2016 LDSTech conference?

Do we know yet when the 2016 LDSTech conference will be? Also, is it going to be at the University of Utah Institute building?

See this thread: LDSTech Conference 2016 and forward
I'm surprised they haven't announced anything yet – I wonder if they are going a different route.

I emailed tech@ldschurch.org, and they replied that "There are currently no plans for an LDSTech conference this year."

So sad. I was really looking forward to that.

Not surprising, since last year was mostly same as the previous year. I still think there is great opportunity, but it doesn't surprise me at all. I feel we've stagnated a bit in the technology world, we've moved from entrepreneurs to operations.... I think there is still vastly unexplored areas that could make this a success, I'd love to provide some input around a re-envisioned conference to attract more members to a conference.

From what I understand, the purpose of LDSTech was to get volunteers to contribute to Church-sponsored technology projects. The LDSTech model is still yielding fruit in non-technical work – beta testing (various apps) and content (Mobile Translation; LDS Music Content) – but is not yielding much fruit for technical work.

Gospel Library for Windows, LDS Music for iOS, and LDS Music for Android) are the only technical LDSTech projects I know of that still rely on volunteers – and they are not moving along very quickly. For example, the last update to LDS Music for iOS came out almost a year ago and was just a minor update. Because of the lack of volunteer support, the more critical apps have moved to internal (employee) development.

I'm guessing that the ICS department just wasn't getting the return on their investment for LDSTech Conferences.

We're sad that there will be no Conference this year. We hope some of you with creative, brilliant minds out there can use your gifts to come up with some worthwhile classes for next year, even if it's only 1 day! Get some R & R this year and come back refreshed in 2017.

Today's the day the LDSTech Conference would've been (the Thursday during University of Utah's Fall Break). Make sure you do something techie!

"All will admit that we are living in a most wonderful age, the greatest in many respects this world has ever seen. There are great signs and wonders in the earth, such as were never given to man before. The great discoveries, inventions, the pouring out of learning, theory and principle both true and false, by which many are deceived, are signs and wonders which are given us and which we should heed. The airplane swiftly winging its way through the heavens; the radio bringing to us the voices of men from all parts of the earth; the great engineering and mechanical undertakings which bring the many conveniences to man; the building of skyscrapers and the harnessing of electricity and making it work in its various forms; the great medical discoveries and surgical skill with the thousand and one other great wonders, have all been given through the will and power of God." – Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 3, 1956

For LDSTech 2017, I'd love to see a day spent with some items in 'tracks'

As a note, I would make sure that these kinds of courses are developed to provide detail and not theory, I don't think anyone here needs to be 'uplifted' and 'spiritually fed' by the tech people. let their bishops, their stake presidencies, their stake leaders help motivate and train on those aspects, concentrate on the technology! don't spend time telling people they don't understand the global church needs to anything they ask about and how it isn't valid because the church see's more than everyone else. Don't spend time on why we made the decisions we did, no theory, no background, the idea is to spend 45 minutes giving members of the church effective, and specific training. These courses could be recorded as well and put up on LDS.org as resources for leaders videos.

The other item that might be nice to coordinate during this dedicated time to crowdsource training materials - you might have a group of people at the conference who are advanced users of the mobile and online tools - great people to get behind a camera and complete some extremely needed training videos to help members utilize these tools better. Each year we could get them updated as well with the current tools, emphasizing the new items released that year.

Track 1
Target Audience - High Councilors/Stake Presidency Members, Bishoprics, Stake and Ward Young Women/Men leaders, Stake and Ward Sunday School Presidencies
Suggested Classes:

• Stake Presidencies / Bishoprics - The 5 W's of using Technology - The STS role is more than just connecting a laptop to a projector
• Come Follow me, why is technology important in delivering the Gospel to today's members of the church and especially our youth
• How to efficiently use the limited technology in the Library
• Chromecast/Airplay / Miracast / Cables / Mobile Phones and Tablets - When and how to use technology in the classroom.
• Teaching and Interacting with youth/Adults - Music/Pictres/Videos and their effective use in a classroom
• Leader and Clerk Resources usage - Website Training

Track 2
Target Audience - Stake Technology Specialists, Assistant Stake Technology Specialists
Suggested Classes: (typical classes)

• Webcast 101
• PVC 101 (if enough demand)
• Meetinghouse Technology 101
• Supporting Technology in the Stake (Copiers, clerk computers, printers, etc...)
• Detail Mobile Application tips/tricks
• Getting Started for New Technology Specialists

Track 3
Target Audience - General Membership, any of the above

• Introduction to Family Search online and mobile tools
• BYUTV/Mormon Channel - Uses of these tools for personal study and in the family and callings
• GospelLink
• LDS Tools
• LDS.org Website

I would be willing to volunteer to help build some of these courses and would volunteer to help be on a committee to implement the conference.

I would also volunteer to be on such a committee. It seems like it may need to be a grassroots effort...