SUMMIT AGENDA
Registration &
Welcome Refreshments
Chairperson’s Welcome Address
Paul Dawalibi, CEO, Holodeck Ventures
ESPORTS GROWTH
Introduction Speech:
The Vision and Creation Story of DEF
Perspectives on the Middle East as a growth market and plans for resource transfer. Chenfan Wang, GM of Global Business, VSPN
Inauguration Speech:
Expanding and Investing in the Local Gaming and Esports Industry
Exploring Dubai’s plans to support industry growth for a market expected to reach in excess of $820 million in 2022
Keynote Speaker:
HE Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy & Remote Work Applications
Keynote Speech:
Gaming and Esports as a Catalyst to Build the Nation’s STEM Talent
Exploring the sector’s impact on education and the future workforce of Dubai
Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Director General, Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA)
Panel Discussion:
Positioning Dubai as a Global Gaming Hub and Esports Destination
- The incentives for setting up your regional headquarters in Dubai
- Success stories from gaming and Esports organisations already established in the Emirate
- An innovation-driven economy – highly skilled talent, infrastructure and community support
Paul Dawalibi, CEO, Holodeck Ventures
Panellists:
Christoph Timm, Co-Founder, Nigma Galaxy
Duke Hua, Head of Esports, ME/EU, VSPN
John Lacey, MENA Head, Level Infinite Tencent Games Global
Kishan Deepak Palija, CEO, Geekay Group
Manish Bakshi, Managing Director, BenQ
Panel Discussion:
Establishing Dubai as the Undisputed Business Hub for Global Gaming and Esports Corporations
- Incentives to setting up your regional headquarters in Dubai
- Success stories from gaming and esports organisations from Dubai Free-zones
- An innovation-driven economy – highly skilled talent, infrastructure and community support
Paul Dawalibi, CEO, Holodeck Ventures
Panellists:
Belal Jassoma, Head of Business Development, DMCC
Ghanim Al Falasi, SVP for Technology & Entrepreneurship, Dubai Silicon Oasis
Majed Al Suwaidi, Senior Vice President, Dubai Media City
Networking & Refreshments Break
BUILD WINNING AGENCIES & TEAMS
Presentation:
A Walkthrough on Different Monetization Models for Successful Esports Teams
- Player collaborations and brand onboarding with fair profit-sharing
- Everything about tournaments: from winning and tickets sales to advertising and broadcasting rights
Speaker:
Mario Stefanidis, VP of Research, Roundhill Investments
Panel Discussion:
Spearheading Talent Incubation, Acquisition and Management in MENA
- Incubation – offering motivated talent individual support with participation in tournaments, coaching, professional support and team try-outs to introduce them to the competitive scene
- Acquisition – gamer and content creator recruitment in 2022, what you need to know
- Management – backing influencers to deal with brand negotiations and collaboration
Moderator:
Laghrissi Mohamed Amine, Project Director, JuegoXFless & CNJPanelists:
Lalit Vase, Founder & CEO, NASR ESPORTS
Meena George, Head of Esports, Geekay Group
Mohamed Ghareeb, Head of Esports Team, RA'AD
Youssef Mohsen, Founder & Managing Partner, Anubis Gaming
Wadih Sayah, Head of Esports, YaLLa Esports
Panel Discussion:
Creating Wholistic Esports Agencies that Become Major Drivers of Community Growth
- Understanding your audience and what content brings value to it
- Beyond engagement data analytics and high-quality content production equipment
- Publisher management and strategy development for campaigns that help the marketplace expand
Moderator:
Abdallah Al Ghafari, PUBG Mobile Esports Manager, Level Infinite Tencent Games GlobalPanelists:
Andreas Hadjipaschali, CEO & Co-Founder, Bravado Gaming
Aravind Swaminathan, Co-Founder & Business Development Director, Calyx
Elie Honain, CEO, Quest
Klaus Kajetski, CEO, YaLLa Esports
Matthew Pickering, CEO, PLG - Power League Gaming
Alternative Routes – from Gaming Creator Management to World Champions
- A journey on how different strategies can lead to success in esports
- Leveraging industry practices, and expert insights to create a diversified portfolio
- Utilising resources and assets in formats that create a positive force of growth internally
Tryke Gutierrez, CEO, Tier One Entertainment
Networking Lunch & Refreshments Break
TURNING TOURNAMENTS INTO GEMS
Panel:
Designing Broadcasts – How Audiences Want to Access and Consume Content
- Graphics, content and animation to meet your audience’s expectations
- Supporting streamers with advanced data analytics and media tools
Moderator:
Marie Mejerwall, Esports veteran
Panelists:
Arif Aabed, Mobile Apps & Gaming Business Portfolio Manager, MBC Group
Elie Gemayel, CSO, Quest
Loay Akram, Co-Founder & COO, Heros.live
Mohammed Albsimi, CEO, TrueGaming
Ralph Bejjani, Head of Production, Calyx
Panel Discussion:
Delivering State of the Art Tournaments and Leagues
- Online vs offline organisation success factors
- Creating a viewership experience for the fan
Moderator:
Marie Mejerwall, Esports veteran
Panelists:
Abhijit Pattanaik, Co-Founder & CGO, Playtonia Esports
Elie Honain, CEO, Quest
Firasat Durrani, Vice President Business Operations, Loco
