Commissioner
Ian Smith is the Integrity Commissioner of Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) and lawyer with over 20 years’ experience in traditional sports.
ESIC MASTERCLASS: Crime, Fraud And Esports (Invite Only)
A Year or More in Review
Bomb Has Been Planted - Crime and Punishment
A Matter of Representation: ESIC'S Agents Register and Beyond
External Affairs Manager
Graham works as the External Affairs Manager for Riot Games, the publisher of the world's most popular esports titles. Graham acts as a spokesperson on behalf of Riot’s competitive operations team for EMEA; informing governments, regulators, and other stakeholders in the esports industry on how Riot’s competitions are run at the highest level.
Creating Effective Esports Policy
VP Pro Gaming at ESL
Michał describes himself as a video games and sports nerd with a background in sports, linguistics and journalism. His current role as VP Pro Gaming for ESL sees him managing and developing Intel® Extreme Masters, the world’s oldest and most prestigious pro gaming tour. Each year IEM is watched by 55 million people in 180 countries.
Katowice: The Making of an Event
Editor At Large
Richard Lewis is a veteran, award-winning British esports journalist, with over a decade of experience covering the biggest scandals and uncovering the inner workings of esports. He has been recognized for his contribution to esports with a lifetime achievement award in 2020.
Everybody Wants A Piece of Esports
Bomb has been Planted: Crime and Punishment
Current Trends in Commercialising Esports: A Team's Perspective
Head of Competitive Operations EMEA
Marc is the Head of Competitive Operations EMEA for Riot Games. With over 10 years of experience in esports, and 7 years of League Management at Riot Games, Marc is well versed in the competitive esports scene.
Deep Dive into Integrity
Founder & CEO
Jérôme is the founder and CEO of Prodigy Agency, a leading esports representation agency aimed at taking care of the best players and brands around the world. Jérôme has been travelling around the world since he was 20 years old and has over 15 years of experience working in the esports industry.
A Matter of Representation: ESIC'S Agent Register and Beyond.
Senior Partnerships Manager
Edward is the Senior Partnerships Manager at FNATIC, a global esports performance brand headquartered in London, laser-focused on levelling up every gamer. Edward’s passion is to authentically connect brands to fans, through innovative content and activations that leave a lasting impression and drive brand growth.
Generation Esports: From Niche to Mainstream
Current Trends In Commercialising Esports: A Team's Perspective
Founder & CEO
Dawid is the founder & CEO of Knacks, an international and esports marketing agency aimed at helping talents and brands connect within the esports industry. Dawid is passionate about esports and is a highly experienced project manager, negotiator and event manager, for all things esports.
A Matter of Representation ESIC'S Agents Register and Beyond
Division Director Esports
Rowan is Division Director Esports at global talent agency Sports Entertainment Group. SEG represents some of the biggest talents in football, cycling, esports and music. Clients include Robin van Persie, Dylan Groenewegen, Jaccob 'Yay' Whiteaker and Kevin 'Kevster' Persson. With the support of SEG's experienced leadership and together with his team of 12 dedicated esports agents, he helps to fulfill the dreams of competitive gamers and coaches around the world.
A Matter of Representation: ESIC'S Agent Register and Beyond.
Principal
Kevin is the Principal at Captivate Legal & Sports Solutions. He is a sports lawyer and academic with an international reputation in regulation, dispute resolution, integrity and governance matters. In the esports sector, Kevin is the Chair of ESIC's independent disciplinary Panel.
In Practice: Law and Esports.
International Sector Director
Alfonso is an international sports lawyer for Ruiz-Huerta & Crespo (RH&C), a law firm that services a wide variety of clients including: sportsmen, agents, clubs, federations, professional leagues and other companies linked to the sporting activity in any way.
In Practice: Law and Esports
Head of ISFE Esports
Sergi Mesonero has been professionally involved in esports since 2007. Before joining ISFE, Sergi was co-founder and Public Affairs Vice President at LVP Liga de Videojuegos Profesional, esports coordinator at AEVI (Asociación Española de Videojuegos) and chairperson of the International Esports Chair at Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM).
Creating Effective Esports Policy.
Founder & Director
Kirsty is the Founder & Director of Swipe Right PR, a global communications agency dedicated to esports and video games. Kirsty, has a wealth of experience in marketing and outreach strategies in video games with over 12 years experience and was one of PCR's Top 30 Women in Mobile and MCV's 30 Under 30. Swipe Right was the first agency to offer dedicated esports communications services and the team now manages some of the biggest brands in the industry including Red Bull, Tencent, Bytedance and more. Supporting esports teams, platforms and 10,000 attendee tournaments and helping clients shape their brand identity and build communities.
