Esports BAR returns with physical edition in Cannes this October

This article is proudly brought to you by Esports BAR.

Esports BAR is returning to Cannes in October for its ninth edition, bringing together core areas of the esports community to discuss the future of the industry. This will also mark a return to physical events for the conference following a year of digitally hosted meetings in 2020. 

Just like with previous events, Esports BAR will feature speakers from throughout esports and gaming, including game publishers, developers, teams, leagues, and media. 

For its 2021 event, which will run from Oct. 13 to 15, Esports BAR will have an increased focus placed on community, humanity, and education within the esports space. 

“By hosting in-depth discussions around topics like ‘humanizing’ gaming and esports, we hope to encourage dialogue amongst those who work in and run the world of esports about the human community behind the screen and the sense of inclusion and identity that comes from being part of that community,” Esports BAR head of content Deboara Atala said. “Connecting with these areas will only help to engage the gen z audience further in esports as it becomes more a part of mainstream, on-screen entertainment.”

With this societal aim, Esports BAR will also feature discussions based on the challenging and unforeseen period of adaptation that the industry faced because of COVID-19 and how it will continue to evolve in the aftermath. But the event’s core pillars of monetization, innovation, audience, and investment will still play a key role. 

Here are just a few of the panels that will be hosted throughout Esports BAR Cannes 2021. 

• How are esports teams diversifying their assets to become lifestyle?
  • Guild Esports director of commercial partnerships Michelle Tierney 
• Viewership trends 2021 and what to expect for 2022
  • Esports Charts founder Ivan Danishevsky
• Humanizing gaming and esports
  • BBC filmmaker Alvaro Alvarez and Paradise London creative director Nick Jekyll
• Mobile Esports: Opportunities and Challenges
  • Global esports center director at Tencent Games Jin Ho James Yang

Along with the scheduled panels and keynote speeches, Esports BAR will still offer one-to-one, one-to-many, and mentoring sessions with many of the top professionals featured in the event’s lineup. 

Esports BAR 2021 is also working to provide its attendees with the safest possible exhibition and conference experience, which will be achieved by requiring a valid Sanitary Pass, or the French government’s method of easily allowing individuals to prove a vaccination against COVID-19, a negative test, or an immunity following infection. This will work in tandem with mandatory facemask usage and other guidelines. 

“We are so looking forward to hosting the esports community at our first face-to-face event in what feels like a long time,” Esports BAR director Arnaud Verlhac said. “We know that the industry has been missing the opportunity to get together in person to meet new contacts, share insights, and do great business, so we’re excited to be able to bring people together safely for a productive and fun event.” 

You can learn more about the event’s attendees, schedule, and safety guidelines by visiting the official Esports Bar website.