Have you imagined it? What would it look like? There might be a page for "national" conferences, perhaps another to list conferences and workshops by state. Maybe a tab or two devoted to Canada, Ireland, or Australia.
And that, all for free.
I tried to find it. Last week I spent two days searching the internet, then messaged folks on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. Only to find, it didn't exist. There were some great options to use; certain organizations posted calendar pages; there is a Facebook page dedicated to the idea of a comprehensive list. But, they all required me to do extra work to find what I was looking for, and it just was not coming together for me.
What do to?
Everybody I asked left comments like, "wow, that would be great", or "awesome idea!"
Enter: Conference Keeper.
It's a very simple concept. I've started by focusing on scheduled events around the United States, though I do have a short list of international events currently. It gives just the basics: name, date, city/state, and a link to the website for either the conference or the host organization.
You can easily contribute to the list, just use the "Contact Us" tab on the website, or message me through Facebook on the Conference Keepers page. Assuming I don't already have it on there, I'll add your event.
Time will tell where this will go, but in the end, the genealogy community now has a one stop shop style website to find the conference, seminar, workshop of interest in your area. No more wasted hours spent searching for each individual event, taking notes, comparing dates and "re-finding" the website you had an hour ago to make a decision on what to attend, when and where.
I hope it is helpful, and I hope you utilize it over and over.
Great idea! I for one will do a lot of utilizing. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stephanie! Happy to have your support and regular visits to the site! I have found myself - literally - updating on an hourly basis, so check back often. Please remember to let me know of anything happening in your area. Thanks for reading! ~ Jen
DeleteGreat idea! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteTina, thanks so much for reading, and commenting! I hope you find the site useful in the future. ~ Jen
DeleteThis is a beautiful and simple concept you have given us, and I hope that it doesn't take big chunks of your personal time for upkeep! If everyone will just pitch in with further events they know about, it will be a "one-stop shop" for everyone. Maintained by the group. You are doing for conferences what MacEntee is doing for blogs. I think this is a breakthrough!!
ReplyDeleteMariann! Wow! What a compliment, thank you so much! I am also hopeful that the contributions from others will take some of the time commitment off of my shoulders, and I think that will come in time. In the meantime, keep the suggestions coming, and I'll do my best to keep up on it all. ~ Jen
DeleteGreat idea, Jen! As you discovered, this fills a void, and I think it has the potential to become a fantastic resource. Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Shelley! I appreciate your support and encouragement. ~ Jen
DeleteGreat job! I just took a look and love the simple design and great information. Are you planning on including any workshops in this? Ohio Gen Soc has a couple great day/week long events that they host. I'm sure there are many others too! let me know if I can help at all.
ReplyDeleteJen
Jen, thank you! Yes, I do try to include workshops, but only outside of the regular society meeting (i.e. It has to be a special event). Please suggest whatever you think might fit and I'll filter through it as I post to the site. And, I very much appreciate your offer of help - speak/read any foreign languages? :-)
Delete~ Jen