Esports Connected With Megan Van Petten

One more day at the Esports Next Conference; today, we have a legend of esports joining us, Christopher Turner. Chris is a Consultant at Generation Esports, Director of the Mavs Academy Gaming Camps from the Dallas Mavericks, and Coordinator of Mixed Reality Virtual Innovation Gaming and Esports Institute at Southern University Law Center.  In this episode, Chris talks about his work as a student’...

Welcome back! We are still at the Esports Next Conference, and today, our MVP, Megan Van Petten and Bubba Gaeddert, have a conversation about how the event is going so far.  Their conversation revolves around the networking opportunities of events like this and why it is essential to know that it is not a "one-and-done"; encounters and conversations should aim for long-lasting business relationshi...

The gaming and esports industry is still hard to get, not only for some advertising and marketing companies but also for many parents. The critical ingredient that is missing in the relationship between worried-by-the-future-of-their-kids parents and video games is a bit of education. That is the primary purpose of COPE, the Coalition of Parents in Esports. COPE was co-founded by Shae Williams and...

Megan Van Petten is giving us an inside look into some of the amazing people who attended 2021’s EsportsNext Conference in Chicago. In this episode, she’s talking to Charles Conroy of The Switch plus Erik Anderson of FaZe to talk about the best burger in Chicago.  Beyond that, they also talk about what’s on the horizon of the esports industry, and why having an opportunity to connect in real life...

Being authentic and bringing positive energy, and of course, his natural talent for marketing, helped our guest, Jeff Donnelley, build a flawless and outstanding career as an independent contractor working with online gaming companies.  After 15 years of experience in the gaming market, the moment he learned about esports, he knew it was the industry's next natural wave. Jeff hasn't stopped doing...

Esports Trade Association's Esports Next ( https://esportsta.org/esportsnext-2021-fall) is right around the corner, and one of the events everyone is most excited about is the Elevator Pitch Competition. This is your opportunity to get your business in front of a panel of advisors and investors with a chance at winning some funding. But how do you valuate an esports company? Well, that's exactly w...

Being a consultant in a constantly evolving space requires being prompt, sharp, and on top of the latest technologies. For Brandon Brunhammer, having clients that are forward-thinkers or clients that already are in the tech space works as a great incentive to be up to date and aware of the latest technologies available. His job is to do the research, come back with solutions, and evaluate what the...

Almost every college in America offering esports programs face the same challenges: thousands of dollars in equipment being damaged and stored, students developing toxic behaviors, streaming and broadcasting difficulties, and they struggle to attract good students. To change this, Jeffrey Weiss decided to use his 20 years of experience building TV platforms, production workflows and esports facili...

The 20% growth of the gaming industry during the pandemic turn it into a talent constraint market. Betting dollars, hours of content consumption, people buying the consoles, and the entertainment industry, in general, is heading into esports and gaming. Because of all that, companies turn into recruitment agencies and ask for help; they need to recruit double of what they initially thought they wo...

Would you be willing to leave a job at PwC to take a leap of faith in an industry you’re not even sure that’s going to make it? And if you said yes, would you also do it in the middle of a recession? This is what Kevin Fair, founder of I Play Games! did when he decided to begin his company, and Kevin shares his story with the team on Esports Connected. I Play Games! helps to organize tournaments a...

Mike Nichols is the Director of Elite Sports Minds 23, which is dedicated to helping those in the world of sports (esports and traditional) unlock their true potential, both in leadership and as athletes. In this episode of Esports Connected, Mike shares his seven pillars of helping to unlock what’s holding you back and find your true potential. Mike shares some of his experiences in helping other...

In 2021 we’re seeing the re-emergence of live events, and no one is more excited about this then today’s guest, Rebecca de Freitas. Rebecca produces Mega Events, and is the Director, Customer Engagement at Hargrove. In this episode of Esports Connected, Rebecca talks about her role putting on live events, and why all industries need to be watching and paying close attention to what esports is doin...

