December 1, 2023—Bellville, Ohio: The Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS) announces a request for lecture proposals for the 2025 conference “Light Up Your Genealogy” to be held April 30-May 3, 2025, at Kalahari Resort & Conference Center in Sandusky, Ohio.
Topics being considered include but not limited to the following: immigration, census records, religious groups, migration, origins of early Ohio settlers, and the Old Northwest Territory, “movers and shakers” of early Ohio, the industrial age, utilizing land records, military records, technology (including usage mobile devices, apps, social media), DNA, organization, society management and development, and methodology, analysis, and problem solving in genealogical research, Ohio history and its records, archives and repositories.
The program committee is specifically seeking new, unusual, and dynamic proposals. Think outside of the box!
Interested speakers are strongly encouraged to submit multiple proposals for either one-hour general sessions, or two-hour workshops. There is no limit to the number of proposals a speaker may submit. The deadline for submission of lecture proposals is May 31, 2024.
Submit proposals in PDF format. Each proposal must include the following to be considered:
Speaker’s name, address, telephone, and e-mail address
Lecture title, not to exceed ten words, and a brief, but comprehensive outline
Lecture summary, not to exceed twenty-five words to be used in the conference booklet
Identification of the audience level: beginner, intermediate, advanced, or all
Speaker biography, not to exceed twenty-five words
Resume of prior speaking experience
Submit all proposals via e-mail to ogsconference@ogs.org no later than Midnight EST May 31, 2024. Multiple proposals may be sent in one email. Please limit your emails to no more than two (2) emails. Speakers are required to use an electronic presentation program. Projectors will be provided by Kalahari Resort & Conference Center.
Compensation
Selected speakers receive an honorarium, travel compensation, conference registration, hotel, and per diem based on the number of days lectures are presented. (Sponsored speakers will only receive conference registration and syllabus materials. See more about sponsorships below.)
Sponsors
Societies and businesses are encouraged to submit proposals for sponsored talks. The sponsoring organization will cover speaker’s lecture(s) honorarium. Sponsored speakers will abide by all speaker deadlines. Sponsored speakers will receive complimentary OGS conference registration and electronic syllabus materials. The deadline to submit sponsored lectures is also May 31, 2024.
Additional information
Camera-ready syllabus material, due February 1, 2025 is required for each general presentation and will be included in the syllabus distributed to all conference registrants.
Invitations to speak will be issued by mid-June, 2024. Syllabus format guidelines will be sent to speakers at that time. The deadline for acceptance and submission of signed speaker contracts is July 15, 2025. Letters of regret will not be sent out until all invited speakers have responded.
About the Ohio Genealogical Society
The Ohio Genealogical Society, founded in 1959, is the premier Ohio family heritage resource and the largest state genealogical society in the United States. Our mission is to protect and share Ohio’s family history resources, develop engaging educational opportunities, and connect genealogists. The Ohio Genealogical Society uniquely creates a network of Ohio expertise that lets genealogists discover their families, so they feel personally enriched, and confident in their results.
Your participation as a speaker for the Ohio Genealogical Society’s annual conference is greatly anticipated. We look forward to hearing from you.