Michael Broda, Co-Founder & CEO, Esports Innovation Group
Michael Zapties, Sales & Sponsorship Director, Gamers Hub
Minho Yi, VP & Head of PUBG Esports, Krafton
Key Factors of Global Esports Events From the Eyes of an Esports Producer
- Global esports events and their evolution from past to present
- The essential elements of a global esports event
Speaker:
Crisis Wi, SVP & Chief Director, VSPN
End of Day One
Registration &
Welcome Refreshments
MULTI CHARGING FOR PUBLISHING & ADVERTISING
Presentation:
Understanding why MENA Countries are leading Gaming and Esports World Markets
- The demographics of the gaming and Esports industry in MENA with key market trends
- Mobile gaming, online viewership awareness and engagement patterns
- Understanding lower Esports familiarity in contrast to gaming among the general public
Michael Heina, CCO, Shikenso
Panel Discussion:
How to Launch a Game Successfully in MENA
- Translating your mobile game in Arabic and catering to local interest to top local charts
- Influencers marketing and on-air talents - understating the regional social media landscape
- Differences between national markets within the MENA region and digital vs physical sales
Paul Dawalibi, CEO, Holodeck Ventures
Panellists:
Amin El Husseini, Director of Mobile Products, MBC Group
Kishan Deepak Palija, CEO, Geekay Group
Naji Ghaziri, PUBG Mobile Game Operation Manager, Level Infinite Tencent Games Global
Saeed Sharaf, CEO, Esports Middle East
Fireside Chat:
Current Trends in Commercialising Esports Teams
- Using digital intimacy to open the doors to monetizing fandom
- Ticket sales for streaming events and digital merchandise
- The evolution of online payment methods and the shift to community-based advertisement tools
Marie Mejerwall, Esports veteran
Panellists:
Alvaro Gonzalez de Buitrago, CEO, Team Queso
Elrasec Ocampo, CGO, Blacklist
JMR Luna, CEO, OG
Fireside Chat:
Integrating East/West Content – Helping Local Production Reach a Wider Audience and Vice Versa
- What are the cultural differences between neighbouring regions and how to take a leap
- Capacity for adapting to user interface and in-game experiences preferences
Youba Hamatou, Founder, GameSense
Networking & Refreshments Break
POSITIVE DISRUPTION
Panel Discussion:
Helping the Ecosystem Grow - Investment in Gaming and Esports
- CV vs PE – how different investor types engage with the industry
- Demonstrating business concepts and operational viability to attract funds
Moderator:
Paul Dawalibi, CEO, Holodeck Ventures
Panellists:
Dani Contreras Pérez, Head of Gaming, Belobaba Fund
Frank A. Sliwka, COO, Epulze
Lucy Chow, General Partner,WBAF Angels Investment Fund
Rico Pang, Co-Founder & Group CEO, Sanctum Global Ventures
Roberto Croci, Entrepreneurs Committee Member, Capital Club Dubai
Fireside Chat:
The Rise of Mobile Gaming – The New Arena for Reaching Competitive Gaming Audiences
- How 5G and smartphone penetration are democratizing the access to gaming and esports
- Higher bandwidth and lower response times for more viable cloud computing
- Harnessing cloud and edge network resources to facilitate the end-to-end workflow for delivering games
Panellists:
Anurag Khurana, Founder, Penta Esports
David Fernandez Remesal, CEO, Sandsoft Games
Vincent Ghossoub, Founder, Nifty Craft
Panel Discussion:
The Evolution of the Gaming Economy on Web 3.0 and Monetization Opportunities for Esports
- A brief intro on how blockchain/web 3.0 can redefine the gaming industry
- What is going to be the competing business models of play-to-earn games?
- Is cryptocurrency a reliable income stream for esports teams and agencies?
Moderator:
Paul Dawalibi, CEO, Holodeck Ventures
Panellists:
Ahmed Tehemar, Global Games BD Manager, Binance
Dani Contreras Pérez, Head of Gaming, Belobaba Fund
Frank A. Sliwka, COO,Epulze
Rico Pang, Co-Founder & Group CEO, Sanctum Global Ventures
Vincent Ghossoub, Founder, Nifty Craft
Networking Lunch & Refreshments Break
PLAY FOR IMPACT
Keynote Speech
Esports Growth in the Creative Economy
Dr Saeed Kharbash, CEO of Arts and Literature, Dubai Culture
Panel Discussion:
Fighting Stigma - The Organic Growth of Educational Gaming and the Social Benefits of Esports
- Gamification in the classroom – hardware, software and behaviour management
- Available career paths and funding of educational programmes by publishers
- Creating immersive learning experiences and understanding optimal engagement times
Moderator:
Youba Hamatou, Founder,GameSense
Panellists:
Ahmad Abobakr, Head of Games Department, SAE
Baz Nijjar, Principal Advisor – Education Technology, GEMS Education
Charbel Khoury, Founder & CEO, ESTAZ esports
Devangshu Rath, Project Manager, Gamers Hub
Mayank Dhingra, Senior Education Business Leader SEMA, HP
Panel Discussion:
Women in Esports – New Avenues for Excellence
- Motivating talent to pursue new career paths
- The future of cross-engagement features in online multiplayer
Moderator:
Marie Mejerwall, Esports veteran
Panellist:
Amna "Moki" Alameri, Pro Player & Content Creator
Arshiya “xArshyy” Faraghat, Streamer & Content Creator
Fatima "Buffy" Al Ali, Gamer & Streamer, Galaxy Racer
Fernando Pereira, President, Grow Up Esports
Madiha Naz, Esports Player
End of Day Two