PR and Communications in Esports
Managing Director
David Harris is the Managing Director at Guinevere Capital and possesses over 20 years of experience across top Australian, UK and International sports & esports organisations. He currently has interests in esports projects including League of Legends Circuit Oceania (LCO), Skybox.gg, XL Esports & Esports High Performance Centres.
Investing in Esports
Founding Partner
Roger Quiles is one of the world’s first esports attorneys. Born and raised in New York City, Roger grew up playing sports and video games equally. In 2014, Roger married these interests when starting his law practice, Quiles Law, which exclusively services the esports industry.
A Matter of Representation: ESIC's Agents Register and Beyond
In Practice: Law and Esports
International Sector Director
Michael is the International Sector Director of YouGov a global provider of analysis and data generated by over 17 million registered panellists in more than 55 markets including esports. Michael offers profound consulting, analytics and insights focusing on the commercial side of the esports industry.
Outsiders Buying In "Esports Strategies for Non-Endemic"
Co-Founder and CBO
As the Co-Founder and CBO of FACEIT, the leading competitive gaming platform which currently carries over 23.5 million users, Michele leads the media division which produces multi-million dollar stadium productions and over 1,000 hours of esports content each year. Michele has been a competitive gamer for over 15 years. His passion for gaming is complemented by a career working in a top investment & consulting firm that’s worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies, and he has personally been involved in several technology start-ups.
Michele has spearheaded events in partnership with the likes of NBC Sports (Comcast), NHL, Sky, Turner Sports (ATT/TW) and ESPN (Disney). Through his leadership FACEIT has produced some of the biggest esports events in the world including the FACEIT Major which was at the time the most watched third-party esports event in history.
Tournaments in a Post-COVID World
CEO
JMR Luna is the CEO of OG Esports, a world-renowned esports team, and organization. JMR Luna has a background in Film Production and worked in Hollywood for over a decade before transitioning into Esports, where he previously worked for top esports establishments such as Immortal gaming and Evil Geniuses.
Current Trends In Commercialising Esports: A Team's Perspective
Head of Business Development
Valentyn's key areas of work are developing sales strategy for the company’s products, product development, and market launch, attracting new partnerships, and developing existing ones. Valentyn Shevchenko graduated from the project management and consulting course at Kyiv National Economic University.
Until 2019, Valentyn held the position of head of acquisitions at the Novy Canal television channel. He dreams of creating cases that will be noticed in the media rights market, both locally and globally.
Tournaments in a post COVID-19 World
Commissioner
Andrew is the Commissioner at BLAST, a world class esports entertainment company which creates the most exciting, exhilarating and euphoric moments in the industry. Andrew is focused on developing and growing BLAST to offer opportunities to regions all around the world and creating an improved CS:GO ecosystem through industry-wide partnerships. Leading cross-industry relationships with stakeholders such as ESIC and other tournament organisers. Overseeing the tournament format, rulebook, competitive integrity, and other key areas of governance across BLAST.
Tournaments in a post COVID-19 World
Managing Director
Alex is Managing Director of NSE (National Student Esports) which is the official body for university esports and the largest grassroots gaming community in the UK. NSE operates the British University Esports Championship; works with major publishers including Nintendo, Riot Games, and Ubisoft; and has long-term successful partnerships with Barclays, Intel, and Monster Energy.
Previously Alex spent seven years as Managing Director of Sport Industry Group, a B2B organisation which sits at the heart of the UK and international sport industry and Alex remains an Advisor to the business.
Earlier in his career Alex spent well over a decade working for leading sports marketing agencies, his last agency position being Director, PR and Social Media at IMG Consulting. He has led award-winning communication and sponsorship campaigns in the UK and internationally for a range of clients from blue-chip brands, sponsors, events, international federations, host nations bidding for events and more.
To Be Announced!
Associate General Counsel
Virginie possesses over 25 years of legal experience and has been working as a lawyer for Ubisoft since 1998. Today her role stands as an associate general counsel for Ubisoft.
Creating Effective Esports Policy
Founding Chairperson
Tobias works as an Assistant Professor for Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior at the University of Siegen, Germany. He is the Founding Chairperson of the Esports Research Network and co-editor of the Esports Yearbook. Tobias is in Esports for over 20 years and he is researching in esports the governance, strategic management, team performance and sustainability.
Creating Effective Esports Policy
Director of Global Strategy & Partnership
As ESIC’s Director of Global Strategy and Partnerships, Stephen is responsible for developing ESIC’s strategic outlook. Stephen is an experienced forensic accountant with accompanying legal qualifications. He has extensive experience in the areas of forensic expert work, government and legislative consultancy, and law enforcement coordination. Stephen plays a pivotal role within ESIC, particularly in his pioneering of various technological advancements and forensic practices within ESIC’s global integrity framework.
