Taking place August 24th-25th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the New Global Sport Conference looks to gather some of the biggest stakeholders in esports to discuss an array of topics related to the industry.
Themed ‘The Future of Fandom’ the conference will host over 60 speakers and 1,200 delegates from industries in gaming, esports, technology, sports and entertainment. Already announced to be speaking at the conference include HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud (Saudi Esports Federation Chairman), Ralf Reichert (Esports World Cup Foundation CEO), Joe Marsh (T1 CEO), Maya Rogers (Tetris CEO) and Shay Segev (DAZN Group CEO), among many others.
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This is not the first time that Saudi Arabia has hosted a B2B-focused esports conference in the country, with the New Global Sport Conference an evolution of last year’s Next World Forum event. This year’s conference, held at the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh, also immediately follows the Esports World Cup, a multi-title esports event that featured a $60m prize pool.
As a result, the competition and its impact on the sector will likely be a major topic of discussion by stakeholders and guests attending.
The country’s investment in esports is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to diversify the country economically and become a global hub. More details on how this vision relates to esports will likely be discussed during its ‘Game On, Saudi Arabia’ panel.
The New Global Sport Conference will also have a panel on driving diversity, inclusion and social responsibility in the game industry. Alongside this panel, the conference has also teased ‘industry announcements’ to conclude its final day.
Other topics that will be discussed throughout the two-day event will include the growing relationship between the Olympics and esports, consolidation in games and entertainment, fashion in esports, and bridging the gap between sports and esports clubs.
According to the New Global Sport Conference, the event is set to create the ‘perfect convergence of innovation, passion, and expertise’ for industry stakeholders to discuss the future of gaming, esports and entertainment.
Another speaker at the New Global Sport Conference will be Toshimoto Mitomo, Executive Deputy President and CSO of Sony Group Corporation, who emphasised Sony’s esports commitment and joy to be joining a panel.
He said: “From Sony Interactive Entertainment’s PlayStation Tournaments and the annual EVO fighting game series to our partnership with the Esports World Cup, we are excited to cater to this growing, global community of players and fans. I look forward to joining the NGSC panel with esteemed cross-sector guests to discuss this fascinating area.”
Meanwhile, Lisa Cosmas Hanson, CEO, Niko Partners, added: “We are seeing more companies recognise the importance of MENA and implement a localised strategy to succeed in the region. I’m excited to attend the New Global Sport Conference to explore key themes such as Navigating Growth in Games and Entertainment and share our insights on the thriving MENA video games market.”
A full list of the conference’s agenda, moderators and speakers is available now on New Global Sport Conference’s official website.
Alongside the conference — also part of Saudi Arabia’s significant esports summer conclusion — will be the Esports Awards. Celebrating some of the industry’s best players and organisations, the award show will also be held in Riyadh on August 24th.
