Now that the conference is over, we’ve spent time reviewing the various reports that Whova can provide. Things like session feedback, polls, discussion topics, etc. But Whova also uses artificial intelligence to produce a summary report, so we thought you might like to see what a non-human thinks we think about the conference. Does it match your impressions?

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that the 2025 IGGP International German Genealogy Conference took place from June 12th to 15th, 2025, in Lewis Center, Columbus, OH. It was fantastic to see the enthusiasm and passion for genealogy among participants—what an inspiring community we have!

Stellar Speaker Lineup

The conference featured an incredible lineup of 36 excellent speakers, each bringing valuable insights and expertise to our attendees. Their collective wisdom ensured that every session was not only informative but also inspiring for all participants.

Engaging Sessions

The event was brimming with content, featuring 88 sessions across 10 tracks. The diverse topics included sessions for vendors, a bus tour of the beautiful German Village, and ample opportunities for connection over meals. It was clear that our attendees were eager to dive into every experience!

Attendee Satisfaction Metrics

The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive! When we asked, “How satisfied were you with the event overall?” we were thrilled to see that 85.0% expressed they loved using the Whova platform for our conference. Attendees left heartfelt thank you messages, such as:

• “Thank you for organizing this conference. It has been very interesting and helpful.”
• “This was a well-organized conference in a beautiful setting!”

These comments speak volumes about the success of the event!

Networking Opportunities

Networking was at the forefront of our conference experience. We successfully brought together attendees from various regions, including participation from less represented areas such as Middletown, Delaware, United States and Salt Lake City, Utah. With representation from 131 organizations, including impressive entities such as PalAm and the Sacramento German Genealogy Society, the connections made were invaluable. The Whova event app also facilitated networking opportunities, showcasing 66 community board topics and allowing for eight creative meet-ups, with popular titles like “DNA Research in Germanic Europe” and “Dinner, Drinks, & Gemütlichkeit.” The engagement was truly extraordinary.

High Engagement Levels

Attendees exhibited remarkable engagement throughout the event. Aside from the 80 Q&A questions submitted via Whova, one of the most popular live polls was, “How familiar are you with German census records?” which received 62 responses, showcasing different levels of familiarity within our audience.

The poll responses were as follows:

• B. I’ve heard of them but haven’t used any: 61.18%
  C. I’ve tried finding some, with mixed results: 16.10%
  A. I didn’t know Germany had census records!: 12.88%
  D. I’ve used them successfully in specific regions: 8.05%
  E. I’ve helped others locate and interpret them: 1.61%

This kind of interaction demonstrates the genuine interest and commitment of our attendees in advancing their genealogy knowledge.

Concluding Remarks

In summary, the 2025 IGGP International German Genealogy Conference was nothing short of a spectacular success. From our vibrant speaker lineup and enthusiastic sponsors to the engaging sessions and network-building activities, we were able to deliver an extraordinary experience for all participants. The feedback received — from high satisfaction levels to meaningful testimonials — indicates we not only met but exceeded expectations. We are immensely proud of what was accomplished and look forward to bringing the community together again in the future! Thank you to everyone who contributed to this fantastic event!

If nothing else, we know AI knows how to use a thesaurus! 🙂