Welcoming Remarks
Summary / What's Next / Invitation to After-Party
Bomb Has Been Planted - Crime and Punishment
Creating Effective Esports Policy
Commissioner
Alex Inglot is a business strategist within the world of sports and esports. Having worked for many years in international corporate and commercial law, and nearly a decade in global sports communications and public affairs, he is now the Commissioner of the ESL Pro League. He leads the Commissioner’s Office, an independent governing body which oversees the ESL Pro League’s business structure and governance model.
Current Trends in Commercialising Esports: A Team's Perspective
Marketing Supervisor
Ladislav Doležal is the Marketing Supervisor of McDonald's Czech Republic. With over 5 years of experience working at McDonald's, Ladislav leads the team in various marketing streams including: Media lead, Digital Campaign Strategy, Social Media Lead, Marketing Growth Strategy and many more.
Outsiders Buying In "McDonald's"
Head of Gaming & Sponsoring
Pia Schörner is working for BMW since 2007. In her role as Head of Gaming & Sponsoring she leads BMW’s global esports partnerships, marketing communication and events. She focuses on the global esports strategy, helping to raise brand awareness and desirability for the brand BMW amongst the esports community.
Previously, Pia was in charge of the entire BMW Motorsport Marketing for several years. During her time at BMW Motorsport she was already responsible for the implementation of BMW SIM Racing, which has now also become an important part of BMW’s esports commitment.
Outsiders Buying In "BMW Group"
Head of Partnerships
Ringo joined Talon in August 2020 as Head of Partnerships, responsible for business development and strategic partnership management. Prior to joining Talon, he was Business Development Manager – SEA at FC Barcelona and has been working in the sports and entertainment industry for 5+ years. Ringo is also a keen sportsman, having represented Hong Kong Rugby League national team and coached the Hong Kong Tag national team.
Mobile Esports: Talon’s Journey in Southeast Asia
Principal Director
Dev is an internationally experienced sports lawyer and academic, with previous experience as a football intermediary. Known for his advocacy that has led to him being sought out for some of the more prominent and challenging sport law matters in recent times, he has been instructed on a range of contentious matters before FIFA and TAS / CAS including complaints against federations through to training compensation. He has advised elite players and coaches, as well as having been the chief advisor to a UEFA participating football club, advising on all matters in relation to the management of the club including transfer strategy and technical direction. Dev is also an active member of Association Internationale des Avocats du Football (AIAF), as well as sitting as FIFA pro-bono counsel for players, in the independent investigatory chamber for the International Weightlifting Federation, and an arbitrator under the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF). In addition to this, Dev is an advisory board member for the Football Foundation for Africa, also often appearing as a host on the Africa Football Business Show, as well as an adviser to the Lagos E-Sports Forum, now accredited and recognised by the Global Esports Federation (GEF).Dev's experience extends to consultations surrounding allegations of match-fixing, anti-doping matters and e-Sports. In addition, he has experience of concluding transactions as far afield as in the Chinese Super League and the Indian Super League, as well as in England and Italy amongst others having represented both players and clubs having been a registered intermediary in the past, and as such, is well placed to advise agencies at any stage of a player transfer journey. Through his career Dev has advised and represented the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Harry Kewell, Steven Gerrard, Tuncay Sanli and many more, as well as clubs across Europe, and several football federations and Olympic Committees around the world.Furthermore, Dev is a published writer on sports law, and is currently an academic director on two Masters in International Sports Law at the world-renowned Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economía (ISDE) in Madrid, as well as a senior lecturer on the Masters in Sports Law and Management, based in Barcelona. Dev has appeared as a guest lecturer at dozens of institutions across the UK and Europe, and is regularly invited to speak at conferences, having also appeared in Africa, Asia and South America. Dev is also a professional mentor and nationally recognised for his development of individuals within professions, both within and outside of the legal industry, recently culminating in another award for ‘mentoring excellence’ in 2020 / 21. In addition to core sports law matters, Dev is certified in Sports Governance (The Chartered Governance Institute [ICSA]) and lectures on this topic regularly, as well as being experienced in Crisis Communication and having a Diploma (Chartered Institute for Public Relations [CIPR]) in the same.
In Practice: Law & Esports
CEO
Daniel Kloud, CEO of Entropiq since July 2021; Former investment and
corporate banker for Citi, Erste and PwC (2008-2021); Esports veteran (2001-2006); Loving father and AC Sparta Prague fan.
