SVG Esports Production Summit

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ESPORTS PRODUCTION SUMMIT AGENDA 9:55 – 10:00 a.m. OPENING REMARKS

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. NETWORKING LUNCH PRESENTED BY

PRESENTED BY: Phil Englert, Ross Video, Business Development Manager, Esports

10:00 – 10:05 a.m. WELCOMING REMARKS PRESENTED BY: Simon Eicher and Joseph Lynch, SVG Esports Production Summit Co-Chairs

10:05 – 10:25 a.m. OPENING KEYNOTE 10:25 – 11:10 a.m. NETWORKING BREAK IN EXHIBIT HALL SPONSORED BY

11:10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY: Esports Broadcast

Leaders on the Latest Live-Production Tech and Workflows

Over the past year and a half, the esports-production industry has undergone a historic transformation as a result of the pandemic. Although esports organizations were largely ahead of the curve when it came to cloud- and remote-production technologies, the pandemic fast-tracked their technological roadmaps. Hear from top esports publishers, leagues, tournament organizers, and broadcasters on the latest trends in the industry, including data-driven storytelling, the future of AI, and the return to in-person events.

MODERATOR: Jason Dachman, SVG, Chief Editor & Esports Production Summit Program Director PANELISTS: Matt Arden, NBA 2K League, Head of Content and Media Matt Donovan, Riot Games, Broadcast Engineering and Technology Manager Andrew Lane, FACEIT, Director of Broadcast and Production Joseph Lynch, EA, Head of Broadcast Corey Smith, Activision Blizzard Esports, Director, Live Operations

12:00 – 12:15 p.m. ESPORTS PRODUCTION SPOTLIGHT:

Inside ESL Gaming’s Katowice Production Hub

ESL Gaming’s EMEA production hub in Katowice, Poland, is one of the largest and most sophisticated esports production facilities in the Europe. The company has built over 8,000 square meters of office and production facilities with five large TV studios outfitted with cutting-edge TV and I equipment. Hear how more than 150 highly trained TV, producers, engineers, editors, designers, project and event managers, and many others are using the facility to deliver some of the biggest and most innovative esports projects on the planet.

PRESENTED BY: Simon Eicher, , ESL Gaming, Senior Global Manager, Procurement & Executive Producer, Special Events

12:15 – 1:00 p.m. THE RETURN OF LAN EVENTS & LIVE VENUES:

A New Era for In-Person Esports Productions

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PRESENTED BY

As in-person esports events gradually return, the live-production industry is confronting a “new normal,” which blends the remote workflows deployed during the pandemic with traditional onsite production methods. Meanwhile, sports and entertainment venues are looking to play host to these events as they return to the market. Production pros from top esports organizations, venues, and technology vendors provide a look at how LAN esports events are being produced today and what production models could be like for future large-scale in-person events.

MODERATOR: Brandon Costa, SVG, Director of Digital PANELISTS: TJ Canty Jr., NBA 2K League, Director of Operations Andrew Lane, FACEIT, Director of Broadcast and Production Brian Mirakian, Populous, Senior Principal / Esports Director for the Americas Heather Rosenfeldt, ESL Gaming America, VP, Business Operations Ryan Thompson, Esports Engine, Co-Founder and Chief Production Officer

SPONSORED BY

2:00 – 2:45 p.m. OBSERVER WORKFLOWS: Behind the Scenes With

the In-Game Storytellers

No piece of the esports-production ecosystem is more integral to telling the story than the observer team. The virtual in-game camera operators, observers are responsible for constructing a coherent narrative out of the ballistic, expansive action taking place within the game. Hear some of the industry’s top observers explain their production workflows, storytelling techniques, and how their tools continue to evolve.

MODERATOR: Jason Baker, Do Not Peek Entertainment, Co-Founder and Managing Director PANELISTS: Royce Dickerson, EA, Executive Producer, Madden Competitive Gaming Content and Programming Phil Englert, Ross Video, Business Development Manager, Esports Heather “sapphiRe” Garozzo, CS:GO / VALORANT Observer and Dignitas, VP of Talent James Grieve, Battle Royale Observer Director

Xavier LaTorre, Blizzard Entertainment, Lead Observer, Call of Duty League

2:45 – 3:15 p.m. NETWORKING BREAK IN EXHIBIT HALL

SPONSORED BY 3:15 – 4:00 p.m. THE FUTURE OF CLOUD AND REMOTE

PRODUCTIONS: What Technologies Will Stick From the COVID Era? PRESENTED BY

During the pandemic, the esports industry shifted quickly to online events and developed groundbreaking virtualized-production workflows and cloud-based technologies that have revolutionized live esports broadcasts. Esports-production pros discuss how their philosophy differs for online vs. LAN (in-person) events, and top tech vendors offer an inside look at the latest cloud- and remote-production tools available today.

