Belong Gaming Arenas, a subsidiary of gaming and technology company Vindex, has appointed John DeHart as its new Director of Marketing.
DeHart is formerly the Director Of Business Development at Engine Gaming & Media. Via LinkedIn, he committed to continue supporting underserved communities in esports and gaming in his new role. DeHart officially joined Belong in July this year.
DeHart began his career in esports as Managing Director of eUnited Studios, creating content to serve the US-based esports team, as well as functioning as a full-service creative studio for the esports and gaming space.
Later, he moved into eUnited as a Marketing Director, overseeing content production, social media, and brand outreach. The team became well-known for its Rocket League team, as well as its community events like the eUnited Arena which was announced under his leadership.
At Engine Gaming & Media he spearheaded relationships with other businesses, managing proposals for influencer marketing firm Sideqik and data analytics software Stream Hatchet.
He also focused on the creation of innovative initiatives which supported marginalised groups in the gaming space, like the Lady Spartan Pro Series (LSPS), an all-female Halo tournament with a prize pool of $20,000 (~£16,600.)
His time there ended when his subsidiary, UMG Gaming was sold to Harena Data. Commenting on the decision on Twitter, DeHart expressed disappointment at not being permitted to retain the LSPS license, which he wanted to continue.
At Belong Gaming, DeHart will apply his experience in event organisation to support the company, as it expands its LAN centres to locations in the US in partnership with American teams.
In a LinkedIn post announcing the move, DeHart commented that he was excited to stay in the gaming industry, which he believes shows no sign of slowing down.
He added: “Belong has a real chance to be a disruptor in this industry, bringing the thrill of LAN esports tournaments and gaming events to locations across the country.
There is also so much opportunity to continue my assault on barriers for underserved communities in esports and gaming – and Belong’s core values align perfectly with that mission.”
