EGES 2026

EGES 2026

Hyatt Regency - Main Stage (ballroom 2)

19th June

EGES 2026

19th June

EGES 2026

9.30am
Doors Open

Stage Hosts:

host

Bubba Gaeddert

Senior Lecturer | University Campus of Esports

host

Bubba Gaeddert

Senior Lecturer | University Campus of Esports

Host

Jordan Whitaker

Director of Esports | William & Mary

Host

Jordan Whitaker

Director of Esports | William & Mary

10.00am
Opening Remarks & Welcome

Speaker

Stephen Hanna

CEO | ESIC

Speaker

Stephen Hanna

CEO | ESIC

10.05am
Welcome to Global Esports Industry Week: Community, Growth, and Longevity

To kick off Global Esports Industry Week alongside the IEM Cologne Major, Niccolo Maisto, CEO of ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), welcomes attendees to the home of esports. In this brief opening address, Maisto will reflect on ESL’s 26-year history in Cologne, celebrate the community that makes this industry possible, and share a brief outlook on building a stable, sustainable future for global esports entertainment.

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Speaker

Niccolo Maisto

CEO | ESL FACEIT GROUP

10.15am
Built to Connect - Esports, Games and the Power to bring People Together

Games and esports are built from the ground up to bring people together - shared rules, fair competition, a common passion that crosses cultures, borders and backgrounds. In this keynote, Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – the Association of the German Games Industry and organiser of gamescom, explores what the games and esports industry can contribute beyond competition: as a universal language, a driver of dialogue, and a force for social cohesion in a divided world. A call to the industry to recognise and actively shape its role in society.

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Speaker

Felix Falk

Managing Director | game

10.25am
Publishers & the Rise of Global Competition

As esports becomes more global and interconnected, competition is increasingly shaped by the organisations building the ecosystems around it — publishers, tournament operators, game studios, infrastructure partners, and teams.


This panel will unpack how these stakeholders are designing the future of competitive esports: creating scalable tournament structures, supporting player and talent pathways, using data and technology to improve decision-making, and building commercial models that work across regions and titles.


The discussion will focus on what sustainable global competition really requires, how to balance accessibility with elite performance, and where the biggest opportunities lie for organisations looking to grow within the esports ecosystem.

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moderator

Kirsty Endfield

CEO & Co-Founder | Swipe Right

Speaker

Michael Schwartz

Managing Director | Runestone

Speaker

Ajay Jilka

EMEA | Moonton

Speaker

Atlia Yesildag

Director of Esports (EMEA & Americas) | krafton

Speaker

Brian Krämer

Director of Product ENC | Esports Foundation

11.00am
Integrity Is a Shared Responsibility: Building Trust Across the Global Esports Ecosystem

Integrity in esports cannot rest with any one publisher, tournament organiser, regulator, or team - it requires collective responsibility across the entire ecosystem. In this session, Graham Ashton and Stephen Hanna (ESIC) will explore how collaboration between industry stakeholders can create integrity systems that players, publishers, and fans genuinely trust. Drawing on real-world experience across governance, competitive operations, and compliance, the panel will discuss dispute resolution, education, proactive enforcement, and scalable integrity frameworks designed to support the continued growth and credibility of global esports.

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Moderator

Graham Ashton

Esports Policy Advisor

Speaker

Stephen Hanna

CEO | ESIC

11.20am
Morning Coffee & Networking Break
11.40am
From Local Host to Global Stage: The Business of International Esports Events

What makes a city, festival or market ready to host esports on the world stage? This panel looks at the business and operational foundations behind international esports events, including destination strategy, stakeholder alignment, fan engagement, publisher relationships and the role of major games festivals.

With speakers representing Malta, Raleigh, Paris Games Week and game – the German Games Industry Association, the session will offer a cross-market view of how esports events can drive tourism, industry growth and global visibility.

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Moderator

Sam Cooke

CEO | Insights Group (The Esports Radar)

Moderator

Sam Cooke

CEO | Insights Group (The Esports Radar)

Speaker

Ed Tomasi

Esports Advisor | Visit Raleigh

Speaker

Ivan Filletti

CEO | Gaming Malta

Speaker

Bertrand Perrin

Director of Gaming/Esports Projects | RiVAJ Group

Speaker

Zakaria El Asri

Innovation Director | GL events

12.10pm
Control, Collaboration, Competition: The TOs Shaping Global Esports

Tournament organisers sit at the centre of esports—balancing publisher control, commercial realities, and the demands of a global competitive ecosystem. As the industry matures, their role is becoming more complex, influential, and contested.

In this panel, leaders from three of the world’s leading tournament organisers explore how they navigate the tension between competition and collaboration. From working with publishers and bodies like ESIC to expanding into new markets and building sustainable event models, the discussion will examine how TOs are shaping the future of global esports.

Key themes include shifting power dynamics, the rise of regional ecosystems, and the challenges of scaling competition worldwide. The panel will also address a central question: can TOs collaborate to grow the industry while still competing at the highest level?

Designed for senior stakeholders, this session offers a candid look at the trade-offs, alliances, and strategic decisions defining modern esports competition.

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Moderator

Zvonimir Burazin

Head of Operations | HLTV

Speaker

Merlin Wiedeking

CEO | NODWIN International

Speaker

Andrew Haworth

SVP Esports | BLAST

Speaker

Ulrich Schulze

SVP Esports | ESL FACEIT Group

12.40pm
Emerging Markets, Opportunities & Esports Investment in 2026

As growth plateaus in some traditional strongholds, will the future of esports be largely defined by its success in emerging markets? What are the broader untapped areas that continue to offer opportunity and innovation?

