Fun news from Paul Bunyan; they’ve outdone themselves this year…

The GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo with special guest Apple co-founder Steve “Woz” Wozniak, a Paul Bunyan Communications Event, is set for Saturday, April 22 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji. The event will feature free gaming on various console and arcade games, numerous tournaments, door prizes, and a new TechXpo that will showcase different ways the latest technology is being utilized in northern Minnesota. All the fun is free.

“We are very excited to bring back the GigaZone Gaming Championship. Our last in-person event in 2019 drew over 4,000, so this year, we’re taking over the entire Sanford Center and adding the TechXpo, which will give businesses and schools a chance to demonstrate their use of technology innovation to thousands of potential students, customers, and employees. To top it off, the pioneer of personal computer technology, Woz, will be here. It is going to be an amazing day.” said Gary Johnson, Paul Bunyan Communications CEO/General manager

The GigaZone Gaming Championship will feature various gaming tournaments, the specific games/tournaments will be determined by March 1.  Registration for all tournaments will start at the Sanford Center the morning of the event, April 22 at 10 a.m. and go until full.  There is no cost to enter the tournaments.

The GigaZone TechXpo is a new part of the event with the mission to spark excitement and create opportunities with technology by connecting students, job seekers, employers, educators, and technology enthusiasts from northern Minnesota. The TechXpo will expose a growing regional audience to technology innovation and help them realize their potential to leverage their technical skills and enthusiasm into successful careers in 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 display innovative use of technology. To apply to be an exhibitor, visit www.gigazonetechxpo.com Application deadline is March 1.

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 one of the largest rural fiber gigabit networks in the country, and that brings many advantages to our members. The GigaZone provides extreme speed and low latency, which are critical for the best online gaming experience, and the GigaZone Gaming Championship showcases just that,” added Leo Anderson, Paul Bunyan Communications Technology Experience Manager.

“There is no other gaming event like it anywhere I’ve seen, and the new TechXpo is going to be super cool. I don’t think people realize just how innovative our schools and businesses are and how they implement the latest technology to their advantage. It is going to be fun to see that on display with the gaming fun all around,” 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, and support from several regional and national partners.

For more information on the GigaZone Gaming Championship, visit www.gigazonegaming.com.