Registration Open: 2023 New York State Family History Conference (NYSFHC)
Join the NYG&B and other genealogy experts Nov. 2–4 for New York’s largest statewide family history conference. This year's theme is Navigating New York: From Queens to the Queen City and will feature in-person and virtual programs and events in New York City and Buffalo as well as on-demand sessions to watch at your own pace. Can’t join us in person? No problem! All in-person events will be livestreamed and subsequently made available on demand.
From the peopling of New York State via its canals to finding American women’s voices in documents to navigating court and land records, the conference offers a rich array of sessions to help participants hone their skills.
Some of the top voices and experts in the genealogy field will lead sessions and be on hand to answer your questions, including Blaine Bettinger, Skip Duett, Annette Burke Lyttle, Jane E. Wilcox, and more. Access the full program schedule below.
Dates
Thursday, November 2, 2023
(2 - 7 p.m. EDT)
New York City
Friday, November 3, 2023
(9 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. EDT)
New York City
Saturday, November 4, 2023
(9 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. EDT)
Buffalo
Pricing
- Virtual Member Attendance: $215
- Virtual General Attendance: $259
- In-person Member Attendance (New York City or Buffalo)*: $239
- In-person General Attendance (New York City or Buffalo)*: $328
*All in-person events will also be livestreamed and subsequently made available on-demand through December 15, 2023.
Lunch is included Friday and Saturday.
Keynote Announcement
This year’s keynote speaker is award-winning author and journalist A’Lelia Bundles.
Ms. Bundles is the author of On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker, a New York Times Notable Book about her entrepreneurial great-great-grandmother and the inspiration for Self Made, the fictional Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer. The Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance, the first major biography of her great-grandmother, will be published in summer 2024 by Scribner.
Ms. Bundles will deliver her keynote session in person at the NYG&B on Thursday, November 2, at 6 p.m. (also live-streamed for virtual attendees). She will discuss her experience researching the amazing women in her family, the joys and challenges of genealogical research, and the importance of making family history research open and accessible to all.
What is the New York State Family History Conference?
Researchers, genealogists, and all those interested in family history gather for the New York State Family History Conference (or NYSFHC), the largest statewide family history event held in New York. Over the years we’ve travelled to Tarrytown and Syracuse, and last year we held our conference in Albany, with hundreds of other researchers joining us online.
What do I learn at the conference?
Experts on New York, genealogy, family history, and various subject material teach the classes (sessions). Many of these sessions cover advanced topics like DNA research and searching migratory records, but others can help you build your genealogy skills and get you ready to tackle some difficult situations in your research.
View the PDF brochure for the 2023 conference, detailing the sessions, speakers, and events at NYSFHC.
Who organizes the New York State Family History Conference?
NYSFHC is organized and run by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, a nonprofit organization based in New York City serving all parts of the State and region.
Our members are mostly from New York state but are also found around the country and world. NYSFHC is the state’s largest event for family history and a place for all researchers to connect with others who share their interests, no matter how much experience you may have.
NYG&B members can enjoy exclusive events, watch on-demand programs online, and get discounts to events like NYSFHC. Learn more about NYG&B membership.
If I sign up for virtual attendance, am I able to watch the live sessions in both New York City and Buffalo?
Yes, all virtual attendees will have access to the live sessions held in both New York City and Buffalo, which will all be livestreamed. All live sessions will also be recorded and made available to virtual attendees until December 15, 2023, for on-demand viewing.
If I sign up for in-person attendance in New York City (November 2 and 3), will I also be able to watch the live sessions held in Buffalo (November 4)?
Yes, if you sign up for in-person attendance in New York City, you will be able to watch the live sessions held in Buffalo, which will be livestreamed.* All in-person attendees will also have access to all of the 21 on-demand, pre-recorded sessions, which can be viewed until December 15, 2023. In addition, all live sessions in New York City and Buffalo will be recorded and also made available on demand until December 15, 2023.
*You have the option of watching these livestreamed Buffalo sessions on November 4 at the NYG&B offices or at your home/office.
If I sign up for in-person attendance in Buffalo (November 4), will I also be able to watch the live sessions held in New York City (November 2 and 3)?
Yes, if you sign up for in-person attendance in Buffalo, you will be able to watch the live sessions held in New York City, which will be livestreamed.* All in-person attendees will also have access to all of the 21 on-demand, pre-recorded sessions, which can be viewed until December 15, 2023. In addition, all live sessions in New York City and Buffalo will be recorded and also made available on demand until December 15, 2023.
*Please note that you can only watch these livestreamed New York City sessions on November 2 and 3 at your home/office (and not at the Buffalo History Museum).
What does my cost of attendance include?
All attendees will receive access to a total of 35 sessions. There are 21 pre-recorded, on-demand sessions, which can be viewed at any time until December 15, 2023. There are also 14 live sessions, including the keynote address on November 2, which will all be livestreamed and made available with all the other on-demand programming until December 15, 2023. For in-person attendance in New York City (November 2 and 3) and Buffalo (November 4) lunch will be included.
This means that for less than $10 per session, you will hear from some of the most knowledgeable genealogists and historians in the industry.