On September 28, marketers, investors, and some of the most experienced esports experts in the world will convene in New York City for the HIVE esports business conference. Through our HIVE Insights series, The Esports Observer has interviewed many of the expert speakers and panelists that will be at HIVE and helped share their knowledge and experience.

Today, we’ve collected eight of our favorite quotes from those interviews in order to provide a preview of what you can expect to gain from attending the conference. Tickets for RSR Partners x HIVE New York are available now.

Jens Hilgers: founding partner, BITKRAFT



“I feel there is an increasing number of people who grew up with video games, and are now getting into influential and decision making positions in advertising agencies, FMCGs, and that makes a difference.”

Video games as a whole are still a relatively young industry, which means that some in positions of power were wholly unfamiliar with gaming and esports. However, the industry has now aged to the point where those who had a Nintendo console at home as children have grown up into marketing executives and venture capital partners. Those leaders now have greater capability to understand the esports industry and intrinsically see a value in it that their predecessors did not.

Jason Lake: founder and CEO, compLexity

“If I have a developer that’s sitting down at the table and asking my opinion and willing to do some revenue share in-game and help build their title together, I’m more liable to invest my assets and resources into that game than a game that just completely ignores the teams.”

As more games move toward long-term partnerships and franchising for their professional leagues, esports organizations must carefully weigh which games they are willing to invest in for long term returns. Veteran organizations like compLexity understand what to look for in a developer partner, and their movement can help outside investors make informed decisions about which games have potential for success in the foreseeable future.

Rafal Mrzyglocki: CEO, ARAM

“Imagine building a concert stage for billboard top stars with all that multimedia, lights and powerful audio system. Then put 10 people in the middle of it so they won’t be affected by the show so they can play their game. Sounds like a challenge? That’s what we do.”

Venues around the world are actively discussing how to add esports events to their calendar, but it is important for these companies to understand the unique challenges involved in presenting a competitive gaming production. Rafal and his team have been responsible for some of the biggest productions in esports today, and understand how to create a great live experience for event attendees and a strong broadcast for at-home viewers, all while protecting the competitive integrity of the tournament itself.

Adam Marsh: technology finance expert

“If you and I were to play a game of pick-up basketball, we would just need a court and a ball, right? Esports, it’s not so easy to do that. We might be able to pick up a controller, but it’s going to have to be wired into something.”

Even at the most amateur level, putting on an esports event requires a significant amount of forethought. While a community center could host a youth basketball league with just a ball, a few hoops, and a bracket, a League of Legends tournament cannot even get off the ground without a strong internet connection and 10 decent computers. However, demand for esports events at the amateur level continues to grow, so event organizers at every level must learn how to properly run gaming events.

Rohit Gupta: partner, Sterling.VC

“Growing the community is what makes our team successful. You can play and be number one, but if no one cheers you on it’s not the same thing. We think New York was a severely underserved market from engaging the gaming community as a whole. We find it extremely important to activate that community locally for a number of reasons that also drive into our revenue model.”

The Overwatch League took a risk in geolocating its teams, but Sterling.VC and the New York Excelsior have used it as an opportunity to grow a community, identifying a revenue stream that was previously blocked off from most esports organizations: local revenue. During the first season of the OWL, New York was among the strongest teams at fostering its local community and creating engagement opportunities for the New York fanbase.

Akshat Rathee: managing director and co-founder, NODWIN Gaming

“If Patrik Sättermon [co-owner of Fnatic] came to me and said ‘Akshat, I want to set up something in India,’ I’d say great idea, let me help you. If someone comes to me and says ‘I do warehousing, I have $500K, let’s do something.’ You don’t even know the ‘e’ of esports!”

The esports industry grew out of a grassroots tournament scene, and in many ways still reflects that complex, independent origin. While the industry has developed rapidly, it is still a complicated space that requires careful consideration before investing. When wading into esports, it is important to find partners who have experience in the industry and strategize carefully, rather than leading with your checkbook.

Allan Phang, Allstars engagement and internal branding, group people and culture, AirAsia

“You have sports tourism, and health tourism. Esports tourism is the next wave. If you don’t start now, you will miss out.”

In most esports today, international events are considered the pinnacle of competition. To watch the Super Bowl of Dota 2 next year, fans will need to travel to Shanghai, China. The League of Legends World Championship has traveled all around the world, from Los Angeles to China to South Korea. Over the next few years, thousands of esports fans will travel all over the world to support their favorite teams, creating new opportunities to monetize gaming tourism.

Viktor Wanli, CEO and founder, Kinguin, and owner of Team Kinguin

“We have to balance following trends and keeping up with the fans with making sustainable business decisions that help us thrive. For Team Kinguin, that means having a physical training space with a solid ecommerce and operational backing, so that we can fully support new esports trends that we feel contribute to the overall esports ecosystem.”

New games are released every day, many of which have esports aspirations. To stay relevant, esports organizations must constantly monitor which rising games have long-term esports potential, and which are simply a passing fad. It is up to the owners of those organizations to build a sustainable business model that can absorb the risk of investing in new games without sacrificing the market of established titles.

These esports experts and many more will be sharing their experience at the RSR Partners x HIVE esports business conference in New York on September 28. Click here to get your chance to learn from some the biggest success stories in the industry.

Full disclosure: BITKRAFT Esports Ventures is an investor in Esports Business Solutions UG, the company behind The Esports Observer brand and its verticals.