MODERATOR: Charles Conroy, The Switch, VP, Gaming PANELISTS: Michael Bergeron, Panasonic, Senior Category Owner, Production Systems and Advanced Technology Ryan Cole, Activision Blizzard Esports, Senior Technical Manager, Global Broadcast Robert Erickson, Grass Valley, Strategic Account Manager, Sports and Venues Brian Gramo, Super League Gaming, Head of Virtualis Studios Peter Wharton, TAG V.S., Director, Corporate Strategy

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. NETWORKING RECEPTION IN EXHIBIT HALL SPONSORED BY

SCAN FOR FULL PROGRAM

ESPORTS PRODUCTION SUMMIT COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS

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VISIT THE EXHIBITS!

SIMON EICHER, ESL Gaming, Senior Global Manager, Procurement and Executive Producer, Special Events

JOSEPH LYNCH, EA, Group Head of Content and Programming

MEMBERS MATT ARDEN, NBA 2K League, Head of Content and Media

JASON BAKER, Do Not Peek Entertainment, Co-Founder/Managing Director

MATT DONOVAN, Riot Games, Broadcast Engineering Manager

COREY DUNN, Envy Gaming, Executive Producer PETE EMMINGER, NEP Group, Global Chief Technology Officer

ANDREW LANE, FACEIT, Director of Broadcast MITCH ROSENTHAL, Twitch, Director, Esports Production Operations

COREY SMITH, Activision Blizzard Esports,

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ESPORTS PRODUCTION SUMMIT SPEAKER BIOS SVG ESPORTS PRODUCTION SUMMIT CO-CHAIRS SIMON EICHER, ESL Gaming, Senior Global Manager, Procurement and Executive Producer, Special Events

Eicher joined Turtle Entertainment, the company behind ESL, in 2005 and has played a key role in driving the worldwide growth of esports over the past 10 years. In his role, Eicher manages the broadcast of all ESL’s esports productions, including the pre-production, onsite execution, and post-production for tournaments across the globe. Since 2018, Eicher’s focus has shifted more towards publisher and federations projects creating the IEM PyeongChang show in South Korea ahead of the Olympic Winter Games 2018 to showcase the excitement and influence of esports.

JOSEPH LYNCH, EA, Head of Broadcast

Over the past 20 years, Lynch’s career has brought him from NBC to China, WWE, OWN, Time, GoPro, and, finally, EA. Lynch is currently responsible for all competitive gaming broadcasts and long-form content. Over the past two years, he has expanded EA’s live and feature content offerings, while expanding in-house production capabilities including the newly opened, EA Broadcast Center. Prior to joining EA, Lynch brought Access Hollywood to China, managed digital production for WWE, built the live division of Time, and was the executive producer of lifestyle and music at GoPro.

MATT ARDEN, NBA 2K League, Head of Content and Media

Arden spent 11 years at Turner Broadcasting working across multiple channels and platforms, most notably as a multiple Emmy Award-winning creative producer in Turner Sports’ (now Warner Media News & Sports) Creative Services Sports Unit. In 2011, he landed at Maggie Vision Productions, where he got the opportunity to work on a wide range of ESPN products, including the ESPYs. Arden then spent six years building and leading the “40 Foot Solutions” brand studio at Screenvision Media. Today, Arden leads the creative direction of all NBA 2K League content and broadcasts, overseeing the development and execution of the league’s content and broadcast strategies, creative, and distribution across all platforms.

JASON BAKER, Do Not Peek Entertainment, Co-Founder and Managing Director

Baker has been involved in esports since 2001. He innovated some of the first CS broadcasts in 2006. Baker also helped launch ELeague for Turner Sports and Overwatch League for Blizzard Entertainment. He is now the co-founder and managing director of Do Not Peek Entertainment.

MICHAEL BERGERON, Panasonic, Senior Category Owner, Production Systems and Advanced Technology

Bergeron is currently managing Panasonic’s live production system business, having served many roles at Panasonic including four years as camera product engineer and four years as chief technologist for workflow. He has managed co-development projects with other U.S.-based technology companies over the years and is currently focused on launching KAIROS — Panasonic’s IT/IP-based live production platform. Bergeron has been involved with the production equipment business since joining Abel Cine in 1991, from technician to engineering director.

