Exploring the Differences Between How the East and West Approach Esports

Join Asia Society Southern California for a discussion on how the world of esports is developing in Asia and the United States with experts on both sides of the Pacific. Talon Esports CEO Xiao Yi Zhang, TSM Head of Operations Walter Wang Jr., Esports Media Analyst John Oliverius and Esports Assistant Director at UC Irvine Kathy Chiang will do a deep dive into the trends shaping the esports industry. They will discuss the 2020 League of Legends World Championship, streaming, brands, and monetization. Lastly, they will explore the collegiate space in the United States and the implications for growing the pipeline of talent. Miles Yim, Communication Strategist at The Story Mob, will moderate.

For more background on the esports industry, check out our previous program “Is This Esports’ Moment?”.

Panelists:

John Oliverius publishes The China Esports Business News Digest, an English-language weekly newsletter covering the business of esports in China. The Digest grew out of early market research for his consulting business, which specializes in media rights transactions, content licensing, and live broadcast production, with a focus on live sports and esports. Before then, Oliverius was a transactional attorney for large media companies for 18 years, including NBC Universal, Viacom, A+E Networks, most recently serving as Vice President, Business Affairs at the Pac-12 Conference in San Francisco. Oliverius formed Verius Ventures is to help build the bridges connecting the international media and entertainment ecosystem, which he believes will be increasingly influenced by esports. 

Walter Wang Jr., began his career in esports creating and developing from the ground up the esports/gaming division at HTC. There he built a small and agile team that was able to quickly make an impact across the esports industry. Wang brought this valuable expertise in the gaming and esports ecosystem to TSM, first as an investor and consultant, and now Head of Operations.

Xiao Yi (Sean) Zhang is the CEO of Talon Esports. Zhang is the Former Head of Advisory at Kenetic Capital. Investment, research professional who has worked as an equity analysts at major banks and brokerage firms such as Barclays and CLSA. Former computer programmer who always had a passion for anything technology, gaming or sports related.

Kathy Chiang is the Assistant Director of the esports department at the University of California, Irvine. She manages the UCI Esports Arena, oversees program staff, and leads key initiatives including training programs, outreach, summer camps, and operations for the UCI Esports Conference. She graduated from UCI with a B.S. in Computer Game Science after co-founding one of the largest clubs on campus, The Association of Gamers. Recognized for her work with the campus gaming community and collegiate esports space since 2011, she was brought on as a key advisor for shaping the new esports program in 2016.

Moderator:

Miles Yim, a former esports journalist for ESPN and The Washington Post, joined The Story Mob seeking to apply his years of insider expertise to broader industry initiatives. Beyond esports, his background includes eclectic stints in independent film finance, public radio production, traditional sports writing and equity options trading. Yim brings a keen editorial eye to every project, always emphasizing the importance of character and story in any successful campaign. In his more esoteric moments, Yim can be found rhapsodizing about gaming as a force for societal good and its potential to spearhead digital entertainment for decades to come.

Click here for more programs on the 2020 U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit.