[Webcast] Is This Esports' Moment?

Two and a half billion people worldwide refer to themselves as “gamers.” Esports is bigger than ever around the world, but, like any other industry, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the game. Or did it? The number of people playing and watching video games has increased massively since the global lockdown began. Twitch has seen record engagement, increasing their audience size by a third in March alone, while Verizon reported an increase in gaming traffic during peak hours by 75%. And with the lack of professional sports, more people than ever before are turning to esports for their competitive fix. And for brands, the esports proposition is brighter than ever. The head of BMW Brand Experience Shows & Events recently said “In the long-term esports will be our biggest footprint,” adding that esports will eventually eclipse spending on sports such as motorsports and golf. “The younger generation, being born digital first, doesn’t really care about TV or traditional advertising. Esports is our tool to reach them.” So what does this all mean for the global industry?

Walter Wang Jr., Head of Operations at Team SoloMid (TSM) and an Advisory Board member of the Asia Society Southern California Center, will discuss with Emily Krol, Gaming Strategic Marketing Manager at Lenovo North America, and Kevin "Kebunbun" Hoang, Partnerships Account Manager at Twitch, the state of the industry today, how it is handling the global pandemic, and what they see for the future. Miles Yim, Communication Strategist at The Story Mob, will moderate.

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Speakers:

Walter Wang Jr., Head of Operations, TSM

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.

Emily Krol, Gaming Strategic Marketing Manager, Lenovo North America

Emily Krol is the Gaming Strategic Marketing Manager for Lenovo North America, where she orchestrates creative and innovative end-to-end marketing strategies for Lenovo’s elite gaming PC brand, Lenovo Legion. Lenovo Legion is the exclusive PC sponsor of both TSM and Apex Legends Global Series, so her strategy is largely focused on esports and how marketing can bring awareness to the industry and help others find their passion for gaming. An avid gamer herself, Krol leverages her own experience as well as her Game and Interactive Media Design degree to develop campaigns that will resonate with gamers across the United States and Canada. She is passionate about utilizing her position to bring a female perspective to the typically male-dominated arena of esports and work to make the gaming world more inclusive and accessible to all.

Kevin "Kebunbun" Hoang, Partnerships Account Manager, Twitch 

Hoang currently works on the Twitch Student program and has dedicated himself to creating gaming and esports opportunities for students and universities around the world. Prior to Twitch, he founded the Washington Gaming Association at the University of Washington and served as an analyst at Team SoloMid. He's worked on hundreds of official university esports programs and sits on the board of advisors for University of California Irvine Esports and Cal State Entertainment Alliance.

Moderator:

Miles Yim, Communication Strategist, The Story Mob 

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.

For any questions for the speakers in this program please submit in advance to ask_ASSC@asiasociety.org. We hope you'll consider joining Asia Society Southern California as a member and contributing, both available on our website.

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