ABOUT
16th May – Welcome Reception at Hilton Garden Inn, Downtown DC
17th May – Esports-focused Embassy Day and conference followed by a social at Crimson Diner & Bar
18th May – Traditional conference day and evening function at the National Press Club
IMPORTANT FOR EVENT ATTENDEES: The dress code is Business Smart for the Embassies; no t-shirts, no jeans, but sneakers are okay. For those attending the tours, please arrive promptly morning of the 17th at 9am at the Hilton Garden Inn, downtown DC.
Attendees will need to show proof of COVID vaccinations and identification at certain venues across the event so we advise having this with you throughout.
We’re back with another flagship US event: ESI Washington DC 2022 presented by LOOT.BET!
Join us for an exciting few days unlike any previous ESI event in which we wholeheartedly embrace the strengths of the US capital. We will be bringing our trademark combination of networking, education and content to DC, with a specialised focus on governance, and esports’ growth around the world, all in a way you won’t forget.
Expect a unique day of tours around select embassies located in the city as we aim to give our attendees a real feel for the global nature of the esports industry, followed by further discussions & networking at Eaton DC. The evening will transition into a function in the rustic Crimson Bar, bringing you the right vibes with excellent F&B and live music.
Day two will follow our traditional conference format in the historic National Press Club. We guarantee excellent content to follow up on day one, so you can be sure you’ll leave our event fully clued up on all global esports aspects.
We’re looking forward to seeing you there.
NETWORKING
Welcome drinks at the Hilton Garden Inn, in the beating heart of downtown DC
Mingling opportunities aplenty during the Embassies Day on Massachusetts Avenue & Eaton DC
A function in the rustic Crimson Diner & Bar, bringing you the right vibes with excellent F&B and live music
Relaxed, functional lounge at the conference venue for both meetings and a place to unwind
Post-show social in the historic National Press Club, a stone’s throw from the beautiful parks of the US capital
KEY VENUES
16TH MAY 6PM | 17TH MAY 9AM
Hilton Garden Inn | 815 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005, United States
17TH MAY 12PM-5PM
Eaton DC | 1201 K St NW, Washington, DC 20005, United States
18TH MAY 9AM-11PM
National Press Club | 529 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20045, United States
AGENDA OVERVIEW
ESPORTS-THEMED EMBASSIES DAY
The opening day will feature something wholly new in the realm of esports conferences – we’ll head to Massachusetts Avenue for a day of learning and cultural exchange, with attendees, divided into groups, visiting one the following country embassies: Argentina, Barbados, Saudi Arabia, South Korea.
The afternoon will transition into panels, networking, and a talent-focused roundtable courtesy of ESIC at Eaton DC, featuring a mystery pro-player turned content creator.
Join us to delve into all that esports is and can be to people all around the world, and experience high level networking and hospitality throughout.
BEST IN CLASS B2B CONFERENCE DAY
For the second day, our attendees will gather at the historic National Press Club in downtown DC as we tackle the issues that lie closer to home.
Meet and hear from global titans in and around the industry, and expect outcome focused discussions on the governance, development and betterment of the space. This will include everything from esports’ treatment by governments, through to its relationship and positioning with local communities, collegiate and professional sport through to commercialisation and establishing sustainable business models in all aspects of the industry.
SPEAKERS
Chad De Luca
Director, Twitch Properties
Twitch.TV
Chad De Luca
Director, Twitch Properties
Twitch.TV
Chad De Luca is an award-winning marketer, globally recognized speaker, and serves as Director, Twitch Properties at Twitch. He came to Twitch after spending time as Publicis Media’s Head of Gaming and Esports. Following stints with the NBA, Brooklyn Nets, New York Yankees, and Endeavor, Chad’s wealth of sports and entertainment marketing knowledge has become an asset for the Twitch Properties team.
During his time at Twitch he has been the architect of some of the most impactful deals in the gaming space with Verizon, Nike, PepsiCo's Game Fuel, Samsung, Dunkin’, Pizza Hut, Discover, Mondelez’s Sour Patch Kids, Denny’s, and Genentech. Chad has been at the forefront of mobile gaming innovation and development through programs with Verizon and Samsung.
He is a founding partner in the first-ever HBCU Esports League which helps to increase diverse talent pipelines between HBCUs and STEAM jobs in the gaming industry along with scholarship funding and esports labs for HBCU students.
