IMPACT LIVE

IMPACT LIVE

Hyatt Regency - Main Stage (ballroom 2)

18th June

IMPACT Live GameDev Summit Track

18th June

IMPACT Live GameDev Summit Track

18th June

IMPACT Live GameDev Summit Track

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

Interim Director of Esports | William & Mary

Host

Jordan Whitaker

Interim Director of Esports | William & Mary

10.00am
Opening Remarks & Welcome to GEIW

Speaker

Sam Cooke

CEO | Insights Group (The Esports Radar)

Speaker

Sam Cooke

CEO | Insights Group (The Esports Radar)

Speaker

Alfie Wright

COO | Insights Group

Speaker

Alfie Wright

COO | Insights Group

10.05am
Keynote Session

Session details to be announced.

10.25am
Panel Session

Session details to be announced.

11.00am
EVA - The Next Era of Esports Virtual Arenas

We get a peek behind the curtain of EVA (Esports Virtual Arenas), arenas built around free-roam, 500sqm VR playgrounds and first person shooter games developed in-house which combine sports with esports. Based in France but with venues globally in Belgium, Germany, the USA, and more than 10 countries as it expands globally (100 locations expected by end 2026), EVA is a fascinating example of something unique in esports.

EVA announced its competitive roadmap in early 2026, which includes a Pro and Challenger League, and includes household names in esports such as G2, SK Gaming, Team Vitality and more. More recently they announced a financing round of €35 million.

We hear from the CEO on what's next and how the business looks.

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Moderator

Jorrel Batac

Founder | SXNGA

Speaker

Jean Mariotte

CEO | EVA

11.20am
Coffee Break
11.40am
Esports for Publishers: Past, Present, Future

For game publishers, esports has evolved from experimental marketing play to a core pillar of live-service strategy—but the path has been anything but linear. From early third-party tournament ecosystems to fully publisher-operated leagues and now hybrid models, the role of esports within game development continues to shift.

In this panel, experienced industry leaders explore how publishers have approached esports across different eras, what has worked, what hasn’t, and how expectations have changed. From driving player acquisition and retention to building global communities and extending IP lifecycle, the discussion will unpack how esports can—and should—serve broader publishing goals.

The session will examine emerging models, including more flexible ecosystem design, regionalisation, and new forms of partnership between publishers and external operators. Designed for developers and publishing executives, this session offers a candid perspective on how to align esports with long-term product and business strategy.

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Speaker

Anne Banschbach

Program Director | Valve & Supercell, BLAST

Speaker

Atila Yesildag

Director of Esports (EMEA & Americas) | KRAFTON

12.15pm
One Industry, Many Rules: The Challenge of Global Standards in Games and Esports

As video games and esports scale globally, the absence of consistent standards—from terminology and data frameworks to player safety and technical infrastructure—is becoming increasingly visible. At the same time, efforts to introduce international standards are gaining momentum, led by organisations such as ISO, ITU, and regional bodies across Europe and Asia.

This panel brings together industry leaders and standardisation experts to examine what these initiatives mean for game developers. From safe listening guidelines and shared vocabulary projects to national approaches in markets like China and South Korea, the discussion will explore where alignment is emerging—and where fragmentation remains.

Key questions include whether global standards can support growth without limiting innovation, how developers should engage with standard-setting bodies, and what risks arise if the industry fails to align. Designed for publishers and technical leaders, this session offers a clear-eyed look at the opportunities and trade-offs shaping the future of global games and esports development.

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Moderator

Daniele Schmidt-Fischer

Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager | UKIE

Speaker

Michael Lewis

Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Law and Policy | Entertainment Software Association

Speaker

Sergi Mesonero

Head of Esports | Video Games Europe

12.45pm
Fireside Chat

Session details to be announced.

1.00pm
Lunch

18th June

IMPACT Live Edu Summit Track

18th June

IMPACT Live Edu Summit Track

18th June

IMPACT Live Edu Summit Track

2.00pm
Why Education Is the Next Growth Engine for Esports

As esports looks beyond the volatility of the professional market, education is emerging as one of its most important engines of sustainable growth. Schools, colleges, and universities are not only creating new participants and communities, but building ecosystems around belonging, skills development, digital literacy, and future pathways. At the same time, education offers professional teams a chance to diversify their business models and contribute meaningfully beyond competition. By bringing expertise in coaching, performance, talent development, and community building, teams can add real value to the educational ecosystem while also showing how esports competencies transfer into wider learning and career contexts.

This panel explores how education can expand esports’ reach, resilience, and relevance, and how schools, universities, and professional organisations can shape that future together.

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Moderator

Pia Büßecker

Co-Founder | The metagame AI

Speaker

Jesse 'JerAx' Vainikka

Former Dota2 Professional and two-time TI Winner

Speaker

Mags Byrne

CEO | EStars

2.35pm
Building Academic Esports: Policy, Structure, and Legitimacy

Academic esports is the intentional and organised use of competitive gaming environments within educational or research frameworks to foster learning, transferable competencies, and social inclusion. In other words, it is not esports brought into education by accident, but esports designed with educational purpose.

This matters because academic esports helps elevate esports to broader audiences by connecting it to institutional goals such as student engagement, digital competence, inclusion, and future readiness. This panel explores what it takes to build academic esports properly: clear definitions, credible structures, supportive policy, and partnerships that allow esports to be recognised not only as entertainment, but as a meaningful educational and societal space.

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Moderator

Graham Ashton

Esports Policy Advisor

Speaker

Dr. Brett Abarbanel

Executive Director | University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Speaker

Nepomuk Nothelfer

Attorney | Melchers

3.10pm
The Future of Youth in Esports: Safety, Belonging, and Opportunity

For many young people, esports is more than play. It is a social environment where identity, confidence, friendship, and aspiration are shaped. That creates both promise and responsibility. Supporting safer spaces, stronger moderation, healthier participation, and meaningful opportunities for growth is not just good practice, but part of esports’ broader social responsibility. In that sense, youth development is not peripheral to the industry, but part of its CSR.

This fireside chat explores how the ecosystem can better support young people by building environments where they feel safe, included, and able to turn participation into opportunity.

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Moderator

Dr. Tobias Scholz

Associate Professor | University of Agder

Speaker

Kristelle Lavallee

Global Teen Policy Manager | Discord

3.30pm
Play and Pathways: How Gaming and Esports Enhance Student Engagement

Gaming and esports can create powerful entry points into education by meeting students in spaces they already care about and translating that energy into motivation, teamwork, communication, and confidence.

From classroom engagement to extra-curricular communities and progression into further study or work, this session explores how play can become purpose. The panel will highlight how esports can re-engage learners, strengthen peer collaboration, and open pathways that traditional educational models often miss.

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Moderator

Dr. Tobias Scholz

Associate Professor | University of Agder

Speaker

James-Fraser Murison

Director | Fraser Esports & UNEVN

Speaker

Milo van Heugten

Director of Esports & Teacher | MBO College Hilversum

4.00pm
Closing Remarks
4.30pm
Evening Social at the Hyatt
Hyatt Regency - Main Stage (ballroom 2)