Venue management and partnerships company Spectra has made a key hire in Joe Heyer, bringing him in as its Director of Esports Partnerships.
Heyer has a background in partnership sales, having worked for NBC Sports Philadelphia where he was a Senior Account Executive for the likes of Philadelphia Flyers, the Wells Fargo Center, and Philadelphia 76ers.
Joe Heyer, Director of Esports Partnerships for Spectra spoke to Esports Insider about his new venture: “From the moment I first spoke with the Spectra Partnerships team, I’ve been impressed with their keen ability to spot emerging esports opportunities from a mile away—and I knew I wanted to play a part in this burgeoning industry. I’m excited to leverage the strong relationships and knowledge I’ve forged in the world of professional sports to elevate Spectra’s growing profile of esports properties with the backing of big-name brands.”
Heyer will oversee the sponsorship sales for N3rd Street Gamers, Philadelphia Fusion, and the upcoming Fusion Arena.
Brian Esposito, Vice President of Partnerships for Spectra told Esports Insider: “As Spectra’s esports property list continues to expand, we knew we needed a dedicated team member to own this space—we’re excited for Joe to bring his fifteen years of professional sports expertise to the entirely new and evolving world of esports.
“Whether it’s N3rd Street Gamers’ grassroots National Championship Series and best-in-class Localhost Arenas, the Overwatch League’s Philadelphia Fusion, or the nation’s first purpose-built esports arena—Joe understands the nuanced needs of each esports property and is adept at finding right-fit partnerships, just as he’s demonstrated throughout his career in professional hockey, basketball, and with major market venues and media players.”
Esports Insider says: Heyer seems to be familiar with some of the properties in partnership with Spectra – and others owned by Comcast Spectacor – so he should be a solid hire for the company. It’s nice to see Spectra make esports more and more of a priority and it’ll be interesting to see which new partnerships are on the horizon, if any.