Although the world went (even more) virtual in the last couple of years, virtual events still struggle to match the audience engagement level of live events. However, Jacob Ramey knows several ways to keep audiences engaged and active in virtual and hybrid events. For him, events are about connection; virtual handshakes and hyper-realistic immersive experiences could be part of the solution. Jacob...

Sometimes, a great opportunity lies behind a text message, an email, or a tweet, but unless we send those, we will never know. Trevor Johnson might have been ignored many times or rejected by several others, but one thing is sure: every opportunity he got in the gaming industry started with a message from him to someone he didn't know. Trevor Johnson is a Student Ambassador at Leyline; he is also...

When Dexter Carr and his former business partner wanted to go to a place that would allow them to have a couple of drinks, eat, and play some games, he was shocked to find there wasn’t something available that fit his needs. And just like every truly great entrepreneur story, that’s how G-Haven Esports was born. G-Haven is an esports organization that was created to help bring all gamers, of all b...

Most entrepreneurs wear many hats (if not all) when they start their businesses and, as the company starts growing, they must begin to delegate some tasks. Dawn Hershik thinks that ideally when business owners reach that point, they should delegate what they are not good at or spend time on.  Dawn Hershik is the Managing Director at Supporting Strategies, a company that provides bookkeeping and co...

It’s not hard to find a place that will help your child excel in coding in any strip mall in suburbia. However, how in-depth do those coding schools actually go when it comes to helping students truly cultivate various skill sets in technology? Do they offer verticals like esports? If the answer is no, then you’ll need to check out the Techie Factory. Based out of Dallas, TX, they are focused on h...

Virtuality allows us to connect beyond physical restrictions, this particularly useful during pandemic times, but it also gives relative impunity to negative behaviors like cyberbullying, mean comments, and insults. In the gaming space, this is no different; unfortunately, toxicity is quite common. A shortcut to fix this problem is addressing it, talking about it, and, as Wes Byrd suggests, presen...

The gaming and esports industry is about connection, inclusion, and growth, but what happens when people interested in participate can't do it because they lack the resources to do it. That is why organizations like Varsity Esports Foundation exist; to ensure connectivity for low-income families and schools. In this episode of Esports Connected, Megan is joined by Bubba Gaeddert, Executive Directo...

The Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), also known as Destination Marketing Organizations, usually paid by a State Grant, is a free service for visitors coming to a city. CVBs job is to assist visitors whether they are on a leisure, conventions, or business travel.  Heather Larson is Director of Sales at Meet Chicago Northwest, one of the CVBs acting in that city. She is an accomplished hospital...

There is no doubt talent plays a significant role in any success story; however, talent only is not enough. The right mindset, proper guidance, and putting in the work are also necessary. Coming from a family of athletes and entrepreneurs, Caleb Smith is the perfect example of that. Caleb Smith is the founder and CEO of CVS Entertainment and a franchise owner of Contender eSports in Cary, NC. CVS...

There is a difference between professional organizations and gaming communities; professional teams focus only on professional players and neglect community building. However, it is possible to create a community, have a professional structure, and be competitive at the same time, and Team 7AM is the living proof of that. John Smith-Howell, Director of Team 7AM, created a professional esports team...

The power of the esports community is a real thing, and gone are the days where gaming made you more excluded from the world around you. In fact, kids who are into gaming and esports are actually learning many of the tools they’ll need in order to be connected to a world of the future. James O’Hagan, is passionate about bringing the world of esports and gaming to the school districts and finding w...

It may not be something we think about (or want to think about everyday), but insurance is part of our daily lives and getting the right one for your business and life can save you a lot of headaches when you actually need it. That's exactly what Chris Johnson, from the Johnsonese Brokerage LLC is here to discuss. In this episode of Esports Connected, Chris talks to Megan Van Patten about the impo...

When you think of video games, you may think of a child sitting by themselves playing inside. However, what many people often don’t realize is the tremendous community-building opportunities that are created because of gaming and esports. Brandon Tschacher is all about deepening that community through the MKEsports Alliance, a company he founded. Brandon is working on bringing more opportunities t...