Furthermore, Chad’s programs have been awarded the prestigious Cannes Lion Award, CLIO Award, and Tempest Award. He has been a featured speaker at events like Adweek NY, World Esports Summit, Esports Business Summit, SportSummitMX, Esports Rising, and ESI NY, has had esports contributions published in Adweek, and has been quoted in articles for Reuters, Mediapost, and Resume.
Moritz Maurer
CEO & Founder
GRID esports
Moritz Maurer
CEO & Founder
GRID esports
Moritz Maurer, has more than 8 years of experience pioneering at the intersection of esports, data & betting. After creating the first UK- licenced esports bookmaker – GGwins – and later launching the world first in-play esports betting solution in 2015, Moritz focused on unlocking the potential of official data assets for some of the biggest rights holders in esports. This vision culminated in the creation GRID, an innovative data & technology platform in esports which is leading the way in data solutions for teams, leagues and brands in esports.
Hussain Moosvi
Chief Strategy Officer
Misfits Gaming
Vlastimil Venclik
CEO
Oddin.gg
Vlastimil Venclik
CEO
Oddin.gg
Vlastimil is Founder and CEO of Oddin.gg, a B2B provider of esports odds feed, risk management, and iFrame solutions. It delivers the most engaging esports betting experience with industry-leading uptime and number of live markets. The solution boosts engagement, drives volume, increases margin, and thus accelerates profitability. This is only achievable by a combination of state-of-the-art technologies, advanced data science and machine learning algorithms, experienced traders, and official data. The team has more than 50 years of combined experience in betting and esports, successfully doing business with the most complex platforms globally, including Betfair Exchange in the past.
Brett Abarbanel
Director of Research
UNLV International Gaming Institute
Brett Abarbanel
Director of Research
UNLV International Gaming Institute
Dr. Brett Abarbanel is Director of Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, International Gaming Institute, with a joint affiliate appointment at the University of Sydney, Australia. Dr. Abarbanel's research covers video games, esports and gambling, gambling policy, operations and technology use, and responsible gambling and community relations.
Dr. Abarbanel is the executive editor of the UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal, and recently completed a term on the International Advisory Panel for Singapore’s National Council on Problem Gambling. She is a founding director of the Nevada Esports Alliance, which promotes the development of best practices at the intersection of the esports and regulated gambling industries.
Ryan Polun
Head of Esports and Gaming (Americas)
SPORTFIVE
Ryan Polun
Head of Esports and Gaming (Americas)
SPORTFIVE
Ryan is the Head of SPORTFIVE’s Esports and Gaming unit, overseeing the Americas Region. The agency holds a significant position across the global esports and gaming industry and was responsible in 2021 for generating more than $50 million in partnership revenue.
Ryan has over 12 years of experience – the last five being in esports and gaming. Before his appointment as the Head of Esports at SPORTFIVE, Ryan spent 2 years at RSE Ventures portfolio company Ascendant.
Cody Luongo
Senior PR Associate
JSA+Partners
Cody Luongo
Senior PR Associate
JSA+Partners
Cody Luongo is a Senior PR Associate and Content Specialist at JSA Strategies, leveraging his background in communications, media, and journalism to help clients achieve their PR goals. Mr. Luongo provides strategic counsel and proactive media relations for the firm’s esports and gaming clients. This includes developing engaging content, leading targeted media outreach, and inserting clients in key industry conversations to elevate executive thought leadership.
Prior to joining the team at JSA Strategies, Mr. Luongo spent several years as an esports industry reporter, providing in-depth coverage of both the business and consumer-facing areas of esports for publications such as ESPN and Esports Insider. Mr. Luongo served as Head of Communications for Ultimate Gaming Championship (UGC) where he developed and executed PR campaigns for live events, oversaw brand development, and curated a number of key partnerships.
Mr. Luongo earned a Master of Science in Communications and Media with a specialization in Digital Media from Lynn University.
Alex Inglot
Commissioner
ESL Pro League
Alex Inglot
Commissioner
ESL Pro League
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.
Johnny Kutnowski
VP of Product
Blinkfire Analytics
Johnny Kutnowski
VP of Product
Blinkfire Analytics
Originally a UX designer and developer, I now lead Blinkfire's roadmap creation and product development. My first game was Doom on the 486 and I've been playing ever since.
