The Society of Genealogists has been supporting family historians for over 100 years, and we’re delighted to be able to help professional genealogists just as much as budding beginners.
We offer a range of events for our members, all hosted online, with specific ‘Professional Corner’ talks aimed at anyone who’s made (or is making) the move away from casual researcher to full-time professional genealogist.
What Professional Genealogists Can Expect from SoG
Introducing Professional Corner, a carefully curated collection of presentations and workshops. Selected based on continuous feedback from our Gold members, these valuable talks can be attended live on Zoom or watched on replay. We’ve got some great talks lined up for the summer, and these are all available as part of your Gold membership.
There are lots of exiting things coming up in Professionals Corner in the next few months, but if you join as a Gold member today, you can attend our quarterly DNA and Armed Forces Advice sessions. These are ideal for getting answers to thorny questions.
Upcoming Training and Events for Professional Genealogists
Here are our current planned events. We’re always adding more dates and topics, so make sure you check back regularly to avoid missing out.
Getting Yourself Known (Friday 3rd July)
We know that many genealogists became professional because they love exploring family histories, but that sometimes mean they overlook the growing the business side of things.
This workshop will explore practical and effective ways to attract the right clients and raise your profile so you get known and booked and have a genealogy business that supports you.
CPD and Reflective Practice (Friday 7th August)
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a requirement for people in a whole range of industries, including genealogy. Maintaining a record of your CPD courses and training events is not only good practice but an excellent way to demonstrate your professionalism to clients and working partnerships.
In this workshop, you’ll learn how to create a CPD log in a format tailored specifically to genealogy. It will cover what you need to include, retrospectively completing your log and then planning future development.
DNA for the Terrified Professional Traditional Genealogist (Friday 11th September)
If you’re used to document-based research, then hearing ‘DNA’ from a potential or existing client might create a feeling of panic. But don’t worry! This workshop will bridge the gap between traditional genealogy and a more science-based approach.
First, we’ll strip back DNA to its essentials and what you need to know, then how it complements the methods you’re already using. Then you’ll gain an understanding of how it adds value, how to engage with results more easily, and finally feel more confident with it.
Dealing with Perfectionism (Friday 23rd October)
Accuracy, thoroughness and being careful with evidence is all essential in genealogical research. That’s how we deliver a great service to our customers. However, sometimes we can go too far to achieve perfection and it undermines our work and our mental health.
To counter that, this workshop will help you to find a better balance between giving clients what they need and not exhausting yourself to deliver it. It’s designed as a supportive, peer-led discussion and gives you the opportunity to share experiences, challenges, and strategies with colleagues who understand the realities of client work.
AI for Professional Genealogists (Friday 9th November)
At the moment, it feels like AI is everywhere, and it’s not always easy to see how it can work in genealogy – or if it should. So we’re going to take a practical look at how you can incorporate it into your current professional workload to enhance rather than replace traditional skills.
We’ll explore how it’s being used across the research process, from transcription and translation to analysis and storytelling. And we’ll take a critical look at where using AI will add genuine value, and where human judgement remains essential.
Managing Difficult Conversations (Friday 4th December)
Have you ever found unexpected information in your research that may not be what the clients wants to hear? How do you handle that? The increasing use of DNA in research can lead to findings that need to be shared sensitively. And that’s not always easy to do.
This is a two-part event to help you feel more confident in having those conversations, and we’ve brought in a specialised team of genealogists experienced in this field of work. In the first week, there will be a presentation and a Q&A. In week two, there will be a guided workshop to help you develop your skills.
Professional Corner: CPD and Reflective Practice
As a professional genealogist, maintaining a record of your CPD (Continuing Professional Development) is good practice. It may be a requirement of an accredited body and is also an excellent way to demonstrate your professionalism to clients and working partnerships.
Writing for Publication: or how to put your story together for publishing . . . anywhere!
How to turn your family history research into informative, inspiring and enduring stories.
Professional Corner: How to use Your Blog Effectively to Support Your Genealogy Business
Having an active blog on your website is a useful tool to market your genealogy services. If you don’t know where to start or you’re worried about how much time it will take, worry not!
Raise Your Profile by Speaking at SoG Events
We have many members and guest experts delivering talks for us, and we’d love it if you joined that list! You can talk broadly about genealogy, family history or running a business, or you can share a deeper dive into a topic of interest.
