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BEMIDJI — Exhibitor applications will open on Wednesday, Jan. 3 for Paul Bunyan Communications' seventh annual GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo, set for April 20 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji.

The event 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

The 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, a release said. The entire gaming event is run off a single residential GigaZone Internet connection.

"Last year was our biggest event yet as we took over the entire Sanford Center for the first time and added the TechXpo," said Paul Bunyan Communications CEO and General Manager Gary Johnson in the release. "We were honored to have Steve Wozniak as our special guest and had over 35 exhibitors from area businesses and schools who demonstrated their use of technology to thousands of potential students, customers and employees."

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 use of technology 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 their innovative use of technology.

Exhibitor applications open on Jan. 3. To apply, visit The application deadline is March 1.

"There is no other gaming event like it anywhere that I’ve seen, and the TechXpo was a great addition," Brian Bissonette, Paul Bunyan Communications marketing supervisor, said in the release. "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."

This Paul Bunyan Communications event includes the talents of many local partners including NLFX, Accidentally Cool Games, Northern Amusement, the Sanford Center, as well as support from several regional and national partners, the release said.

For more information on the GigaZone Gaming Championship, visit