Global Esports Games headed to Singapore, Istanbul and Riyadh

Global Esports Games Headed to Singapore, Istanbul, and Riyadh GEF confirms Asia, Europe and the Middle East for its flagship event.

Singapore, May 11, 2021 – Launching a runway into worldwide expansion, the Global Esports Federation Board unveiled the first three host cities for its premier flagship event: Singapore 2021, Istanbul 2022 and Riyadh 2023. 

The Global Esports Games, held each year in December, will convene the world in a celebration of esports, virtual sport, music and entertainment. 

The GEG will feature teams from across the world participating in multi-title esports competitions and active esports. 

In parallel, GEFcon, a global convention of thought leaders, and the GEFestival, a dynamic celebration of inclusive esports culture highlighting music, art, technology, fashion, food and much more, promise to add to the diverse, immersive and world-class program. 

“The Global Esports Games has drawn overwhelming interest. We have undergone a rigorous selection process,” said Chris Chan, President, Global Esports Federation, “Now the work and creativity truly begin as we set the stage for the world’s esports athletes and players to shine.” 

“The first Global Esports Games to be held in December this year will provide the opportunity to showcase esports to the world”, said Ng Chong Geng, President, Singapore Esports Association (SGEA). 

"We are grateful to have the opportunity to host this truly historic event". Co-Chairs of the Coordination Commission for the Global Esports Games, Angela Ruggiero and Luzeng Song, noted that appointing the right host cities is a key to success. “We will lend our support and guidance so the host cities can unleash their full potential,” Ruggiero said, “and so the incredible untold stories of the power of esports – and sport as the future of entertainment – can be unlocked, too.” 

Paul J. Foster, Chief Executive Officer, Global Esports Federation, said the energy, skill and passion of esports, and the technologies that drive it, are captured in the GEF motto: #worldconnected. Carrying that forward to the Global Esports Games, he said, “We have listened to the athletes and players, the incredible publishers and developers, and the wider community to create a platform for athletes to shine, representing countries and territories as in other prestigious multi-sport competitions.” 

Media Contact: Issued by the Global Esports Federation. 

For media inquiries, please email media@globalesports.org, or contact Gabriel Q. Chan on +65 9182 7713. 

Also read:

• The Shaping the Future of Esports Today
• Global Esports Federation Approves Commissions for 2021
• Inaugural #worldconnected Series Launched to Convene the World’s Esports Community
• Christophe Dubi on the Future of the Olympic Games.
• Global Esports Federation appoints first Chief Executive Officer

Global Esports Federation appoints first Chief Executive Officer

 Paul J. Foster assumes role amid epic growth

Anticipating an even-greater surge in its growth and eyeing the acceleration of esports as a key driver of the economy worldwide, the Global Esports Federation announces the appointment of Paul J. Foster as Chief Executive Officer.

 

Foster will assume the role as GEF’s first CEO. Since last April, he has served as Chief Operating Officer. He has been instrumental in overseeing the Singapore-based organization’s advance since worldwide launch in December 2019 – the GEF now counting more than 80 Member Federations and well over 100 partnerships.

 

Such growth, amid a global pandemic, is testament both to Foster’s capability and capacity and to the demand the GEF has confronted, Chris Chan, President of the Global Esports Federation said. He added that the GEF intends in the coming months to launch initiatives to power up recruitment and enhance diversity, equality, and inclusion with a mandate to increase size and scale.

 

“With esports becoming increasingly relevant both to the broader economy and to the development of many countries, the GEF is poised for tremendous growth,” Chan said. “The GEF Board and I trust in Paul’s vision and leadership.”

 

Foster said, “The GEF offers a global, inclusive, and connected platform. When we began this journey, we had a framework for potential, a bunch of ideas. We simply said, everyone is welcome, a notion of radical inclusivity. We engaged constantly, guided only by a set of values. From that naturally came a spirit of boundless innovation. That drives our work.”

 

In 2021, the GEF intends both to stage the first of its global events portfolio, the Global Esports Games, and intensify regional action through its #worldconnected initiatives – integrating the rise of active esports along with virtual and digital forms of sport.

 

The GEF Board has affirmed a commitment to lifelong learning that creates opportunities via internships and management positions across all verticals. Partnerships are in progress with major universities. Plans are underway for GEF centers in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the MENA region.

 

As the GEF evolves, it remains a committed partner in driving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – in pursuit of its deep social responsibility to connect and convene, and in alignment with the UN Secretary-General’s call to a “Decade of Action.”