Perhaps you’ve done your own one name or one place study? Learned something exciting or unexpected about a family member that you think people will find interesting? Or maybe you’ve developed a system for bringing the past to life and you want to inspire others.
The Society of Genealogists is long-established and well-respected globally, so being able to give a presentation to our members is a great opportunity. It will look good on your CV, it will give your visibility a big boost and it will help with credibility.
You never know who might see your talk! As well as finding clients locally, from our global audience you could be contacted by someone overseas in need of your support.
You may also find collaboration opportunities, be invited to speak elsewhere (or by us again), develop a workshop based on your talk or be asked to submit an article to a journal or publication.
Topics We’d Love Professional Genealogists to Share
We have a comprehensive library of past talks, but there are still some gaps we’d love to fill. Have a look at the list below, and get in touch if you’re able to help us:
- A day in the life of various occupations – (please check that your topic isn’t already included in the Learning Hub)
- Getting the Most from the Mass Observation Project
- Why every genealogist needs to visit and archive and why it isn’t frightening
- BMD Certificates outside the UK
- Cyber security for small genealogy businesses/sole traders
Share Your Expertise at Special Genealogy Events
We have special events alongside our one-off talks and workshops, and we’re always looking for speakers to share their knowledge.
NextGen is an online conference we’re hosting in conjunction with the Family History Federation, and it’s all about supporting the next generation of genealogists and family historians.
We’re looking for proposals from potential speakers aged 16 to 35, and you don’t need to have any previous experience of public speaking or conferences. We’ve got resources available to help you to plan and deliver your talk.
What we are looking for is fresh perspectives, enthusiasm and interesting stories. The 2026 theme is ‘New Connections’, which you can interpret in any way you like, such as DNA, archives, social media, innovative research methods and more.
If you’ve got something you’re passionate about sharing, then get in touch.
And the popular All About That Place (AATP) event returns this year, with a speaker callout already published. This ten-day family and history festival explores one place studies, people, daily lives and world events.
Each day has its own theme, and we invite speaker to submit a 10-minute talk on a topic that fits with one of the themes.
Every attendee receives a free digital workbook, which you’re welcome to contribute to, and there are also opportunities to be interviewed by the organisers.
When AATP launched in 2023, we had thousands of people watching the videos, joining the Facebook group and participating, which makes it more than just a conference – it’s a community.
And the popular All About That Place (AATP) event returns this year, with a speaker callout already published. This ten-day family and history festival explores one place studies, people, daily lives and world events.
Each day has its own theme, and we invite speaker to submit a 10-minute talk on a topic that fits with one of the themes. Every attendee receives a free digital workbook, which you’re welcome to contribute to, and there are also opportunities to be interviewed by the organisers.
What Speakers Need to Know
We send our T&Cs to all speakers, which outlines exactly what each side agrees to and which we ask you to sign ahead of time. The requirements vary depending on whether it’s a live event or pre-recorded, but it includes things such as:
- Date and time of event
- Length of presentation
- Title
- Speaker fee
- Key information we need from you
- Usage rights
- Copyright
- Cancellation policy
It’s also important to note that attitudes and beliefs have changed over the years. If a proposed talk includes any offensive historic language, a discussion of sensitive issues or displaying any sensitive images, we ask the speaker to let us know, and to have a sensitivity warning in their presentation and accompanying slides.
Not Ready to Present? Host a Member Chat Instead
We host monthly chats for our members, and regularly ask for volunteers to take the lead on these. These are informal, casual chats where people can talk about their projects, get help on overcoming brick walls and share unexpected finds.
Hosting duties can be as simple as letting people into the Zoom room, making them welcome and doing introductions, or if you have an idea for a themed chat, please let us know. These sessions are a great way to meet like-minded people, have fun and learn in a relaxed environment.
Help Shape Future Support for Professional Genealogists
We’re keen to make the new Professionals Corner a valuable resource to genealogists, whether they’re beginners or well-established researchers. We’ll be adding more to it over time, but as it’s still new at the moment this is a great time to tell us what you need.
We also know how important CPD (Continuing Professional Development) is for many professional genealogists, so if this is something of interest to you, please let us know.