Registration for the NGS 2018 Family History conference is now open. An electronic version of the Registration Brochure is posted at https://conference.ngsgenealogy.org. You can register online or by completing the last page of the Registration Brochure and mailing a check or credit card information to NGS, 3108 Columbia Pike, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22204-4370.

Tours and social events have limited seating, so make reservations early if you plan to participate in these events.

On Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, genealogical organizations will host three luncheons each day with featured speakers. Find details about luncheon speakers, topics, and menus in the Registration Brochure. On Friday, NGS will offer a ticketed barbecue luncheon in the Exhibit Hall, so attendees can spend more time visiting the Exhibits. To minimize time in line and provide adequate seating for everyone, the barbeque will be served at 12:15 p.m. or 12:45 p.m. Your luncheon ticket will designate your assigned time.

On Saturday, the NGS Luncheon will feature Mary M. Tedesco, co-host of the Genealogy Roadshow and founder of Origins Italy, whose talk, “Good Migrations in the Midwest,” will be a light-hearted look at good and bad migrations in America’s heartland.

On Thursday, 3 May 2018, the Western Michigan Genealogical Society will host an evening at the President Gerald R. Ford Museum, 303 Pearl Street, across the Grand River from the Amway Hotel and DeVos Place. Ticket holders will have an opportunity to enjoy all the museum exhibits, listen to the Schubert Male Chorus which has been performing since 1883, and enjoy a choice of desserts and coffee with fellow genealogists from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

On Friday evening, 4 May 2018, the evening will begin with a reception (cash bar) outside the Ambassador Ballroom in the Amway Grand Hotel for all conference attendees. The NGS banquet will begin at 7:00 p.m. featuring Ric Mixter, a shipwreck researcher, diver, and photographer. Mixter will entertain us with stories about “The Great Storms of the Great Lakes” and share videos about a few of the more than 100 shipwrecks he has explored including the Edmund Fitzgerald. He has produced more than thirty programs for PBS and the Outdoor Channel and appeared as a shipwreck expert on the History and Discovery channels.

Space is limited for these social events, so early registration is encouraged.

The Amway Grand Plaza hotel is sold-out but hotel rooms are still available at the Courtyard Marriott. Reservation details can be found at https://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/accommodations.