We are excited to announce our first list of participants, including a mix of global technology leaders, startups and regional industry veterans. Insomniac Games, Sony, Intel, Nike, Wacom, Phoenix Labs, Kinjo, Polycount, Liquid Development, Built By Wild, Teak, the Art Institute of Portland, Appsomniacs and many more will be presenting and exhibiting. Developers from across the region, including the Portland Indie Game Squad (PIG Squad) will provide attendees the opportunity to demo new and unreleased games.

BetaCon will feature betaLIVE, a series of speakers, panels and presenters addressing a range of topics including the newest in gaming and technology, gaming and sports, the development process and an exploration of artistic creation and digital entertainment.

TED Talks alum Ashton Eaton, a two-time Olympic Gold medalist born in Portland, joined the BetaCon team as betaLIVE Director with an interest in fostering the connection between the entertainment, technology and education communities. After setting world-records in both the decathlon and the heptathlon, Eaton wants to inspire people to rethink the possibilities in other areas.

We're also thrilled to announce that the forum for Oregon’s biggest e-sports competition, CACAW Gaming, will host the BetaCon Super Smash Bros 4 tournament on Saturday and a Super Smash Bros Melee tournament on Sunday. Each competition will be single-elimination and last about 4.5 hours. Participants must sign-up in person and be present to receive their prizes.

BetaCon will also host the inaugural Beta Breakthrough Awards for contributions to gaming and technology.

BetaCon takes place April 15 and 16 at the Oregon Convention Center. Doors open for VIPs at 10 a.m. and for the general public at 11 a.m. Tickets on sale now at www.betacon.org.