Mary Antieul
Vice President of Strategy
Belong Gaming Arenas
Mary Antieul
Vice President of Strategy
Belong Gaming Arenas
Mary Antieul is the VP of Strategy at Belong Gaming Arenas, a network of experiential gaming centers that connect communities of games worldwide and subsidiary of global esports and technology company Vindex. In her role, Antieul spearheads the creation and implementation of global strategy initiatives pertaining to Belong, including customer proposition and programs, marketing, and partnership integrations.
Antieul is a seasoned esports and gaming executive with extensive experience working across partnerships, marketing, operations, and strategy. Prior to Belong’s acquisition by Vindex in July 2020, Antieul served as Head of Esports and Partnerships, where she oversaw and managed esports strategies and operations, helping to conceptualize Belong and seeing through the opening of its first-ever location in Manchester, UK, in 2016.
Antieul earned her degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Sussex in 2007 and is a member of the British Esports Advisory Board, a nonprofit that works to promote and support grassroots esports operations in the UK.
Rebecca Brock Dixon
CEO
the*gameHERs
Rebecca Brock Dixon
CEO
the*gameHERs
Rebecca is an entrepreneur who is passionate about creating businesses that support and amplify women through engaged communities. As co-founder of the*gameHERs, Rebecca and her team have created the largest social network, media platform, and lifestyle brand for women who game and work in the gaming industry in North America. Of the 2.8 billion gamers in the world, half of them are women, while women are extremely under-represented in the industry and experience a high level of toxicity.
The*gameHERs is dedicated to providing a safe and social space for women gamers with the launch of their matchmaking and social app. The team at the*gameHERs is the same team who sold their parenting company Mommmybites in 2016 to a media conglomerate in New York. Rebecca received her BS in Mathematics from Vanderbilt University and lives in New York City with her husband and three children.
Evan Frasca
Director of Talent Management
T1 Entertainment & Sports
Evan Frasca
Director of Talent Management
T1 Entertainment & Sports
Evan Frasca is T1's Director of Talent Management. In early 2018, Evan started his career in esports in a marketing & events role with T1's sister team, the Philadelphia Fusion. Scaling in this role, Evan joined T1 in late 2019, and ultimately set a focus on establishing and developing the organization's overall talent strategy in the North American & European regions. Prior to his time in esports, he was an Associate at Boston venture capital firm COSIMO Ventures, responsible for developing strategy around gaming & crypto-based investment. At T1, his responsibilities consist of talent sourcing & development, creator branding & long-term strategy, and talent partnership management. Outside of gaming & esports, Evan has a passion for fashion, live music, travel, and Liverpool FC.
Jason Chung
Counsel, Esports
Zuber Lawler LLP
Jason Chung
Counsel, Esports
Zuber Lawler LLP
Jason Chung focuses on transactions and regulatory matters relating to esports, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and data privacy. Mr. Chung serves as Executive Director of Esports and Assistant Professor of Sport Management at the University of New Haven, where he leads the business school’s nation-leading esports and gaming curriculum.
Mr. Chung previously served as a visiting clinical assistant professor of sport management at New York University, where he conceived and launched courses studying the business of esports. Mr. Chung regularly writes and speaks on issues at the intersection of esports, sports, technology, and health, including esports governance, data privacy, AI regulation, and youth health and safety issues.
His research and commentary have been featured or cited in a wide range of academic and popular publications. He has also been an expert presenter on data privacy for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Joey Gawrysiak
Director and Professor of Esports
Shenandoah University
Joey Gawrysiak
Director and Professor of Esports
Shenandoah University
Dr. Joey Gawrysiak is the Director of Esports and an Associate Professor of Esports at Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. A former competitive gamer in college, Dr. G started the esports competitive teams at SU in 2018, which now consists of 8 varsity game titles and over 60 students competing in the Esports Arena at Shenandoah University. He wrote one of the first esports curricula in the world with academic programs and certifications across the field of esports at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In 2019, Gawrysiak co-founded EDGE consulting with two partners to consult professional and academic entities on a variety of esports implementation strategies. He currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) as well as the Board of Advisors for the North American Scholastic Esports Federation and the Mid-Atlantic Esports Conference, while also being named the NACE Program Director of the year in 2021. Gawrysiak has written several articles and book chapters on esports as well as provided professional development for students working in event management, broadcast production, and social media marketing.
