UK-based esports business publication, media and events company Esports Insider (ESI) announced Thursday that it has partnered with the International Esports Federation (IESF) for the 2023 edition of the ESI Hall of Fame awards. This year’s ESI Hall of Fame awards ceremony will be held at World Esports Summit in Busan, South Korea, on the evening of Nov. 28, with IESF serving as a presenting partner.
Financial terms of this partnership were not disclosed.
According to a release, the 2022 edition World Esports Summit featured 150 attendees and 40 speakers from various sectors including esports, sports, global brands, and government.
During the Hall of Fame 2023 ceremony four awards will be presented including “Hall of Famer,” “Rising Industry Star,” “Community Champion” (a grassroots, community focused award), and “Youth Champion” (an individual who is inspiring young people to take part in the esports ecosystem through education, etc.).
Those winners will join past inductees including Jason Lake (founder & CEO of Complexity Gaming), Heather ‘sapphiRe’ Garozzo (ex-Counter-Strike observer and founder of Raidiant), Mike Sepso (CSO at ESL FACEIT Group), and Sue ‘Smix’ Lee (VP of talent management at RTS).
The IESF partnership with ESI is the second in recent months; In October it was a partner for the esports business conference, ESI London, alongside Saudi megaproject Qiddiya.
Saudi Arabia’s HRH Prince Faisal is the current president of the IESF, as well as the CEO and founder of the Saudi Esports Federation and VP of the Global Esports Federation. In addition, he is the de facto leader of the recently announced Esports World Cup (formerly known as Gamers8). The Esports World Cup and Qiddiya are funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns ESL FACEIT Group, Savvy Games Group, and more.
