"If you can dream it, you can do it!" This quote fully applied to the first German virtual genealogical fair "Genealogica" launched last Friday, February 12, 2021. Because this event was created and presented by two enthusiastic genealogists, Barbara Schmidt and Anja Klein. "Hosting such an online event was my dream in summer last year!" Anja Klein said several times during the event.
Looked like a real fair: Genealogica invited every genealogist to a virtual genealogy festival!
Genealogica brought the feeling of a real fair directly into the living rooms via the Internet. Instead of traveling far to an event location, perhaps even with a necessary overnight stay, one sat relaxed in the living room armchair and could nevertheless be actively present when Barbara Schmidt and Anja Klein welcomed the speakers of the two parallel series of lectures on Saturday and Sunday.
The lobby of the Genealogica: the round blinking dots led the people to the two auditoriums, the two exhibition halls and to more information.
And not only the lectures were highly interesting and informative, but also the virtual exhibition booths of genealogical associations, organizations and commercial providers of genealogical services. This was also a new thing for the genealogy scene in Germany! One felt like in a real exhibition hall and could stroll from booth to booth, collect information material, watch videos and communicate directly with the booth supervisors by text chat, video chat or via ZOOM!
The exhibition hall map guided you directly to the exhibition booths of genealogical societies, organizations and to commercial vendors of genealogical products and services.
Even the "International German Genealogy Partnership" (IGGP) had an own virtual information booth at Germany's first virtual genealogical festival and invited to the upcoming virtual "International German Genealogy Conference" in July. Here you could find information about the lectures and the speakers, a link to get tickets and much more.
The first virtual booth in the history of the IGGP!
IGGP's virtual booth at the Genealogica: All information about the upcoming IGGC were only a mouse click away! The booth was created by Nancy Myers, one of the members of the IGGC organizing comittee.
For our genealogical society "Ahnenforscher Stammtisch Unna" it was the first time in our 20-years-history to have a virtual booth in a virtual event. Our team members were present on Friday from 4.30 pm until 6.30 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 1 pm until 6 pm. On all three days we welcomed visitors in our ZOOM meeting room for genealogical research and talks about all topics of genealogy. All participants sat comfortably in their warm home with a cup of coffee or tea and were pleased about this new kind of a big genealogical meeting in Germany, about the sensational virtual environment and the big offer of information.
The virtual information booth of the Ahnenforscher Stammtisch Unna: a click on the blinking dots led visitors to our homepage, our Social Media channels, to the Online German Genealogy Calendar (www.online-german-genealogy-calendar.de)
Genealogica was made possible by sponsors such as FamilySearch, Ancestry, MyHeritage, Heredis and Archion, whose booths also offered a variety of information and virtual consultation hours.
When Barbara Schmidt and Anja Klein closed the active and interactive part of the virtual genealogy fair on Sunday evening in a "virtual party" on ZOOM in front of still more than 100 participants, the expressions of gratitude did not stop.
The two gave us the first big genealogical event in Germany after nearly one year of CoVid19 pandemic's lockdown and its restriction in our social activities. A long weekend that pushed the daily thoughts about CoVid19 in the back.
The Ahnenforscher Stammtisch Unna congratulate Anja Klein and Barbara Schmidt to this successful premiere. We would like to thank you very much for giving us the opportunity for a get-together with many other people in their living rooms in a fantastic virtual environment and in wonderful and relaxed atmosphere despite these pandemic circumstances.
And we would like to echo the wish of all the other participants: "We want another German Genealogica in 2022!"
"If you dream it, you can do it!", a quote whose truth found confirmation in Genealogica!