The GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo, a Paul Bunyan Communications event, will return on Saturday, April 12, 2025 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji. The event is now one of the largest rural gaming and technology expositions in the United States and recognized nationally within the broadband industry for its innovative way to showcase the cooperative’s all-fiber optic network while engaging with the gaming community and anyone interested in technology.
“Last year was another awesome experience. We had close to 4,000 came out for this one-of-a-kind event. There were more gaming opportunities than ever before, Danielle Feinberg from Pixar Animation Studios was our special guest,and over 25 exhibitors were on hand demonstrating their use of technology to thousands of potential students, customers, and employees. It was an amazing day and we are excited to bring it back again on April 12.” said Gary Johnson, Paul Bunyan Communications CEO/General Manager
The GigaZone Gaming Championship will feature free gaming on various console and arcade games, numerous tournaments, door prizes, and more. There is no cost to enter the tournaments or for any of the gaming. Tournament details will be posted on the GigaZone Gaming Discord, Twitch channel, and Facebook page as well as www.gigazonegaming.com New this year will be the GigaZone Gaming High School Invitational, a Rocket League tournament exclusively for school sanctioned High School esports teams. Schools interested should contact Fenworks at https://fenworks.com/contact-us/
The GigaZone TechXpo will expose a growing regional audience to technology innovation and help them turn their technical skills and enthusiasm into successful careers right here northern Minnesota. Start-ups and companies creatively leveraging technology will be able to demonstrate their innovation to a large group of tech-savvy potential employees. Educators and educational institutions can have their tech-oriented students show off projects and promote the technology training programs they have to offer. There is no cost to be an exhibitor but space is limited and the exhibit must creatively display the use of technology. Applications will open January 3 with a deadline to apply by February 28, 2025 at www.gigazonetechxpo.com
This one-of-a-kind event showcases Paul Bunyan Communications’ IT and web development team, which custom-built and integrated much of the online technology being used and leverages the speed of the GigaZone, one of the largest rural all-fiber optic gigabit networks in the country. The entire gaming event is run off a single residential GigaZone Internet connection.
“Our cooperative continues to expand our advanced fiber network that brings many advantages to our members including extreme speed and low latency, which are critical for the best online gaming experience. The GigaZone Gaming Championship showcases just that,” added Leo Anderson, Paul Bunyan Communications Chief Technology Officer.
“It is the biggest rural gaming event I’m aware of and the TechXpo makes a lot of connections to potential careers. Many of the exhibitors were able to attract new employees, students, and/or customers through the event. I don’t think people realize just how innovative our schools and businesses are and how they implement the latest technology into their operations or education curriculum. The TechXpo is a showcase for that in a personal, interactive, and exciting way,” added Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications Marketing Supervisor.
This Paul Bunyan Communications event includes the talents of many local partners, including NLFX, Accidently Cool Games, Northern Amusement, and the Sanford Center, as well as support from several regional and national partners.
Posted: 4 weeks ago.