Flickr photo via Zimpenfish

The first annual TechFlash Summer BBQ & Ping Pong Tournament is just 13 days away. We've assembled a great line-up of entrepreneurs, VCs, attorneys, PR professionals and developers from the Seattle tech industry who think they have what it takes to be named the king -- or queen -- of pong.

Among those in the field are Amazon.com’s Andy Jassy, Concur’s Rajeev Singh, BuddyTV’s Andy Liu, Frazier Technology Ventures' Len Jordan, Big Fish Games' Glenn Walcott and WhitePages' Alex Algard. The 48 tournament slots are now accounted for.

There's still room for the BBQ, but we are expecting that to sell out too. So, if you want to cheer on your favorite techie or just hang out in a relaxed setting and shoot the breeze, make sure to sign up here. Here are the key things you need to know, along with the detailed FAQ that we sent to ping pong players earlier this week.

What: TechFlash Summer BBQ & Ping Pong Tourney
When: July 23rd, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Georgetown Ballroom, 5623 Airport Way South
Why: We love to see heated competition in the Seattle tech industry.

Here's how this will work. Next Monday at 5:00 p.m., we plan to hold a selection show at Teddy’s Tavern in Seattle where we’ll set the bracket in the 48-person field.
 
Since we haven't seen any of you play, we'll be choosing names randomly out of a hat at Teddy’s. Come on out if you have time

(Teddy’s has ping pong tables on the back deck, so it could be a good place to practice up before the big July 23rd tournament). Otherwise, please visit TechFlash the following day where we’ll post a PDF of the bracket.  (At that time, feel free to let the official trash talking begin.)

Then, on July 23rd -- in a sporting event not seen around these parts since the glory days of the Sonics -- we'll be getting everyone together for a giant ping pong smack down.  (If you are not in the tournament, don't worry as we'll have a recreational table set up for more casual play).

We've also lined up some sweet and spicy BBQ courtesy of Smokin' Peet's in Ballard. And prizes? Yes, we'll have prizes. 

Bing, Microsoft's newly rebranded search engine, will have some surprises in store as the presenting sponsor. Additional sponsors of the event are Solutions IQ; Seattle University's Master of Software Engineering program and Microsoft BizSpark. Our ping pong bracket sponsor is the Washington Technology Industry Association.

Here's a FAQ for those participants in the July 23rd tournament:
 
What time should I arrive? 3:50 p.m. sharp. The bracket consists of 48 players and we'll be trying to move quickly from match to match in order to complete the tournament in a reasonable time frame. If you can't make the tournament on time, it will result in a default.
 
When will the finals be held? It depends on how quickly we move through the early rounds, but we are hoping to take a networking/dinner break at 6:00 p.m. Afterwards, we'll resume the tournament with the blockbuster final rounds.
 

Ping pong/Photo:JMRosenfeld

Where's the Georgetown Ballroom? 5623 Airport Way South. If you are not familiar with Georgetown, give yourself some extra time to get there since it can be a bit challenging for first timers. The Ballroom is located in an old brick building on the west side of Airport Way. Map here. 
 
What about parking? Parking can be a challenge, but we'll have parking lots clearly marked. On-street parking also is available, but tickets are issued at 4 p.m. for those who park on the west side of Airport Way. Be careful.
 
How is the tournament structured? Single elimination. Matches will be a best of three format, with each game scored to 11 points. Players will alternate serves after every two points. Games must be won by two points.
 
What are the rules? We recommend you peruse "The Laws of Table Tennis," a good guidebook. The TechFlash ping pong tournament is designed as a fun event, and we're hoping that any disputes will be resolved on the table. If you need clarification, find a TechFlash representative to make a final ruling. (One tip: When serving, the ping pong ball must be tossed in open view from the palm of the hand.)
 
If I lose, can I play more ping pong? Yes, we'll have a table for warm ups and recreational play.
 
Can I bring my own paddle? Yes, absolutely. But if you don't have a reliable bat, we'll be providing some at the door.
 
What should I wear? Casual, comfortable clothes that allow you to smash an overhead or hit a wicked spin. Also, we're encouraging players to represent their companies by donning corporate gear.  In fact, we'll be awarding the "Spirit Award" for the player who exudes the most exuberance during match play. We also will be filming the event and publishing excerpts on TechFlash, so look sharp.
 
What sort of competition can I expect? Players will range in skill, but we expect most will surpass the level seen in this video.  

Looking forward to seeing everyone on July 23rd. Let us know if you have any questions.

[Flickr photos via Zimpenfish and JMRosenfeld]