginner class such as “3 Easy Strategies to Help with Family History When It Looks Like It's All Done,” or search for a class about artificial intelligence, such as “AI Meets Archives: Enhancing Historical Records Through AI.”

The full RootsTech 2026 conference schedule will be available on RootsTech.org in January 2026. 

• Expo Hall

In-person attendees can stroll down the aisles of the extensive expo hall and see what’s new in the world of genealogy. Visit familiar vendors, meet new ones, discover industry innovations, try new products and ask questions.

Online participants can enjoy a virtual expo hall in between classes, while waiting for a keynote speaker or anytime.

• Free Family Discovery Day

Family Discovery Day on Saturday, March 7, is a free event, and RootsTech registration is not required to attend. This free, kid-friendly event is filled with engaging activities, fun games and interesting classes for families to experience together.

During this event, leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share inspiring messages about the importance of family and genealogy work, including one live session.

Visit the on-demand learning library or learn more at RootsTech.org.