Digiday Gaming Advertising Forum: The Growing Pains of Gaming

September 15 -16, 2021 || Virtual

As gaming continues to evolve and mature, there is still a lot to still sort out. As with any new media channel, there lacks consistent measurement, which has left a wide-open area for leading gaming developers to become their own sort of media company to navigate and establish their own points of success. There are legal and talent barriers in gaming and a whole host of other growing pains.

Join us at the Digiday Gaming Advertising Forum: The Growing Pains of Gaming to better understand the gray area that still exists when it comes to gaming. Be part of the conversation as we work through challenges, solutions and opportunities still to come in the world of esports and gaming. Walk away with a unique understanding and eagerness to tackle this maturing area of marketing. We’d be glad to have you in our first day of working group discussion followed by a full day of programming that will walk you through the sticking points — from creative ideation to execution. Don’t get left behind in this fast-moving sector.

Registration for this virtual event is free thanks to our partners.

Speakers

Ned ShermanDIGITAL MEDIA WIRECO-FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN
Christina WoottonROBLOXVP, BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
Eugene WuUTAEXECUTIVE, E-SPORTS & GAMING
Claudine LilienWWEHEAD OF GLOBAL SALES & PARTNERSHIPS
Xavier WoodsWWESUPERSTAR & CO-HOST OF UPUPDOWNDOWN
Gavin JohnsonCITY FOOTBALL GROUPMEDIA DIRECTOR
Dave MaddenPlayerWONPresident
Ryan AdamsKUBIENTSVP, PARTNERSHIPS

See all Speakers

Agenda

Aug 12

(Times are local: America/New York)

10:00 a.m.

Town Hall

Welcome to the Digiday Gaming Advertising Forum, we will be kicking off this event with a group working session to discuss how immersive and viable the channel is and what the future holds for brands and agencies.

Ned Sherman

CO-FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN

DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE

Seb Joseph

BRANDS EDITOR, UK

DIGIDAY

(Times are local: America/New York)

10:00 a.m.

Welcome and Key Trends

Seb Joseph

BRANDS EDITOR, UK

DIGIDAY

10:05 a.m.

City Football Group’s Venture into Gaming

In this session, media director at City Football Group, Gavin Johnson will walk us through the brand’s venture into the gaming industry, what the approach has looked like thus far, and how the brand’s strategy will continue to evolve going forward. He’ll also discuss what it takes to manage a successful e-sports team on a day-to-day basis.

Gavin Johnson

MEDIA DIRECTOR

CITY FOOTBALL GROUP

Moderator

Seb Joseph

10:30 a.m.

The Gaming Community: Trends & Opportunities for Digital Marketers

Online Gaming is a massive growth area of the entertainment industry. Even pre-pandemic, video games surpassed music, sports, and movies in terms of revenues. Lockdown mode propelled this trend and current forecasts show the gaming industry will double its current value to a whopping $295bn by 2026. Keeping up with the latest video gaming advertising trends is the best way to ensure your marketing efforts pay off. Video games take many forms: desktop, console, mobile, pay or free to play. They have one thing in common: without an efficient and attractive marketing strategy, the game will not generate the hype and sales it deserves.

Ryan Adams

SVP, PARTNERSHIPS

KUBIENT

10:45 a.m.

Working With Talent

In this session, we’ll explore what it’s like to work with talent in the gaming industry and how it closely mirrors the high-stakes fashion world. Similar to podcast and licensing deals, hear from a talent executive on expectations.

Eugene Wu

EXECUTIVE, E-SPORTS & GAMING

UTA

Moderator

Seb Joseph

11:15 a.m.

Your Cheat Code for Winning Over Gamers with In-Game Advertising

Discover the secret to winning over gamers through engaging in-game ad experiences that benefit the players, the developer, and you.

Dave Madden

President

PlayerWON

11:30 a.m.

Conquering E-Sports: The BMW Approach

In this session, head of e-sports at BMW, Pia Schoerner will take us through a case study about
how BMW has approached the gaming and e-sports sphere including the brand’s
#UnitdInRivalry initiative.

Pia Schoerner

HEAD OF MARKETING, BMW ESPORTS

BMW GROUP

11:50 a.m.

Bringing Brands into the Metaverse

The Metaverse is quickly moving from vision to reality, and the world’s top brands are realizing the power of connecting with millions of people through shared experiences in authentic and innovative ways that the Metaverse enables. On platforms like Roblox, brands can push the boundaries of their creativity, test products, grow their audiences and offer experiences and collectibles that might not be attainable in the physical world. Join us for a fireside chat with Roblox’s Christina Wootton, vp of brand partnerships, where she will talk about how brands can extend their presence into the Metaverse, evolve content to keep consumers engaged, and discuss new trends emerging in the space.

Christina Wootton

VP, BRAND PARTNERSHIPS

ROBLOX

Moderator

Seb Joseph

12:20 p.m.

WWE’s Dive Into Gaming

There’s so much hype around gaming today that it’s so easy to see why marketers are chomping at the bit to get involved. But doing so without the right strategy and partnerships can cause brands, and entertainment properties alike, to not resonate properly with the gaming community. WWE’s foray into gaming started a number of years ago, as the company has cultivated a crossover community of passionate gamers and wrestling fans through strategic partnerships and award-winning gaming content. Hear from WWE’s head of global sales & partnerships, Claudine Lilien on the opportunities that still exist for WWE in the space, as well as WWE Superstar Xavier Woods, co-host of WWE’s UpUpDownDown, to offer his perspective on the community at large as a creator and avid gamer.

Claudine Lilien

HEAD OF GLOBAL SALES & PARTNERSHIPS

WWE

Xavier Woods

SUPERSTAR & CO-HOST OF UPUPDOWNDOWN

WWE