The father of Hello Kitty to be Third Day Keynote Speaker.

This just in from the 2008 ION Conference folks in Seattle:

SEATTLE, Washington, April 22, 2008 - Among the major forces behind
the scenes of the fast-growing internet social communities in the
Pacific Rim are two very different companies that are affecting the
future of online worlds in the East: Sanrio Digital and Outblaze.
Evergreen Events is proud to announce that the founder and CEO of
Sanrio Digital and Outblaze, Yat Siu, will deliver the 2008 ION Game
Conference lunch keynote on Thursday, May 15th. The 2008 ION Game
Conference, an exclusive and senior-level game industry event focused
on the business and development of online games, will take place in
Seattle, Washington from May 13-15 at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront
Hotel.

Mr. Siu's keynote will focus on the integration of social networks,
casual gaming, and massively multiplayer online games, something he
has been working on since designing The Impossible Team Online Game,
an MMOG for Adidas that coincided with the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Yat Siu is the Founder and CEO of Sanrio Digital, a company that
leverages Sanrio intellectual property for use online and in digital
media. He is also CEO and Founder of Typhoon Games, a computer game
publisher and distributor established in 2001, and Outblaze, a digital
services and solutions company founded in 1998 that serves over 75
million users across many global clients.

"I am looking forward to learning a great deal at ION 2008 and sharing
the lessons I have acquired in Asia-Pacific," said Yat Siu. "I will be
addressing three particularly exciting trends of the industry today:
the first is online gaming, including casual gaming; the second is the
proliferation of social networking; the third is the abundant
population of female gamers, who are not often targeted by big budget
game releases. Tapping all three trends simultaneously is likely to
produce some very interesting results."

Only a few days remain to register online at the discounted rate of
$695 for one of the year's most influential and forward-thinking
conferences within the game industry. An attendee pass at the 2008 ION
Game Conference permits access to all keynotes, sessions and panels,
the expo area, and conference networking parties. Evergreen Events has
negotiated a special discounted rate for attendees at the Seattle
Marriott Waterfront Hotel, the official conference venue and hotel.
Although the conference room block has completely sold out, Evergreen
has secured a limited number of additional at the discount rate until
April 23rd.

If you are interested in learning more or attending, check here for the 2008 ION Conference main site.