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IESF Announces Speakers for First Day of GEES21 on August 31

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The countdown to GEES21 is officially ON! With less than a month to go, IESF is putting the final touches on what promises to be another exciting and productive hybrid live/online event. Set to take place in Busan, South Korea at the Busan Esports Arena on August 31st and September 1st, this year’s Global Esports Executive Summit will once again boast an exciting roster of guest speakers, presenters, and panelists who will be participating from all around the world.

IESF released the list of keynote speakers and panelists for the first day of the production, which covers three (3) of the five (5) core areas titled Fostering Growing Relationships, The Next Level of Esports, and Diversity and Inclusion in Esports.

Agenda 1 : Fostering Growing Relationships
This area will delve into the ways in which the Esports ecosystem and traditional sports industries can find areas of common-ground for crossover, convergence, and co-operation.

Keynote Speaker – Bringing Our Communities Together
– Vlad Marinescu, President, International Esports Federation (IESF)

Panel Discussion – Encouraging Esports and Traditional Sports Crossover
– David Shin, Business Development Manager & Project Manager, Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) [Moderator]
– Alex Inglot, Commissioner of ESL Pro League & Player Representative on Board of ATP [Panelist]
– Ravneet Gill, Founder and CEO, New Horizons Alliance  [Panelist]
– Sean Zhang, CEO, Talon Esports [Panelist]
– Rodrigo Quesada, Business Development Director, Cedar Group  [Panelist]

Agenda 2 : The Next Level of Esports
Under this agenda, the keynote session will deliver on the opportunity to contribute to the local youth industry through local Esports team franchising.

The panel discussion will examine the ways in which the Esports industry has adapted to the global COVID-19 situation, and what long-term effects the pandemic will have on the Esports industry.

Keynote Speaker – Leveraging the Esports Advantage
– Pilsung Lee, Co-founder and CEO, Sandbox Network and Sandbox Gaming

Panel Discussion – How COVID-19 has changed Esports Industry
– Ashley Kang, Founder, Korizon Esports[Moderator]
– Madiha Naz, Team Captain, Galaxy Racer Esports (GXR) [Panelist]
– Minseong Kim, Player Manager, New York Excelsior  [Panelist]
– Baro Hyun, Director & Author, Big 4 Consulting Firms  [Panelist]
– Peeyush Kumar, Founder & CEO, Crowd Control Esports  [Panelist]

Agenda 3 : Diversity and Inclusion in Esports
This area will discuss the importance of global expansion, diversifying brand partnerships, and encouraging participation across all borders, cultures, races, religions, and genders as key factors for success.

Keynote Speaker – Empowering Women in Esports
– Jenn Mac, Director of Global Partnerships, Women in Games International (WIGI)

Panel Discussion – Expanding Market and Brand Partners
– Jenn Mac, Director of Global Partnerships, Women in Games International (WIGI) [Moderator]
– Fernando Pereira, Co-Founder, GIRLGAMER Esports Festival  [Panelist]
– Lucy Chow, Ambassador, Women in Games (WIGJ)  [Panelist]
– Donovan Auyong, Senior Business Development Manager – Asia, ESL Gaming  [Panelist]
– Alwin Wong, Head of Business Development & Partnerships, CAPSL Entertainment  [Panelist]

Special Session: The Importance of Esports Associations and Federations
This special session will delve into the important role of Esports associations and federations play in the World Esports family, as they help unify, grow and facilitate programs for communities at all levels.

Speaker
– Ido Brosh, Board Member and Director of Global Programs, International Esports Federation (IESF)

IESF would like to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to all of the announced speakers and look forward to welcoming the World Esports Family at GEES21!

About GEES21
GEES21 is set to take place live on August 31st and September 1st at the Busan Esports Arena in Busan, South Korea, and around the world with the hybrid offline/online format. The theme for this year’s summit is “Evolving and Adapting”, and after the success of last year’s event (also hybrid), participants from IESF’s 104 member nations and stakeholders from Esports and Sports are eager to get to work discussing the most pressing Esports issues, and planning for the future of the booming industry.