 

Foster said he looks forward to unlocking the many opportunities: “I’m grateful for the trust of all of our members and our Board, the entire esports community. We are all – all of us, together – just getting started. We call it #worldconnected.”

Also read:

• The Shaping the Future of Esports Today
• Global Esports Federation Approves Commissions for 2021
• Inaugural #worldconnected Series Launched to Convene the World’s Esports Community
• Christophe Dubi on the Future of the Olympic Games.

Shaping the Future of Esports Today

The DTIA Commission convenes a new reality of two worlds – esports and sports – converging at an unprecedented pace, accelerated by advances and opportunities in immersive technologies. The Commission is co-chaired by the GEF Board Members Chris Overholt, President and CEO of Toronto-based OverActive Media, with more than 20 years of experience in global sports and entertainment, and Chong Geng Ng, President and Founder of the Singapore Esports Association (SGEA), a leader in technology innovation and development.

 

The DTIA Commission gathers a collective of technologists, scientists, entrepreneurs, futurists, gaming and systems engineers, and the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Together, they lead the GEF’s thought leadership around technology strategy that drives digital innovation in esports.

 

“The future of sports and entertainment lives at the intersection of gaming, sport, music, and technology. The most successful sports properties and organizations will be the ones who adapt best and fastest to this new mashup culture reality. The leading voices on our commission are working hard to lead the digital change needed to attract bigger audiences and younger fan bases,” said Chris Overholt, Board Member and Co-Chair of Digital, Technology, Innovation, Active Esports Commission, Global Esports Federation.

 

“Our new reality is that esports, traditional sports, and gaming are converging rapidly, accelerated by the significant development in extended reality (XR) technologies – creating new opportunities for sports to engage their millions of participants and fans in the new and evolved digital world,” said Chong Geng Ng, Board Member and Co-Chair of Digital, Technology, Innovation, Active Esports Commission, Global Esports Federation. “The Global Esports Federation and our interactive technology partner, Refract, are helping to create a shared knowledge-bridge between the powerful history and foundations of traditional sport and the dynamic rise of esports.”

 

More than an innovation incubator to spearhead advancements in virtual sports and active esports, the DTIA Commission takes on a proactive approach to uphold the integrity and legitimacy of esports, and to safeguard all those involved in the community. Together with the ITU, the DTIA Commission facilitates a global dialogue series and various focus groups to increase awareness and drive innovation in the realms of; advancing the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI), supporting health and wellbeing, gender equality, and the future of education.

 

#worldconnected

Also read: 

• The Global Esports Federation Approves Commissions for 2021
• Inaugural #worldconnected Series Launched to Convene the World’s Esports Community
• Christophe Dubi on the Future of the Olympic Games.

The Global Esports Federation Approves Commissions for 2021

 The Global Esports Federation announces the Commissions for 2021 to continue the robust work the GEF Board and Commissions have accomplished over the launch year.

The 10 GEF Commissions and 2 Advisory Councils will be led by members of the GEF Board, with contributions from world-leading experts from the esports and sports communities, corporate governance, technology, and business sectors. The Commissions will help guide the GEF in fulfilling its mission to promote the credibility, legitimacy, and prestige of esports, and in developing a safe, healthy, and sustainable esports ecosystem.

“The Global Esports Federation will continue to draw on a diverse range of experience and expertise from the world’s esports and sporting communities. I trust that the GEF Commissions and all appointed members will play an active role in advising the GEF Board and facilitating the dynamic work and development in convening the world’s esports community,” said Chris Chan, President, Global Esports Federation.

“These important Commissions drive the evolution of the organisation. We have assembled more than 120 Commission members representative of the community whom we serve, convene, and collaborate with. The Commissions are a driving force within the GEF and a central point of our organizational governance structures,” remarked T.A. Ganda Sithole, GEF Vice President & Chair, Governance, Ethics & Membership Commission.

The Global Esports Federation Commissions 2021:

1. Athletes, Players, Community (APC)

2. Brand, Marketing, Commercial, Communications (BMCC)

3. Digital, Technology, Innovation, Active Esports (DTIA)

4. Education, Culture, Youth (ECY)

5. Finance, Legal, Administration (FLA)

6. Governance, Ethics & Membership (GEM)

7. Health & Wellness (HWC)

8. Technical, Standards & Properties (TSP)

9. International Relations & Development (IRD)

10. Global Esports Games 2021 Coordination (CoCom)

11. International Federations Advisory Council (IFAC)

12. Publishers and Developers Advisory Council (PDAC)