PUBLICIZING THE CONFERENCE
We want to be sure that societies, repositories, and LDS Family History Centers in New England, New York, New Jersey and Eastern Canada have ample supplies of Conference posters, “post card” notices, and Registration Brochures. Can you help make sure this happens at the libraries and societies in your area? We can supply you with all the materials you can use. If you can help, just email mailto:ksb832@verizon.net or harold.odiorne@the-spa.com and include “NERGC Publicity” in the subject line.

AND: Can you help us gain a wider circulation for this Conference E-zine by emailing it to all members of your Society and to any others who you think will be interested in the Conference?

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
At the Conference we’ll need people to assist the exhibitors, and to help with registration, signage, hospitality, and more.

CAN YOU HELP? Please contact one of our Volunteer Chairs. Cheryl Patten at cpatten@tdstelme.net or Pam Roberts at pamela.roberts@uconn.edu.

EXHIBIT HALL UPDATE
Jim Holmes and Maureen Murphy report that all full booths have been sold. However, some tables along the left wall of the Exhibit Hall, which might be the perfect place for a genealogical society, family society, or historical society to have a visible presence at the conference remain available. To see a floor plan of the Exhibit Hall, go to: http://www.nergc.org/2007/exhibits.htm. For more information or to reserve a table, contact Jim Holmes, jimholms@cs.com or Maureen Murphy, MMAUREEN39@aol.com.

HAVE YOU SUBMITTED YOUR QUERIES YET?
Don’t miss the opportunity to have your genealogical queries included in the Conference Syllabus at a very nominal cost: $5 each, or 3 for $10. Even in this day of electronic marvels, the tried and true printed query, which finds its way into hundreds of hands, is one good way to break down your brick walls.
For details on submitting your queries, refer to your Conference Brochure or visit the NERGC web site: http://www.nergc.org/2007/program/page3.htm -- OR -- Email: QueryColumn@aol.com for more information.

But don’t delay! All queries must be postmarked by 31 January 2007.

HANDS-ON COMPUTER WORKSHOPS ON WORKING WITH DIGITAL IMAGES
Two hands-on workshops at the upcoming conference will help genealogists master the management of photo and document images on their computers. The first of these will focus on getting more from an image scanner. The workshop, lasting two hours, is designed to help you use the manual controls on a scanner to make the right decisions whether you are preparing a valuable archive or emailing a document to a family member. This workshop will also provide a quick intro to Photoshop Elements and discuss a variety of options for cataloguing photos.

For those who want to go a bit further in Photoshop Elements, there will be a three-hour Photoshop Elements workshop the following day. In addition to providing background in the basics of digital images, participants will learn how to carry out the kinds of tasks often met by genealogists. Photoshop is a very versatile application. Our focus will be on restoring dynamic tonal range to faded images, repairing various kinds of damage, and using Photoshop layers.
Participants in either of these workshops will need to bring their own laptop computer in good working order and have Photoshop Elements v. 4 (preferred) or 5 installed and running. The laptop should also have a USB connection and a CD drive as well as free space on the hard drive. Participants are expected to have a basic knowledge of their computers as outlined in the online workshop descriptions, but do not need to have prior experience using a scanner or Photoshop Elements.

Beginners seeking to get a solid footing in Photoshop at the conference might want to consider signing up for both workshops.

LIBRARIANS DAY
New England CONNECTions is pleased to offer a special pre-conference program for librarians. The event will be held on Wednesday, 25 April 2007, at the Hartford Marriott Downtown. Librarians attending this program will hear several excellent speakers who will help to enhance their knowledge of genealogical resources and applications. All librarians who work with family history patrons or genealogy-related research materials will benefit from this special event. The cost is $35 per librarian and includes lunch compliments of ProQuest. See the schedule of times and speakers at http://www.nergc.org/2007/program/page2.htm

FIRST TIMERS SESSION
If you’ve never attended a genealogical conference before, or if you’ve never attended a New England Regional Genealogical Conference, don’t miss the First Timers Session to be held Thursday, 26 April 2007 from 7:00-7:30 p.m. Learn how to get the most out of the conference experience at this session specifically designed for first-time conference attendees. Open to all!

SPEAKERS’ BIOS
Visit the NERGC 2007 speaker page at http://nergc.org/2007/speakers2007.htm to learn more about the great slate of regional and national speakers we have lined up for the conference. There are forty-eight in all, including three featured speakers – Patricia Law Hatcher, Cyndi Howells, and Henry Z “Hank” Jones, Jr.

If you are speaking at the conference and wish to update your bio or place your photo on the site, please contact Laura Prescott at lgprescott@charter.net.

$99 “EARLY BIRD” REGISTRATION ENDS JANUARY 15, 2007
Remember, your registration must be postmarked BEFORE 15 January to qualify for the $99 full conference price. After that, the price goes up to $125. Your early registration will also help us with space planning, printing requirements and other important details.
In previous ezines, we’ve mentioned the opportunity to “connect” to Ancestors who immigrated to and migrated out of New England, the wealth of information available in New England’s archives, libraries, and historical socities, specific types of source records, and advances in technology.
We’ve stressed the Conference’s very affordable price – just $99.00 for Conference Registration until the 15 January 2007 Early Bird cutoff.

We’ve mentioned the various lecture tracks: Ethnic Genealogy, Federal Records at the National Archives, Genealogical Techniques, New England Research, Records and Sources, Skills and Methodology (How to manage your research and findings), Technology (The Internet and lots more!), and Writing and Documents.

Now, here are some additional reasons to attend:
Special interest groups will hold mini-gatherings Thursday evening for anyone interested in similar topics. For more information, see http://www.nergc.org/2007/specialinterestgroups.htm
At the Ancestors Road Show, participants will have the opportunity for complimentary one-on-one consultations with experienced professional genealogists.
Genealogical Societies from all over New England will be in attendance, offering information about their resources and specialties.
Exhibitors from all over the U.S. and Canada will offer genealogical products and services. For more information, see http://www.nergc.org/2007/exhibits.htm

To see the entire program and get your registration form, go to http://www.nergc.org/2007/program2007.htm
Start planning your conference experience today. Choose the programs that you’d like to attend. And get your “Early Bird” Reservation postmarked before the January 15 cutoff!

HOTEL ROOMS GOING FAST – RESERVE YOURS TODAY!
The latest report from the Marriott indicates that rooms are going very fast. The hotel anticipates a sellout on Wednesday night, and no additional rooms are available at a reduced rate. We are negotiating an increase in the NERGC room block for Thursday and Friday nights, but due to the success the hotel is currently enjoying among the business crowd, these rooms will not be at the original $125 rate. If you have not yet booked your room, don’t delay! The sooner you book, the lower the price. Make your reservations either on-line or by telephone today!
Hartford Marriott Downtown 200 Columbus Blvd. Hartford, CT 06103-2807 Phone: 1-860-249-8000 Fax: 1-860-249-8181 Toll-free reservations: 1-866-373-9806 Hotel Web site: http://www.hartfordmarriott.com/
Check-in time: 4:00 P.M. Check-out time: 11:00 A.M. Group code: NGCNGCA
Please remember that when making reservations on-line to be sure to enter the Group Code above to get the NERGC rate. When making reservations via phone, call Marriott Reservations at 1-866-373-9806 and ask to make reservations for the New England Regional Genealogical Conference.