RYAN COLE, Activision Blizzard Esports, Senior Technical Manager, Global Broadcast

Cole oversees the production technology, transmission, and logistics for Activision Blizzard Esports. As senior technical manager, global broadcast at Blizzard Entertainment, Cole primarily focuses on the technological advancements of the Overwatch League, Call of Duty League, and BlizzCon. Prior to joining Blizzard, he spent most of his career with Major League Gaming (MLG) and Electronic Sports League (ESL) managing numerous large-scale esports productions worldwide. During his tenure at MLG and ESL, Cole was responsible for multiple production studio and event environments for major esports clients including Riot Games, Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard, and Microsoft. In his current role, Cole is focused on scalable, cost-efficient cloud technology products that boost fan experience and engagement.

CHARLES CONROY, The Switch, VP, Gaming

Conroy leads The Switch’s global expansion into esports. A former gamer himself and an early pioneer of professional esports, he created and managed his own teams including JMC, which he sold to the Dallas Cowboys.

Conroy was also an equity partner and chief development officer of Complexity, one of the world’s premiere esports brands.

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ROYCE DICKERSON, EA, Executive Producer, Madden Competitive Gaming Content and Programming

In September 2020, Dickerson joined Electronic Arts where he currently oversees content and programming for Madden Competitive Gaming. In his short time at EA, he has helped the Madden Championship Series set viewership records on Twitch and YouTube, has won a Telly Award for his work on “Derwin James vs The World” and most recently, a Hashtag Sports Award for the Best Virtual Brand Experience for his work on The Pro Bowl: The Madden 21 NFL Edition.

MATT DONOVAN, Riot Games, Broadcast Engineering and Technology Manager

Donovan brings his 20 years of sports and network television broadcast experience to his role as the broadcast engineering and technology manager for Riot Games North America. Donovan leads a team of talented engineers that are responsible for the technical development and execution of Riot’s broadcast and production ecosystems. A significant component of Riot’s global esports network is the North American broadcast facility in Los Angeles where Donovan oversees the implementation of the latest on-prem, REMI, and cloud-based production workflows. Donovan’s passion for building scalable teams and technology continues to increase efficiency, quality, and reliability across Riot’s esports broadcasts.

PHIL ENGLERT, Ross Video, Business Development Manager, Esports

Englert has worked in the broadcast industry for eight years focusing the last five years on esports. Previously, Englert worked for Next Generation Esports (NGE), and then Esports Engine as the head of in-game production. He has focused on the in-game storytelling of esports and the use of the spectator tools within the games. His goal has always been to deliver the most game authentic, format relevant, and emotionally impactful story to the audience and community. Some of his credits include game directing the Fortnite World Cup, TwitchCon 2018-2019, PUBG PGI 2018, and Teamfight Tactics World Championship 2018-20.

ROBERT ERICKSON, Grass Valley, Strategic Account Manager, Sports and Venues

A member of the Grass Valley team since 2008, Erickson has more than 19 years of experience in the broadcast and IT markets with previous roles covering systems engineering, television station management, broadcast network design, and RF transmission systems. Throughout his career, his focus has been on designing and maintaining infrastructure and playout systems based on new and emerging technologies for both existing and greenfield broadcast facilities.

HEATHER “sapphiRe” GAROZZO, CS:GO / VALORANT Observer and Dignitas, VP of Talent

Garozzo is a veteran of the esports industry, and is considered one of the most successful FPS observers (or in-game directors) for CS:GO and VALORANT, among other FPS titles. She has been billed on the broadcast line-up for some of the game’s most prestigious events, including the CS:GO Majors at ESL One Cologne, MLG Columbus, PGL Krakow, and ELEAGUE Boston, alongside an Emmy-award winning production crew. As the VP of talent at Dignitas, Garozzo is responsible for creating and executing marketing, media, and content engagement strategies, in addition to player recruitment for the organization’s pro players and content creators.

BRIAN GRAMO, Super League Gaming, Head of Virtualis Studios

Gramo is a producer and director with over 15 years of experience, best known for his expertise in live streaming production. In 2007, he founded theStream.tv, a network of live streaming shows. Previously, Gramo served in a multitude of roles including showrunner, technical director, director of photography, unit production manager, 1st assistant director, editor, and post production supervisor. He served as producer and director of syndication for SpinMedia Group, producing live multi-camera video content for their wide range of entertainment and music properties. In addition, Gramo has produced major events for celebrities and large-scale brands.

JAMES GRIEVE, Battle Royale Observer Director

Grieve is a freelance observer and observer director who has spent the better part of the last four years working on the story telling for Battle Royal Esports. Formerly a competitive player on Wargamings World of Tanks, Grieve spent several years as a caster and analyst covering World of Tanks Esports.

