The GeekWire Bash, Seattle’s biggest geek festival returns to the CenturyLink Field Event Center on Thursday, March 7th, and time is running out to secure your team a tournament slot!
Registration for GeekWire Bash ping pong, foosball, and dodgeball tournaments closes this Friday, February 22nd. Tournament entries and General Admission tickets can be purchased here or below.
These tournaments draw more than 500 competitors from dozens of Seattle tech companies like Zillow Group, Best Buy, ExtraHop, DoubleDown, Geocaching, OfferUp and more.
Teams of eight will take to the dodgeball courts, while pairs of intermediate and expert foosballers will battle for dominance on the miniature soccer pitch. Tournament tickets for the tabletop sensation Catan have already sold out.
The fiercely competitive intermediate and expert ping pong brackets will also make their return alongside a brand-new doubles bracket – does your team have what it takes to claim the Golden Paddle?
Grab your tournament tickets below and read on for more information on tournament details and FAQs.
Tournament FAQ:
How many players can my company send? Currently, each organization is limited to 2 ping pong competitors per tournament (including a doubles ping pong team), 2 foosball teams, and 1 dodgeball team (each dodgeball team consists of 8 players and must have at least 4 female players, no substitutes) to accommodate as many groups as possible. We encourage companies to hold internal competitions in advance to find the best players to send for the intermediate and expert brackets.
Do I need to bring my printed ticket? No. If you are registered, we will have your name on file.
When and where is the event? 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 7th at the CenturyLink Field Event Center (800 Occidental Ave S) in Seattle, just south of CenturyLink Field. The main entrance and registration will be at the southwest doors on Occidental Ave S.
When should I arrive? Doors to the Bash will open at 3 pm. Tournament participants should arrive for check-in no later than 3:30 pm.
Where should I park? Various parking lots and street parking surround the CenturyLink Field Event Center. All-day parking is available in the CenturyLink Field Garage for $15. Entrance to the garage is located off South Royal Brougham Way, between Occidental Ave S & 4th Ave S. You can also use the address of 330 South Royal Brougham Way in your GPS, although the physical address is not posted on the venue.
Where do I check in? Make sure to get your badge and drink tickets at the main registration desk on the west side of the CenturyLink Field Event Center along Occidental Ave S.
Can I play in more than one tournament? No. Due to tournament logistics and scheduling, participants are limited to one tournament at the Bash.
Dodgeball sponsored by T-Mobile
Tournament Rules (subject to change) can be found here.
What are the stakes? Read about last year’s champions and the epic intensity of this 32-team tournament here.
How many players are on each team? Teams must consist of 8 players with at least 4 women. There are no substitutions or bench players allowed.
What happens if our team loses? The tournament is double-elimination: one loss places the team in “Second-Chance” bracket, while a second loss results in elimination from the tournament.
What should I wear? Comfortable clothes, and maybe a towel to dry off. Feel free to bring an extra shirt if you tend to break out in a sweat during your dodgeball matches. We will have a coat and bag check area near registration.
Dodgeball court: Matches will be held on the 60-foot by 30-foot dodgeball court in the netted area in the east part of the venue. Make sure your full team is assembled at the court 15 minutes before your official match time.
How will I know when to play my match? Check in with your full team with the tournament director for your tournament, and he or she will notify you of your potential match time. Brackets will be displayed prominently and updated as the tournaments progress. Make sure to check them regularly.
What if I can’t make the tournament? If you can no longer participate in the tournament, please let us know immediately by emailing Colton Edwards at colton@geekwire.com.
Ping Pong sponsored by Avalara
Basic rules of Ping Pong can be found here.
How many brackets will there be? Three. Intermediate, Expert and new in 2019, Doubles. Read more about the exciting end of the 2018 Expert tournament and the new Doubles tournament here. (P.S. Still want to play ping pong but skip the tournament? There will be an Open Play area!)
Can I bring my own regulation-sized paddle? Yes! We encourage it.
What style of ping pong balls will be used? Stiga 3-star.
How will matches be scored? For ping pong, each match will consist of a best of three-game series. Games will be played to 11 points, with players alternating serves after every two points. Games must be won by two points.
What happens if I lose my first match? You will be eliminated from the tournament, but your tournament registration includes full access to the party, including great activities such as beer pong, sumo wrestling, a classic video game arcade and much more. Also, as tables open up throughout the evening you’ll be able to challenge your friends and co-workers to “friendly” matches in the open play area.
What happens if I win my match? Make sure to report your win to the table captain, and make sure it is recorded on the big bracket near the tournament desk.
What if I can’t make the tournament? If you can no longer participate in the tournament, please let us know immediately by emailing Colton Edwards at colton@geekwire.com.
Foosball
Foosball rules can be found here.
How many brackets will there be? Two. When you register, select to participate in the Intermediate or Expert bracket. Read more about the 2018 foosball champs here.
How will I know when to play my match? Check in with the tournament director for your tournament, and he or she will notify you of your potential match time. Brackets will be displayed prominently and updated as the tournaments progress. Make sure to check them regularly. Additionally, if you are not in the main tournament area, notifications will be sent via text to the mobile phone number provided when you registered.
How will matches be scored? For foosball, it will be a best of three-game series, single elimination tournament. We’ll play games to 5, with a time limit of 18 minutes on each match.
What happens if I lose my first match? You will be eliminated from the tournament, but your tournament registration includes full access to the party, including great activities such as beer pong, sumo wrestling, a classic video game arcade and much more. Also, as tables open up throughout the evening you’ll be able to challenge your friends and co-workers to “friendly” matches in the open play area.
What should I wear? Comfortable clothes, and maybe bring a towel to dry off. Feel free to bring an extra shirt if you tend to break out in a sweat during your foosball matches. Headbands are optional!
What if I can’t make the tournament? If you can no longer participate in the tournament, please let us know immediately by emailing Colton Edwards at colton@geekwire.com.
Catan
This tournament is sold out. To join the tournament waitlist, email Colton Edwards at colton@geekwire.com.
How will I know when to play my match? Round one starts at 4:00 p.m. Please check in by 3:30 p.m. If you are not in the main tournament area, we will attempt to reach you via the text number provided when you registered.
What if I can’t make the tournament? If you can no longer participate in the tournament, please let us know immediately by emailing Colton Edwards at colton@geekwire.com.
What’s at stake? The entire island of Catan! But most of all, this is a fun event and a chance to meet, connect with (and compete against) a wide variety of people across the tech industry.
Catan Boards: Latest edition base game boards (no expansions), tokens, dice, and cards will all be supplied by Meeples Games.
What are the rules of Settlers of Catan? We will be playing base Settlers of Catan with 4 players per table using the standard game rules and modified World Championship tournament rules. Standard game rules can be found here.
How do I report my match? Each table will be provided with a score sheet that all players must sign at the end of the match. The referee will keep track of points and announce winners.
Special thanks to presenting sponsor First Tech Federal Credit Union. Also, thanks to Avalara, the ping pong tournament sponsor; T-Mobile, the dodgeball tournament sponsor; Alaska Airlines, providing the ping pong tournament prizes; and our partners at Meeples Games for managing the Catan tournament. Additional tournament support provided by Dodgeball Seattle.