There are five (5) core areas planned for the two-day event.
– Fostering Growing Relationships
– The Next Level of Esports
– Diversity and Inclusion in Esports
– Integrating Esports into Education
– Understanding the Esports Landscape

Since 2015, GEES has gathered key Esports and sports stakeholders from around the globe to create an environment for discussion, education, and action towards Esports development through conferences, exhibitions, academic lectures, and networking events.

If you would like to participate in GEES21, either live or as an online delegate, you can register for free at gees.iesf.org

GEES21 is supported by Busan Metropolitan City, the Korean Ministry of Sports and Tourism, and the Busan IT Promotion Agency.

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OS Studios names Ishaan Arya country manager to lead India expansion

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OS Studios has appointed Ishaan Arya as Country Manager for India, tasking him with leading the agency’s expansion across newly established hubs in Bengaluru, New Delhi, and Mumbai. The appointment was announced on 25 June, 2026 in Bengaluru.

OS Studios, a Project Worldwide agency, said it recently entered the Indian market and will deploy its ‘Fan Z’ approach for brands looking to engage with gaming, esports and live events audiences in South Asia. The company said the expansion will leverage the infrastructure and production capabilities of sister agency George P. Johnson (GPJ) India.

“The future of gaming will be shaped by the communities that care about it most, and few markets embody that more than India,” said John Higgins, CEO of OS Studios. “To build something meaningful, you have to be part of the culture, not looking in from the outside. Ishaan understands that better than anyone. He’s exactly the kind of leader we want building the future of OS Studios in India.”

In the role, Arya will oversee operations, drive strategic brand partnerships, and scale local capabilities, according to the company. “Brands are investing heavily in Indian gaming, but true fan experience is too often an afterthought,” said Rasheed Sait, Chief Growth Officer for India and South Asia at Project Worldwide. “Alongside GPJ India’s experiential footprint, OS Studios will set a new standard for fan engagement in the region.”

Arya previously co-founded The Esports Club and most recently served as Vice President of Partnerships at Nodwin Gaming, where he led Comic Con India. “A massive gap remains between brand intent and authentic community engagement in India,” said Arya. “I’m thrilled to leverage Project Worldwide and GPJ India’s operational strength to build culture-defining experiences for brands and fans alike.”

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PhilWeb Secures ₱2.02 Billion Strategic Investment from Lance Y. Gokongwei to Accelerate AI-Driven Technology Expansion

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PhilWeb Corporation, a Philippine Stock Exchange-listed technology company serving licensed digital entertainment and gaming platforms, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement for a ₱2.02 billion strategic equity investment by prominent business leader Lance Y. Gokongwei.

The investment marks a significant milestone in PhilWeb’s transformation into an AI-enabled technology infrastructure company serving the regulated digital entertainment sector. Beyond the capital infusion, PhilWeb expects to benefit from Mr. Gokongwei’s strategic perspective, institutional experience and extensive business network as the Company strengthens its long-term technology roadmap and growth strategy.

Strategic Capital Infusion for AI and Technology Expansion

Under the definitive agreement, Mr. Gokongwei will invest an aggregate amount of ₱2,026,978,840.00 in PhilWeb. The strategic placement will be facilitated through a proposed increase in the Company’s Authorised Capital Stock from ₱2.6 billion to ₱3.6 billion, subject to the required corporate, stockholder and regulatory approvals.

The proceeds are intended to strengthen PhilWeb’s balance sheet and support the integration of advanced data and AI capabilities across its core technology roadmap:

• Enhanced Risk Management and Compliance Systems: Developing intelligent platform tools to support real-time risk scoring, transaction monitoring, suspicious activity detection and responsible gaming controls.

• Data Analytics and Platform Intelligence: Building secure data models designed to interpret user behaviour, optimise player lifecycle management and improve platform operating efficiency.

