Gaming & Esports Executives Line Up to Speak at Saudi-Backed New Global Sport Conference

Credit: Saudi Esports Federation

What do Moonton Games, G2 Esports, ESL FACEIT Group, Take-Two Interactive, APEX, MMO maker NCSOFT, Savvy Games Group, Sega of America, Sony, Team Vitality, 100 Thieves, Guild Esports, Krafton India, BITKRAFT Ventures, Ubisoft, LGD Gaming, VSPO, Team Falcons, Formula E, Huya, and Ninjas in Pyjamas all have in common? Later this month top executives from these companies will be speaking at a major event facilitated by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Esports Federation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, called The New Global Sport Conference. 

In addition to a who’s who lineup of executives from esports and gaming from around the world, the organizers—the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Esports Federation—promise “one big announcement” coming out of this event. The Esports Advocate has heard some rumors on what that one big announcement will be, but can’t definitely confirm what we have heard yet (this is a developing story).

Taking place at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh on Oct. 23, the “invite-only” event will “convene the key stakeholders in the gaming and sports industries, including top game publishers, event organizers, streaming partners, players, sports icons, and policymakers.”

For what purpose? To network with key industry leaders, take part in fireside chats and panels, and perhaps, most important of all, host bilateral meetings among business executives. The seeds of the deals of tomorrow between Western esports and gaming companies and Saudi government-owned companies such as Savvy Games Group, ESL FACEIT Group, and others, will no doubt find fertile ground at this event.

Conversations/panels planned during the event include “sports at the crossroads of the 21st century,” “new pathways to grow the global gaming audience,” “how esports clubs can find their path in a constantly changing landscape,” “how can esports unlock its full potential in the new world,” and “what is the future of live entertainment and how does (e)sports fit into it.”

Speakers Include:

From Esports Organizations:

• G2 Esports CEO Alban Dechelotte
• 100 Thieves President & COO John Robinson
• Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) Group CEO & Founder Hicham Chahine
• Team Vitality CEO & Co-Founder Nicolas Maurer
• Guild Esports CEO Jasmine Skee
• LGD Esports Club Founder & CEO Pan Jie 
• Team Falcons Founder & CEO Musad Aldossary

From Esports-Related Companies:

• ESL FACEIT Group Co-CEO Craig Levine
• Formula E Founder and Chairman Alejandro Agag
• VSPO Founder & CEO Dino Ying
• APEX Chairman & Founder Luis Vicente

Gaming:

• Savvy Games Group CEO Brian Ward
• Sony Group Corporation Executive Deputy President and CSO Toshimoto Mitomo
• Sega of America CEO Shuji Itsumi 
• Take-Two Interactive Chief Strategy Officer Michael Worosz
• Ubisoft Mobile Games Chief Mobile Officer Jean-Michel Detoc
• Krafton India CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn 
• Moonton Games CEO Justin Yaun
• NCSOFT President & CSO Sonyee Yoon

Others:

• Huya COO Prince Chen
• BITKRAFT Ventures Founding General Partner Jens Hilgers

No doubt, HRH Prince Faisal, who is president of the Saudi Esports Federation, International Esports Federation, and VP of Global Esports Federation, will be in attendance, along with other members of the royal ruling family of Saudi Arabia who have ties to building esports, sports, and other entertainment opportunities for the country, backed by billions of dollars from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund.

The event is taking place a day before another major business and technology event, the PIF-backed Future Investment Initiative Institute’s (FII) 7th Edition In Riyadh (Oct. 24-26) called “The New Compass.”

TEA will have more information on this story soon. Stay tuned.

Editor’s note: In an earlier iteration of this story we listed 100 Thieves President & COO John Robinson as the CEO of the organization. We have corrected the story to reflect his proper title and apologize for the error.