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)

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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]

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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)

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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

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