ESPORTS x SPORTS

Opening Remarks

How Esports Is Redefining Endemic Sports Fandom

Very few could have predicted just how much crossover can be found between esports and endemic sports. These similarities can be found in sponsorship and revenue models, brand activations, digital marketing strategies—and even among fans. On the other hand, esports has also redefined the way that younger consumers build relationships with sports leagues, changed the way fans view athletes, and altered how content is consumed.

As gaming grows, so does its power to engage a new generation: gaming may not need sports, but sports might just need esports. Hear from leaders who have helped define esports and gaming strategy at both esports teams/leagues and at some of North America's most prominent endemic sports properties as they share how your organization should think about the crossover power of esports x sports.

• Grant Paranjape, Washington Justice
• Claire Kaido, OS NYC
• Sam Asfahani, The Mercury Group
• Heather Garozzo, Team Dignitas

WWE: In the Ring with Gaming

There’s so much hype around gaming today that it’s easy to see why marketers are chomping at the bit to get involved. But doing so without the right strategy and partnerships can cause brands, and entertainment properties alike, to not resonate properly with the gaming community.

Entertainment giant WWE’s foray into gaming started a number of years ago, and since then, the company has cultivated a crossover community of passionate gamers and wrestling fans through strategic partnerships and award-winning gaming content. Hear from AJ Styles, WWE Superstar and avid gamer, in this session moderated by Kazeem Famuyide on how WWE has created crossover amongst fans to evolve its gaming vertical. Styles will give us insight into his passion for gaming and how brands can leverage partnerships to stay engaged with fans.

• AJ Styles, WWE Superstar & Gamer
• Kazeem Famuyide, The SpringHill Company

State of the Business: Women in Esports

Half of the world’s gamers are reportedly now women, but representation across all roles in the esports industry is sorely lacking. In the list of top earning players in history, there is not a single woman in the top 300. As the industry continues to grow, opportunities for women have never been more widespread. But what are the barriers to entry? And how can we break through them?

Hear from experts in their fields, Morgan Ashurst, Laurie "Lyloun" Lagier, and Guilia Zecchini as they discuss their work, experiences, and what the industry needs to do to attract more talented women. This session is moderated by Kirsty Endfield.

• Giulia Zechhini, FACEIT
• Laurie Lagier, Team Vitality
• Morgan Ashurst, British Esports Association
• Kirsty Endfield, Swipe Right PR

Creating Community Through Increased Brand Engagement and Investment in Esports & Games
presented with Esports Ad Bureau (EAB)

Rival represents the kind of emerging company that adheres to the leadership, best practices and excellence standards in the gaming space that the largest platform technology companies are modeling. A lot of that comes from the leadership Paul Brewer brings to the space, as an accomplished and seasoned sports, games and esports executive.

The discussion with Paul and Yvette will be focused on the convergence of Sports and Gaming and how both RIVAL and Verizon work within these two pillars of entertainment. The discussion will dive into Rival’s efforts with professional sports properties to further fan engagement opportunities and how brands can benefit from this. We will also hear firsthand how Verizon thinks about the complementary and overlapping nature of traditional sports fans and gamers and the strategic efforts made with their partners to be best in class across these mediums. The goal of this session, beyond the obvious benefit of showcasing the successes of Verizon and Rival is to demonstrate for other emerging and aspiring companies what they need to do and bring to the discussion with leading companies like Verizon.

• Paul Brewer, Rival
• Yvette Martinez-Rea, Verizon
• Stuart Lipson, EAB

How Esports Organizations Are Building Partnerships & Communities Through Social Impact

Esports continues to grow in popularity around the world. The industry has seen an increased interest from women, younger audiences, and individuals new to the sport. Wim Stocks, industry leader and current Commercial & Partnerships Lead at Belong Gaming is joined by Rebeca Brock Dixon, Ryan Johnson, and Rebecca Longawa to discuss how organizations are increasing accessibility within the sport to reach broader audiences.

• Rebecca Longawa, Happy Warrior
• Rebecca Brock Dixon, the*gameHERS
• Ryan Johnson, Cxmmunity
• Wim Stocks, Belong Gaming

Engaging New Audiences by Leveraging Traditional Sports and Media Properties
presented with Esports Ad Bureau (EAB)

Sports, Games, Esports – this session will focus on how major media companies can leverage their investments in traditional sports and media rights to engage new fans and viewers through their audiences’ interest in games and esports. WarnerMedia is a leader in creating new media properties and opportunities within and beyond traditional sports and entertainment, integrating activations across multiple platforms and managing those properties in scalable, sustainable and creative ways.

• Jennifer Dill, B/R Gaming
• Mike Goldman, B/R Gaming
• Stuart Lipson, EAB

Leading the Way: How Twitch Is Extending Its Leadership in Esports Streaming & Content Presentation
presented with Esports Ad Bureau (EAB)

This session will take an in-depth look at the features and functionality that has enabled Twitch and their content and brand partners to engage with their audiences in unprecedented and meaningful ways.

Twitch is widely acknowledged as the leader in enabling content presentation and engaged conversations with their audience across cultural touchpoints (including sports, music, fashion) that build on their games and esports-related content and competitions and have extended those capabilities as a vehicle for athletes, personalities, musicians, and other artists and brands to connect with their own audiences in their own unique way.

• Nathan Lindberg, Twitch
• Stuart Lipson, EAB