“esports” has become the prevalent term used to describe the international community of organized, competitive video gaming that is rapidly exceeding all expectations, with increasing participation, viewership, and mass appeal around the globe.

Until recently, esport industry growth had been a bottoms-up, viral phenomenon. But now, the emergence of finely-tuned league structures centered around specific games, has helped solidify a growing business ecosystem that has attracted significant investment.

High-profile players from the technology and media industries, as well as traditional sports franchises, including Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, NBC, Time Warner, the Philadelphia 76ers, and New England Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, have deployed capital.

The list does not end there, and is expanding daily with other well-known first-movers looking to ride the wave of exceptional growth in the eSports arena.

Join us on October 17th, 2018, as we examine the historical backdrop of competitive video gaming and esports as a broadcast media phenomenon; game design and other factors driving the exceptional user/enthusiast growth dynamics; investor interest, and the evolution of monetization models.

Featuring:

- Alex Champlin - PhD candidate UCSB, Film and Media; Alex studies spectator videogaming and esports as a broadcast media phenomenon.

- Andrew Tosh - Successful developer and Founder of GameSim, a gaming, simulation and graphic info systems company.

- Tim “Caymus” Kimbirk - esports Manager at eUnited, Tim built both eUnited’s Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (“PUBG”), and Fortnite teams from the ground up, as well as the competitive Fortnight roster that was recruited by CheckSix Gaming.

- Jennifer McLean - SVP Marketing for ReadyUp

This program will be moderated by Rick Tico, JP Morgan Chase & Co.

For details about the speakers, please visit www.mitcentralcoast.org