Bucharest, May 30, 2024 – RBJ – At first glance, the sum of over $5.5 million earned by esports players in Romania over the years is a significant one. But compared to countries such as China ($295 million), the United States ($269 million) or Ukraine ($35 million), the amount is no longer a performance. How Romania can grow not only in the amounts earned in esports competitions, but also in terms of the whole ecosystem, this will be a topic discussed at Esport Summit 2024, on 6th of June at Pullman World Trade Center Bucharest, from 10 AM.
The event will bring together more than 20 speakers, from esports event organisers, gouvernment authorities, academics, esports club managers, to representatives of endemic and non-endemic brands investing in esports.
“Next week is the busiest week for gaming events in Romania. The whole ecosystem around video games is present, from casual gaming events or esports competitions to the annual event of the game development industry in our country and the Esports Summit where we aim, year after year, to set the time in Romanian esports. In this case we should be on the same wavelength as the UK, Germany, France or the United States. At the moment, however, we are even behind Russia. Not to mention the distance from China or Saudi Arabia. This is mainly due to the largely disinterested or short-sighted political environment. Romania’s luck in esports, as in other fields, is given by natural individual talent. Without any recognition from the state, there are Romanians who are performing in the world’s major competitions, lifting trophies, wearing the Romanian flag on the podiums”, said Tudor Dăescu, president of Esports Summit.
The 3-9th of June period brings for Romanian gamers the most events dedicated to them this year, whether we are talking about competitions or conferences dedicated to esports or video game creators: besides the Esports Summit, Dev.Play, the video game developers’ conference in Romania and Eastern Europe, Gaming Maraton, the biggest online festival where gamers meet their favorite streamers and Esports Kings, the biggest esports circuit organized in Romania.
At Esports Summit, the themes of the 4 panels will be:
Panel 1: State of Romanian Esports in 2024. Has the World Championship hosted by Romania propelled us into the high society of esports?
Romania’s game development industry places the country in the top 5 in Europe. We can say that Romania is the East European Hollywood of video games production. But in terms of the ecosystem around esports we are not in a good position. What should Romania do for its players to shine on the international scene?
Panel 2: Esports needs brands. But why do brands need esports?
It is clear that a competition cannot have continuity if it has no partners in the commercial area. That teams need sponsors in order to have conditions for training, or money to participate in tournaments. But a simple display of the logo on the shirt does not help brands. Or does it? Why and for what do brands invest money in esports and gaming?
Panel 3: The first Romanian video game is from the 70s. Can Romania be part of making history in the gaming industry?
Children now learn history, arts, mathematics with the help of video games. Even in schools and high schools. One of the top universities have bachelor and master degree programs in gaming. And Bucharest, a museum of video games. But these are all punctual initiatives. What can the local authorities do to be part of these changes and not just a passive witness?
Panel 4: “A Romanian won the Major!”. The road from headline-making to everyday normality.
Romania has been performing great in the world of esports, due to a few individuals.Romanian tournament and gaming events organizers could at any time perform in countries that have a tradition in esports competitions.Why is it then that we are so unsatisfied with the local esports status?
The conference panels will feature George Dumitrache (Microsoft Romania), Octav “ang” Crețu (Nexus Gaming), Mihai Cotos (Digital Crusade), Katerina Todorovski (BCR), Mara Mareș (Member of the Romanian Parliament), Roxana Baias (NEPI Rockcastle), Diana Buzoianu (Member of the Romanian Parliament), Andreea Medvedovici-Per (Executive Director of the Romanian Video Game Developers Association), Victor Stroe (Associate Director and Head of Strategy at Leo Burnett), Mihai Neda (founder of Infinite Gaming), Simona Panait (Marketing & Online Director Samsung Romania and Bulgaria), Mădălina Popa (Microsoft Romania), Alin Moldoveanu (Dean of the Faculty of Automatics and Computers at the Politehnica University of Bucharest), Liviu Marica (Marketing Director Asus Romania), Tudor Dăescu (Esports Summit), Adrian Ștefănoiu (co-founder Video Games Museum), Jaxi (content creator), Cătălin Butnariu (President of the Romanian Video Game Developers Association), Vlad Nagîț (101HP. ro), Alexandru Ion (Nexus Gaming) and Marius Radu (GG Industry).