In his time as an observer director, Grieve has worked with a wide variety of esports production studios and game publishers including ESL, NGE, OGN, EA, and Krafton to provide the in-game coverage for PUBG, Fortnite, and Apex Legends.

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HEATHER ROSENFELDT, ESL Gaming America, VP, Business

ANDREW LANE, FACEIT, Director of Broadcast and Production

Lane’s key responsibilities include the delivery of the company’s live broadcasts and events; the design strategies for broadcast development and innovation; the global production strategic sourcing; creating new key broadcast partnerships; and management of the company’s international media logistics and operations. Before starting at FACEIT, Lane worked freelance in the esports industry as a technical director and assisted with the delivery of key productions for clients such as 343 Industries, Jagex, Super Evil Megacorp, and Konami, as well as working with a number of industry-leading tournament organizers. Since joining FACEIT, Lane has led the delivery of major events such as Rainbow 6 Mexico Major 2021, Rainbow 6 North American League 2020-2021, Flashpoint, The FACEIT London Major 2018, and PUBG Global Summit.

XAVIER LATORRE, Blizzard Entertainment, Lead Observer, Call of Duty League

LaTorre began his Activision Blizzard career with the Overwatch League,

and joined the OWL observing team mid-way through the inaugural season, focusing on the “free camera” look seen throughout each match. He stayed as a member of the team through the end of the 2019 season before transitioning to help launch the Call of Duty League. In addition to directing the ingame action seen on CDL broadcasts, LaTorre also helps theorize new observing workflows and works alongside multiple teams within Activision Blizzard on the continued improvement of CodCaster, Call of Duty’s in-game observing tool.

BRIAN MIRAKIAN, Populous, Senior Principal / Esports Director for the Americas

Mirakian leads the firm’s esports project initiatives globally. With a focus on innovation, next-gen consumerism, and connective strategy, he masterfully creates opportunities for his clients by reimagining their brands and linking fans to immersive experiences. Mirakian is currently leading the effort for Fusion Arena, the first purpose-built esports arena venue in the Western Hemisphere, as well as Comcast’s G4 Studios and Nerd Street Gamer’s Localhost national roll-out. He was also the project director for the largest esports venue in North America, Esports Stadium Arlington.

Operations

Rosenfeldt leads the business operations, production, and logistics of the region. ESL, a part of the international digital entertainment group MTG, is the world’s largest independent esports company. Prior to ESL, she served as VP, of Operations at Violet Grey, where she oversaw the business initiatives and the development of the company’s fulfillment and e-commerce systems and retail operations.

COREY SMITH, Activision Blizzard Esports, Director, Live Operations

Smith has been transforming digital television and broadcast systems since 2011. He held a director position at Sinclair, broadcasting and managing the digital side of the news publishing operations across the United States. Three years ago, he left Sinclair to join and build the broadcast technology group at Blizzard Entertainment. In Smith’s current role he leads a team building the next generation of cloud encoding and distribution systems for Activision Blizzard Esports with a primary focus on the broadcasting of Overwatch and Call of Duty Leagues globally.

RYAN THOMPSON, Esports Engine, Co-Founder and Chief Production Officer

Thompson is the co-founder and chief production officer of Esports Engine, a Vindex company. In his role, Thompson oversees the design, production, and execution of the industry’s most iconic events and leagues across Esports Engine’s portfolio of partners. A 15-year veteran of the industry, Thompson is responsible for bringing hundreds of live esports tournaments and broadcasts to life across a multitude of game titles.

PETER WHARTON, TAG V.S., Director, Corporate Strategy

Wharton’s experience includes 20 years of news and live event coverage and engineering at ABC and Fox Networks. He also worked towards the launch of a satellite based CDN at PanAmSat, has 16 years of product development at Miranda (Grass Valley) and BroadStream Solutions, and has developed cloud migration strategy for several broadcasters, networks, and technology vendors.

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Join the SVG Community in New York…

SUMMIT The true value of every SVG Summit is who is there — and this year, that’s truer than ever.

SVG is back in New York on December 13-14, 2021, with our first in-person Summit in two years. Be part of this historic occasion.

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ESPORTS DELIVERED When millions of viewers are following the action, you need a technology provider that knows the game. Grass Valley’s on-prem and cloud-based solutions are deployed worldwide, covering the biggest esports events in the most demanding live production environments. Whether you’re producing locally or across the world, you focus on the gameplay, GV has the action covered.

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