Attendees at the first HOST Esports Festival on Friday March 11th, at MediaCity in Salford, UK, will hear speakers from BLAST, ESL Gaming, Leeds United FC, Gravity Media, WIGI, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Burnley FC and EPIC.LAN, among others, on topics such as how UK esports can attract AAA events, why carving out a space for women and non-binary community members is key to making esports more inclusivity, the talent pipeline, as well as the benefits and opportunities esports offers to football clubs and players.
Sam Cooke, Esports Insider Managing Director & Co-Founder, noted: “HOST have been a fantastic partner over the past few months, and I am very excited for ESI to keep working with them to help develop their esports initiatives and offering. There has been an excellent reception to the event so far and we are expecting a strong turnout on the day from developers to brands, football teams, esports organisations and plenty more.”
Mo Isap, CEO of HOST operator, IN4 Group, said: “We are excited to celebrate and host the Esports Festival in partnership with Esports Insider as part of the fantastic events happening at the Digital City Festival. The esports market is growing at a global scale and our ambition is for MediaCity to be a beacon for esports talent across the region and to provide the industry with its next generation of pro gaming talent. By harnessing the benefits of the incredible esports sector, we are hoping to break down the barriers of entry to make it as accessible as possible and create fair access for all. Nurturing and inspiring local talent with the digital skills they need to advance in esports related careers will further drive prosperity for all our communities in the region.”