Outsiders Buying In: Entropiq
CEO
Flavien launched Pandascore in 2015. Pandascore is building the data infrastructure of the world’s most nascent entertainment industry: esports.
Through a unique combination of our esports expert trading team & our data-driven, AI-powered approach, Pandascore provides the most reliable & extensive statistics & odds to the esports industry.
Data Integrity in Esports
Director UK Strategy and Commercial
Turtle Entertainment UK Ltd was renamed from KUODA Ltd in 2016 after Turtle Entertainment GmbH, the owners of the brand ESL invested in KUODA Ltd making Turtle Entertainment UK Ltd a subsidiary of Turtle Entertainment GmBH.KUODA Ltd had been operating the ESL franchise in the UK for 4 years before the investment laying down a new foundation for grass roots esports tournaments and operations in the UK. This has stemmed into the largest UK esports league by far – the ESL UK Premiership. Since 2015, the Premiership attracts a focused British audience in the millions over two seasons per year. Most importantly it assists promote UK teams into higher leagues across the world. It also operates several EU wide Pro Leagues from the UK attracting a huge audience for UK operated esports tournaments and productions.Turtle Entertainment UK Ltd still operates in many of its previous skillsets outside of esports operations including marketing, events, video production, channel support and PR for the IT and gaming market which only been amplified by a significant engagement of a millennial audience through esports and gaming content.The company currently employs 25 full-time staff. The board consists of James Dean (founder), Heinrich Zetlmayer and Sebastian Weishaar. Main production facilities are located in the heart of the UK, Leicester operating two dedicated esports studios and offices. Sales operations are located in London.Turtle Entertainment GmbH is the world’s largest esports company, employing over 500 employees worldwide and operating 15 regional offices and studios. It is the brand owner of ESL and a part of the international digital entertainment group MTG. It operates high profile, branded international and national leagues and tournaments such as the Intel® Extreme Masters, ESL One, ESL National Championships and other top tier stadium-size events, as well as grassroots amateur cups, leagues and matchmaking systems.
Tournaments in a post COVID-19 World
Head of Business Development
Jane Hague is Head of Business Development with over 20 years’ experience working in the live events industry across hotels, event management, PR and venues. Jane is responsible for representing ExCeL London’s international conference and event facilities in a global market place. Jane is an energiser for growth and uses her positive attitude and passion for the live events industry to ensure ExCeL continues to attract world-leading brands to the venue. In her spare time Jane loves to spend time in nature and is a keen kayaker.
Outsiders Buying In "ExCeL London"
Director of Esports
Grant Rousseau has been working within esports for over 6 years now within performance and operations divisions for numerous notable organisations including Counter Logic Gaming, OverActiveMedia (Mad Lions/Toronto franchises) and Excel Esports. Embedded within the 'traditional' roles of the sector, his current role sees him working with newly formed 'Guild Esports', as their Director of Esports, leading the march in their performance and team results alongside company esports strategy.With a passion for growing the UK esports infrastructure, his work has often revolved in creative ideas and community building and help to bring UK esports to the forefront and to always be giving UK fans a reason to cheer for their favourite team. He also finds that there is no better way to build the UK scene, than to win a few trophies for them!
Current Trends In Commericalising Esports: A Team's Perspective
Vice Chair
Dr. Brian McCauley is Vice Chair of the Esports Research Network and a researcher in Sweden at Jönköping International Business School in the City of DreamHack. He hosts the Esports Research Report Podcast and his research focuses on the intersection between business and grassroots in areas on topics such as LANs, game development, national federations and education. Brian has documented almost 3000 hours of play in CSGO and Valorant as part of an ongoing autoethnographic study so that he can legitimately play games at work.
Professor
Professor Andy Miah is Chair of Science Communication & Future Media in the School of Science, Engineering, and Environment at the University of Salford, Manchester. Author of 10 books about emerging technologies, Professor Miah is known for his research into ethics and artificial intelligence, human enhancement, immersive realities, and esports. He is an Advisory Board Member of the British Esports Federation, Commission Member of the Global Esports Federation, and author of Sport 2.0: Transforming Sports for a Digital World (MIT Press, 2017). In 2020, he co-founded the International Journal of Esports, the world’s first scientific journal in the subject. Previous roles include providing digital media training for IAAF athletes, social media guidance for Olympic athletes, mentoring on the International Olympic Committee Young Reporters Programme. Prof Miah is also a frequent media commentator and has written for Vogue, BBC, Wired, and many other outlets.
THE EGES 2022 HAS CONCLUDED, We look forward to seeing you all again in February 2023 at the ExCeL London!