This panel featuring high level esports and investment expertise from across the globe who've been there, done it (and still are), will dissect these topics live on stage.

Who's getting it right, what's exciting the panel, and what do they want to see more of?

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Moderator

Ed Tomasi

Esports Advisor | Visit Raleigh

Speaker

Akshat Rathee

Managing Director | NODWIN International

Speaker

David Harris

Managing Director | Guinevere Capital

1.10pm
Lunch
2.10pm
Esports Behind the Iron Curtain: Lessons from Building the World’s Biggest Mobile Esports Ecosystem

Esports has a unique ability to bring people together, even in regions shaped by political complexity, operational uncertainty, and shifting macro realities. In this keynote, we will share learnings from the growth of MLBB Esports into one of the world’s largest mobile esports ecosystems, with a focus on how communities continue to form, compete, and thrive across challenging markets. The session will explore the role of resilience, local ecosystem building, and long-term community investment in scaling mobile esports globally, especially in regions where many publishers and operators are cautious to engage. More than a story about growth, this is a look at how esports can sustain connection, belonging, and opportunity across borders.

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Speaker

Ajay Jilka

EMEA | Moonton

2.30pm
Esports and Gambling: State of Play 2026

Esports betting continues to grow and evolve. It's now a serious line of business for operators, rights holders, and data providers, and the commercial and regulatory frameworks supporting it have developed considerably over the past few years.

This panel takes stock of where the industry stands in 2026 and where it is heading. How have relationships between operators and rights holders matured, and what does a genuinely productive partnership look like today? Which regulatory models are proving effective, and how are businesses adapting to an increasingly complex global landscape? And as betting volumes grow and markets expand beyond tier one titles, how is the industry evolving its approach to integrity and responsible gambling to keep pace?

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Moderator

Ian Smith

Commissioner | ESIC

Speaker

Rasmus Schmidt Christensen

Head of Odds Operations | Abios

Speaker

Nepomuk Nothelfer

Attorney | Melchers

2.55pm
Performance & Gaming Hardware Innovation

How does esports impact innovation when it comes to hardware? When miliseconds count and truly personalised set ups matter more than ever re the money on the line, a player's equipment, whether it's their monitor, mouse, headset, chair or something else, is vital.

This session gathers some of the finest minds in this area to discuss the most exciting innovations in this space, from those on the market to those in the works, and the involvement of professional players and coaches across the ecosystem.

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moderator

Kirsty Endfield

CEO & Co-Founder | Swipe Right

Speaker

Celsa Wu

Head of Esports | ZOWIE (BenQ)

Speaker

Neil Duffy

CCO | OverActive Media

Speaker

Andreas Jernberg

VP Brand Partnerships Development | ESL FACEIT GROUP

3.20pm
Afternoon Networking Break
3.35pm
Ranking the Game: The Future of Competitive Integrity Systems

Ranking systems are central to competitive integrity in esports—but remain one of its most debated elements. Using CS2’s VRS system as a case study, this panel explores how rankings are built, where they fall short, and how they shape tournament access, team value, and the broader competitive landscape. Moderated by Good Game Global, the discussion will examine the balance between data, governance, and fairness in the future of esports.

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Moderator

Nikola Stolnik

CEO | Good Game Global

Speaker

Nicolas Maurer

CSO | Team Vitality

Speaker

Alban Dechelotte

CEO | G2 Esports

Speaker

Anne Banschbach

Program Director | Valve & Supercell, BLAST

3.55pm
Protecting What You Build: IP Essentials for the Esports and Gaming Sectors

Intellectual property sits at the heart of every game, brand, and commercial deal in esports and gaming, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood areas for operators, teams, and rights holders alike.

In this fireside chat, WIPO introduces its dedicated IP Guide for the esports and gaming sector, exploring how studios, publishers, organisers, and investors can better protect and leverage their IP assets in an increasingly competitive global market.

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Speaker

Rafael Vazquez Ferraz

WIPO

Speaker

Sergi Mesonero

Head of Esports | Video Games Europe

4.15pm
Closing Remarks

Speaker

Stephen Hanna

CEO | ESIC

Speaker

Stephen Hanna

CEO | ESIC

5.00pm
Esports Leaders Honours 25-26

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GEIW hosts the inaugural edition of the Esports Leaders Honours awards, built to celebrate exceptional contributions to esports worldwide. During the late afternoon & evening of the 19th June, Honours will first take place at the Hyatt Regency on the Main Stage, before moving onto City Hall for a VIP Dinner & Reception with the Mayor of Cologne in attendance.


Overall 7 winners will be revealed live on the night across categories!


Find out more here: https://leaders.esportsradar.gg/

Hyatt Regency - Main Stage (ballroom 2)

GEIW

The Esports Radar

ESIC

The Insights Group

All copyrights Global Esports Industry Week

Terms & Conditions

Hosted by Global Leadership Consortium

GEIW

The Esports Radar

ESIC

The Insights Group

All copyrights Global Esports Industry Week

Terms & Conditions

Hosted by Global Leadership Consortium

GEIW

The Esports Radar

ESIC

The Insights Group

All copyrights Global Esports Industry Week

Terms & Conditions

Hosted by Global Leadership Consortium