We’re looking forward to seeing nearly 1,000 of you this Thursday night, May 12, for the GeekWire Awards, the annual awards ceremony where we recognize the very best of the Pacific Northwest tech community. This event is now in its eighth year, and it just keeps getting bigger and more exciting.
Here are some important details to know for those who’ve secured tickets for this one-of-a-kind celebration. A big thanks to all of our sponsors, including presenting sponsor Wave Business, for making this event possible.
When: Thursday, May 12, from 6:45 p.m. to 10 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: The GeekWire Awards event is sold out, and we can’t open any more tickets. We hope you can join us for the GeekWire Sports Tech Summit on July 12-13 or the GeekWire Summit on Oct. 4-5, before those events sell out.
Program schedule: Doors will open at 6:45 p.m. The Awards program — the Oscars of the Northwest tech scene — will begin at 7:55 p.m., revealing the winners of the 2016 GeekWire Awards in 13 categories. We’ve got some fun surprises in store, including another awesome video from our great partners at Killer Infographics.
Seating: There is limited seating available for finalists, members and sponsors. No tables, or assigned seating for others. We encourage you to network and mingle with other guests in this party atmosphere, but we also hope you’ll limit conversations during the awards’ program.
Food and drink? Yes and yes. Appetizers will be heavy. No assigned tables, just tasty buffets. Attendees will receive two drink tickets.
Social media: Use the #gwawards hashtag on Twitter.
Activities: We’ve got some great activities in store, including the Liquid Lounge area where Whitepages is sponsoring a special bar and hang-out area. As a special bonus, we’ve opened up the EMP’s awesome Hello Kitty and Indie Video Game Revolution exhibits. These exhibits are available for all guests, and we encourage you to linger and enjoy the geeky fun. Our friends at Moz are once again hosting the fun in the photo booth. Thanks also to name badge sponsor Bader Martin. Our bar sponsors are OfferUp and Perkins Coie. Also, thanks to Bootstrapper Studios for handling the video at the event.
Who are the finalists: Check out all of the finalists in 13 categories — including Next Tech Titan, Geekiest Office Space and Startup of the Year — here. 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 45,000 votes cast across 13 categories.
After-party: You’re all dressed up and have someplace to go! When the Awards end at 9:45 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.
A big thanks to our GeekWire Awards sponsors for making the event possible: Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Wave Business, OfferUp, Knoll, First Tech Federal Credit Union, Kibble & Prentice, EY, Avanade, UPS, Nuance, Moz, Salesforce, Tourism Victoria, MyWorkNinja, Fastly, Indeed, Code Fellows, Whitepages and RealSelf.
Contact us at events@geekwire.com with questions, and see you Thursday night!