Grant Paranjape
Vice President, Esports Business
Washington Justice
Grant Paranjape
Vice President, Esports Business
Washington Justice
Grant Paranjape is the Vice President of Esports Business for the Washington Justice, D.C.’s Overwatch League franchise. With a background in both endemic esports and traditional sports, Paranjape brings a wealth of experience as the franchise continues to cement its place as a premier esports organization and establish DC as a best-in-class destination for esports. In his role with the Justice, Paranjape leads business and team operations for the franchise, and works to expand the organization’s passionate local fanbase.
Under his direction, the Justice entered into successful partnerships with several iconic DMV brands, including Pentagon Federal Credit Union and DC Brau. Further expanding the organization’s footprint in advance of the 2021 season, Paranjape oversaw the relocation of the team’s headquarters to Penn Quarter, in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C.
Andrew McNeill
Senior Director of Esports
Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Andrew McNeill
Senior Director of Esports
Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Andrew McNeill is the Senior Director of Esports at Monumental Sports & Entertainment. In his role, Andrew leads the day-to-day strategy and vision for competitive gaming at MSE. This includes overseeing its NBA 2K League team Wizards District Gaming, which won back-to-back NBA 2K League Championships in 2020 and 2021; developing Caps Gaming, the Washington Capitals' NHL esports program; and working on the opening of “District E Powered by Ticketmaster,” a new state-of-the-art 14,000-square-foot esports events facility in Washington, D.C.
Before joining MSE, Andrew was the Head of Gaming at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, where he oversaw operations for the three-day gaming and esports event that featured foot traffic of over 55,000 annually. Andrew also co-founded the sports track at SXSW, which focused on the intersection of sports and emerging technology, which became an annual staple at the popular music, film, and technology festival.
PARTNERS
Silver Sponsor
GRID is a technology platform that serves as a comprehensive data partner for game publishers, tournaments, sponsors and teams around the world. Since the launch in 2018 GRID has worked together with their partners and clients to unlock the vast revenue potential of data assets.
GRID's team of 60+ dedicated staff, spread across 3 main offices share a passion for esports and are committed to revolutionizing esports data.
Esports data is on the GRID.
Sponsors
Media and Strategic Partners
Women in Games International (WIGI) is a 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to cultivate resources to advance economic equality and diversity in the global games industry. WIGI works to normalize
women in the gaming industry by eliminating barriers and increasing access and opportunities for all.
https://www.getwigi.com/
The Esports Integrity Commission works with esports stakeholders to protect the integrity of esports competition. We are a not-for-profit members’ association and we can help you, whether you’re a tournament organiser, game developer, esports league or betting operator offering esports.
Get involved today and help protect the integrity of our sport!
badassness. Through our ongoing work and conversations with so many of you, we know that safe spaces that honor women, femme-identifying gamers and non-binary gamers who are comfortable in spaces that center women are necessary. Thus, the*gameHERs was born.
The*gameHERs is a women-led community dedicated to amplifying and centering the voices of women, femme-identifying gamers and non-binary gamers who are comfortable in spaces that center women. This is a sexist-free space for the casual players, the hardcore gamers, the techies, the streamers, the designers, the cosplayers, the developers, and programmers. Our mission is to advance the role, voice, image, and power of all the*gameHERs in the gaming world. We welcome all humans who value this mission.
Swipe Right PR is Europe's leading esports and gaming communications agency who elevate brands and help build communities. We're a London-based agency with an international network of media, influencers and partners and we deliver strategic and creative campaigns that help our clients form their brand identity and deliver their message to the right audiences.
With years of experience, we have managed communications for some of the biggest tournaments, platforms and games in the world, alongside the most prolific teams and talent in the industry. Ensuring we are always pushing the latest trends in the sector, Swipe Right PR keep our clients ahead of the game.
An inclusive community based in Slack, the 2,000+ Serial Marketers members share job opportunities, get recommendations for who to work with and what technologies to use, post event invites, showcase their latest projects, and support each other in countless ways.
www.serialmarketers.net
80 Level RFP is a premium job-matching service catering to the video game and other creative industries. We offer two highly effective ways to hire or be hired.
Licensing Expo provides the best opportunity to secure the rights to thousands of consumer brands, entertainment icons, and more for your products or stores. If you're new to the industry, attending
Licensing Expo is the most efficient way to learn about licensing and make connections that can last a lifetime.
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