awards-2014
A packed house at last year’s GeekWire Awards at the EMP Museum in Seattle.

We’re looking forward to seeing more than 850 of you this Thursday night, May 7, for the GeekWire Awards, our annual celebration honoring the very best in the Pacific Northwest tech community. This event is now in its seventh year, and it just keeps getting bigger.

awardswavebusinessHere are some important details to know as you prepare for this one-of-a-kind celebration. A big thanks to all of our sponsors, including presenting sponsor Wave Business Solutions, for making this event possible.

When: Thursday, May 7, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: EMP Museum, 325 5th Avenue N, Seattle, WA.

Attire: It’s Seattle. Come dressed for business, fun or intergalactic battle — the dress code is completely flexible.

Parking: Rockstar street parking and pay lots surround EMP and Seattle Center. There is also a pay lot next to EMP at 5th Avenue N and Harrison Street. Get there early! We’re expecting a packed house.

Tickets: If you don’t have yours already, limited tickets are still available for purchase, but we expect this event to sell out in the next few hours. Update, 1:30 p.m.: The event is now sold out.

Program schedule: Doors will open at 6 p.m. The Awards program — the Oscars of the Northwest tech scene — will begin at 7 p.m., revealing the winners of the 2015 GeekWire Awards in 13 categories. We’ve got some fun surprises in store, including another awesome video from our great partners at Killer Infographics.

Darth Vader in the EMP exhibit, Star Wars and the Power of Costume
Darth Vader in the EMP exhibit, Star Wars and the Power of Costume

Food and drink? Yes and yes. Appetizers will be heavy. No assigned tables, just tasty buffets.

Social media: Use the #gwawards hashtag on Twitter.

Activities:  We’ve got some great activities in store, including the Liquid Lounge area where Perkins Coie is sponsoring special drinks and a chocolate fountain. As a special bonus, we’ve opened up the EMP’s awesome Star Wars costume exhibit courtesy of sponsor SMART Technologies, where you can go face-to-face with Chewbacca or Darth Vader, so make sure to check that out at any time during the event. (Get a sneak peek here: Check out this galactically-awesome Star Wars costume exhibit debuting in Seattle.)

Our friends at Moz are once again hosting the fun in the photo booth. Thanks also to name badge sponsor Bader Martin, and our coat check sponsor Protingent Staffing. The signature cocktail is brought to you by Qumulo, and our bar sponsor is Avalara. Also, thanks to Bootstrapper Studios for handling the video at the event. Guests will receive parting gifts from Kotis Design and the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship.

The GeekWire Awards after party at Sport restaurant & bar is just a few blocks away from the EMP Museum
The GeekWire Awards after party at Sport Restaurant & Bar is just a few blocks away from the EMP Museum

After-party: You’re all dressed up and have someplace to go! When the Awards end at 9 p.m., we will be making the short walk to Sport Restaurant & Bar just a few blocks away at Fisher Plaza (140 4th Ave. N.) for the after party, sponsored by UPS. There will be drink and food specials for our army of geeks.

So who’s up for awards, anyway? Check out the Finalists tab on the GeekWire Awards event page for the full rundown. All finalists were nominated by the tech community and selected with the help of our Super and Galactic Geek members, a panel of more than two dozen industry leaders from across the Pacific Northwest. Then, it was all up to you! GeekWire readers voted to select the winners, with more than 25,000 votes cast across 13 categories. Find out the winners on Thursday, May 7 at EMP.

A big thanks to our GeekWire Awards category sponsors for making the event possible: Nytec, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Wave Business Solutions, Xtreme Consulting, Tune, 9Mile Labs, OfferUp, Knoll, First Tech Federal Credit Union, Fresh Consulting, Merriman, Kibble & Prentice, EY, and Qumulo.

Contact us at events@geekwire.com with questions, and see you Thursday night!

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