Next World Forum to hear sessions on the Olympics, economy, metaverse, politics, and the challenges for women in gaming leadership

The Next World Forum, a major global industry gathering created to shape the future of the rapidly evolving gaming and esports sector, will hear thoughts on the Olympics, economy, metaverse, politics, and the challenges for women in gaming leadership, among many fascinating topics.

Asking the tough questions of the gaming and esports industry, the Next World Forum, which is organized by the Saudi Esports Federation, will begin its second edition at the Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Center on August 30-31. High-profile guests from gaming, entertainment, technology, and government will lead discussions and deep analysis of an industry with a global worth of around $170 billion – more than Hollywood and the music industry combined.

Panel sessions include: From Pixels To Podiums: Examining The Relationship Between Esports And The Olympics; Breaking The Code: The Challenges For Women In Gaming Leadership; and Press The Pause Button: Analyzing Esports Players’ Mental And Physical Health.

His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, Chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, said: “The Next World Forum program for 2023 has been specifically designed to ask vital and challenging questions of the gaming and esports industry that spark thought and result in meaningful action.

“As the leaders of our industry and associated sectors gather in Riyadh for two days of illuminating discussion and bright ideas, we ask them to think of how best they can positively impact the future of gaming and esports. Doing so will help create and shape the most progressive and prosperous future for us all.”

Day one begins with a panel session entitled ‘The Big Fat Acquisition: The Legalities Of Companies Acquiring Game Studios’. The 45-minute session will hear thoughts on the implications of massive buyouts of game studios and media properties dominating the headlines, and hear about the legalities, decisions and the process of what happens in an acquisition. Speakers include: H.E. Dr. Abdulaziz AlZoom, General Authority For Competition, Saudi Arabia; Jens Hilgers, BITKRAFT Ventures, EX G2 Chairman; David Higley, Lazard; and Kun Gao, Crunchyroll.

The first day of discussion at the Next World Forum will also hear the thoughts of a session called ‘Gaming Is The Future Economy’, which will revolve around new industries and sectors entering the gaming sphere – be they start ups or multi-million dollar valued companies. Speakers include: Danni Tang, VSPO; Alberto Gonzalez Lorca, Bandai Namco; Wayne Borg, NEOM, and Steven Ma, Tencent.

Before lunch on the first day, the Next World Forum will also hear thoughts on ‘From Pixels To Podiums: Examining The Relationship Between Esports And The Olympics’. This session will focus on the first esports Olympic week which was held Singapore earlier this year – but can you really call it esports? Speakers include: Vincent Pereira; International Olympic Committee; Matthew Woods, AFK Esports; Hicham Chahine, Ninjas in Pyjamas; Abdulaziz Albaqous, Saudi Olympic Committee, and Timo Krueger, Nielsen.

A challenging afternoon topic on day one is ‘The Esports Slump: Is The Game Over?’. With the global esports industry seeing a slow down as content creation companies are forced to cut costs, the session will hear, is this a sign for the industry to get more creative? Speakers include: Michael Kent, Dexerto; Todd Harris, Skillshot; Clinton Sparks, Influencer and Independent Business Developer for Esports; and Flo Gutierrez, Razer.

Alongside these mainstage sessions on day one are program development panels, where attendees will be able to hear the following topics: ‘The Mena Games Report’, ‘All The Game’s A Stage: How To Stand Out In Making The Best Esports Show’, and ‘Rewarding Payments With Points’.

Day two at the Next World Forum begins with ‘Virtual Realities, Real World Consequences: The Impact of Politics in Gaming’. This session looks at how video game narratives can influence the beliefs of young minds, including their potential to shape values and ideologies as well as the risks of biased messaging and how to mitigate them. Speakers include: Chris Busse, Skydance Interactive; and Kate Edwards, Geogrify.

A vital session on day two is ‘Breaking The Code: The Challenges For Women In Gaming Leadership’, where key female figures in the gaming industry discuss tough decisions, fighting stereotypes, and facing challenges. Speakers include: Jessica Tams, Atari; Natasha Skult, MiTale / IGDA; Holly Liu, Kabam / PKO Investments; and Boyoung Kim, Griffin Gaming Partners.

The first mainstage session after lunch on day two is ‘The Next Level: A New Chapter for the Saudi Esports Federation’, which will hear the inspirational words of Turki Alfawzan, CEO of the Saudi Esports Federation.

Another fascinating discussion will involve ‘Press The Pause Button: Analyzing Esports Players’ Mental And Physical Health’, where specialists in esports medicine and therapy share why it is important for gamers to take a break. Speakers include: Gregory Menvielle, Okaya; Dr. Jordan Tsai, Secret Lab; Michael Breus, The Sleep Doctor; and Jan Paterson, NEOM.

The mainstage session ‘Better Digital Governance in the Metaverse and the Blockchain’, meanwhile, will ask the question: What happens when a country completely embraces the metaverse in building a better economy? Speakers include: Yat Siu, Animoca Brand; Sebastien Borget, The Sandbox; and Ahmed Mohammed Alsuwaiyan, Saudi DGA.

Program Development sessions on day two at the Next World Forum include: ‘Building The Blockchain: How Web3 Gaming Pays The Players’, and Spawn Point: The Venture Capitalist Meetup and Networking Session. The latter offers the opportunity for relevant attendees to pitch their gaming or esports start up in a networking session.

This year’s Next World Forum will also launch the Gamers8 Club Awards, a new and innovative rewards format that will revolutionize the world of esports. The Forum additionally brings the curtain down on eight-week long Gamers8: The Land of Heroes, the biggest gaming and esports festival worldwide, which began on July 6 at Boulevard Riyadh City featuring 15 elite tournaments from 12 top titles.