The second edition of the New Global Sport Conference 2024 (NGSC24) has kicked off in Riyadh, revolving around the theme “The Future of Fandom”.
The two-day conference will explore the latest trends and strategies in sports and esports industry with an emphasis on enhancing fan engagement and developing passionate global communities. A session titled “Gaming and Sports as the Kingdom’s Gateway to the World” was held on the first day.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Esports Federation (SEF), Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan; Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha; Assistant Minister of Sports for Sports Affairs, Adwa Al-Arifi; Chief Executive Officer of Savvy Games Group, Brian Ward; Chief Executive Officer of Gen.G Esports, Arnold Hur; and Chairman of the Advisory Board for Gaming and Esports at Qiddiya city, Mike Milanov attended the session.
Another session, titled “How Esports is Shaping the Next Chapter of Olympic History,” explored the historic steps initiated by the gaming and esports sector to connect with the broader sports industry.
Vice President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Ser Miang Ng; an IOC member, Chair of the IOC Esports Commission, and President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), David Lappartient; Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC), Abdulaziz Baeshen; and Chief Executive Officer at the Esports World Cup Foundation, Ralf Reichert attended this session.
Additionally, the conference included four other sessions where speakers from leading entrepreneurs, experts, and global CEOs in esports, sports, technology, entertainment, business, investment, and more participated.
The second day is set to feature six additional sessions with a focus on the positive impact of esports on other industries and will also explore how the esports sector has grown from a niche subculture into a global phenomenon, creating a ripple effect beyond the gaming realm.
The world of esports has evolved into a global phenomenon with over 3.4 billion people engaging in gaming worldwide and approximately 234 million esports players. This also highlights the sector’s major role in transforming traditional sectors and enhancing strategic planning, investment, broadcasting rights, sponsorship, marketing, event management, and more.
Under Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom has emerged as one of the first countries to launch a comprehensive national strategy for gaming and esports. This initiative reflects the Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to innovation as well as its ambitious vision to reinforce its position as a global gaming and esports hub.