• Intelligent Recommendation and Retention Tools: Investing in automated recommendation engines to help licensed operators improve content discovery, platform performance and user engagement.

• Operational Automation: Enhancing internal and partner-facing systems through automation tools to optimise compliance workflows, reporting and high-throughput platform monitoring.

Strengthening PhilWeb’s Technology Moat

The transaction reflects growing investor interest in scalable technology infrastructure serving regulated digital entertainment ecosystems. PhilWeb has established a strong market footprint across the Philippine digital gaming and entertainment ecosystem, working with leading licensed operators, integrated resorts and platform partners including Hann Casino, Okada Manila, Newport World Resorts, NUSTAR Resort and Casino, FBM Philippines and PT Gaming. The integration of next-generation AI tools is expected to further strengthen PhilWeb’s domestic B2B infrastructure layer, enabling the Company to deliver greater operational efficiency, stronger compliance support and more scalable platform capabilities to its ecosystem partners while evaluating potential regional growth opportunities over time as market and regulatory conditions permit.

Management Perspective

“We are profoundly honored to welcome Lance Y. Gokongwei as a strategic anchor investor in PhilWeb. His investment represents a strong endorsement of our technology platform and long-term vision. Data intelligence and automated compliance tools are becoming essential layers of modern digital infrastructure. With Lance’s strategic investment and business network, PhilWeb is well-positioned to expand our AI technology roadmap, serve our established ecosystem of leading partners more efficiently, and evaluate long-term growth opportunities,” said Edgar Brian K. Ng, President of PhilWeb Corporation.

The post PhilWeb Secures ₱2.02 Billion Strategic Investment from Lance Y. Gokongwei to Accelerate AI-Driven Technology Expansion appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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DigiPlus Wins “Digital Operator of the Year” Award at 2026 Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific

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DigiPlus Interactive Corp. (DigiPlus), the country’s premier digital entertainment provider behind BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and GameZone, has been named Digital Operator of the Year at the 2026 Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific, marking its second consecutive annual win in the category and reinforcing its leading industry position in the APAC region. The recognition was announced during the Global Gaming Awards ceremony held on June 2 at Conrad Manila.

One of the international gaming industry’s most prestigious awards programmes, the Global Gaming Awards, powered by Global Gaming Insider, recognise excellence in innovation, player experience, responsible gaming and operational excellence across both land-based and online gaming sectors. Winners are selected by a panel of senior industry executives with extensive experience and deep knowledge of the market, with the voting process independently adjudicated by KPMG to ensure rigor and transparency.

The Digital Operator of the Year category recognises operators that have demonstrated outstanding growth, innovation and player engagement over the past 12 months. DigiPlus emerged victorious from a shortlist of eight nominees, besting seven other operators across APAC.

Judges highlighted DigiPlus’ strong 2025 performance, the addition of over 500 new e-games on its platforms, and the rollout of industry-first responsible gaming tools. The company also continues its momentum in 2026 through major partnerships, including recently launched collaborations with Manny Pacquiao and the National Basketball Association (NBA).

In addition to its top industry honor, DigiPlus earned further recognition for its social impact initiatives, securing the first runner-up spot in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the Year category.

The awards body commended DigiPlus for its impressive CSR work via the DigiPlus Foundation which delivers healthcare, education, disaster relief, and social empowerment programs to over 1 million beneficiaries and counting across the Philippines.

“We are honored to once again be recognized by the Global Gaming Awards. These prestigious international industry accolades reflect DigiPlus’ unwavering pursuit of excellence and our drive to continuously innovate, deepen player engagement, and champion responsible gaming across BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, and GameZone,” said DigiPlus Chairman Eusebio H. Tanco.

“Together with the recognition for DigiPlus Foundation, this back-to-back win affirms our commitment to delivering world-class digital entertainment to Filipinos while contributing to nation-building.”

The Global Gaming Awards also hold annual editions in the Americas and EMEA regions, recognising industry excellence across the globe.

The post DigiPlus Wins “Digital Operator of the Year” Award at 2026 Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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