Stack Fest announces its inaugural event, taking place at Here East in September 2021. The event will feature well-known esports and games brands, pro teams and athletes, higher education agents, along with the fan community, all coming together for a unique three- day epic esports gathering.
The launch of Stack Fest comes at a pivotal time of growth for esports in the UK. In March 2021, the UKIE UK Games Industry report valued the games and esports industry at £7bn, demonstrating the huge potential in this marketplace.
Linked to the recent release of the strategy to curate an esports cluster on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stack Fest will bring together the leading global players based in and around the esports destination and clearly demonstrate its potential to build a UK esports powerhouse in east London.
Stack Fest will encompass three streams across three days; day 1 (9th September) hosts Esports Ambition for industry, Talent Aspiration (10th September) led by Education Partner Staffordshire University London is for those who want to build a career from their passion for games and Player Action (11th September) on the final day is dedicated to fandom which will bring together pro- teams, players, fans and host the new Stack Fest Ulti Cup tournament.
Tickets are now released for the Esports Ambition day 1 where delegates will hear from the leading brands and names on trends, strategy and forecasts as the sector continues its growth trajectory, along with the challenges and opportunities that brings.
Following on from the extended pandemic restrictions Stack Fest will offer the industry an opportunity to meet in-person and grow in a digi-tech space that is Here East and SUL which are set to continue to play a significant role in the growth of UK esports.
Located on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Here East is home to over 4,500 academics and innovators, and is designed to foster collaboration, allowing tenants to collaborate, scale and grow at pace, with tenants including the likes of BT Sport, Sports Interactive, Ford Europe, UCL Bartlett School of Architecture, and FIIT. Plexal – its innovation and co-working space – is located at the heart of the campus and connects startups with academia, government, investors and corporate giants to support their growth and development of solutions to societal issues.
Gavin Poole, CEO, Here East added,
“The community that we’ve built at Here East has seen Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park become the UK’s fastest growing esports cluster. Stack Fest will see us bring live esports activation on site and work with our tenants, as well as a wide section of the esports community, to create a truly unique and exciting event.”
Stack Education Partner Staffordshire University London offers a popular BA Esports degree, which sees students developing their knowledge of esports culture, fan engagement, business operations and esports events, and also features a range of pioneering courses and aligned pathway subjects. The second day of the festival will see SUL lead on a packed day of inspiring education, research and careers content for those looking to breakthrough into the industry along with a number of brands and names students will want to hear from.
Matt Brindley-Sadler, Director of Staffordshire University London commented,
“Staffordshire University London is delighted to be working with Stack as the festival’s exclusive Education Partner. Our portfolio of courses offer students an extensive range of study options anchored to developing technologies in order to prepare graduates for exciting futures in some of the fastest growing industries in the world. From the first dedicated BA Esports degree in the UK to our industry recognised Computer Games Design and Concept Art for Games & Film programs, we provide a unique student experience for learners within a state of the art campus and Stack will be a fantastic platform to inspire that next generation of talent.”
Day 3 is dedicated to “Player Action” and created for both single and multi-players. This content is all about the players. Sessions include a live tournament with teams assembled on the day to compete in the SF21 Ulti Cup, meet and greets with pro-teams, brand competitions to game tutorials. Guests can try shout-casting or producing a live game, take in a cheat skills session and have an opportunity to talk to the game makers and broadcasters.
This experience is about fandom and getting close to the pros. Sessions will also explore ways for ticket holders to boost your social media profile or how to apply your passion for games to design your ultimate career. This event offers a range of entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.
Stack Fest produced and designed by live experience activation specialists, Holland Alexander. The team have been producing sport and game audience events since 2005 including major events at the US game destinations of GDC and E3 and on UK shores at Develop and Leamington Spa’s Interactive Futures.
Managing Director of Holland Alexander Louise Holland, said;
“The growth of the esports industry creates an appetite for a unique event like Stack Fest in the UK. Collaborating with Here East and SUL provides the perfect location and content mix to be exploring to the future of esports. The line up of presenters and sessions is truly global- class, along with inspiring “how-to” career pathway content pieces and creating must-win competitions for the fans will all generate the in-person event buzz we have all be waiting for. We are looking forward to releasing news on the content pieces in the coming weeks.”
Please visit www.stack-fest.com to buy, or to sign up for more information as further festival information on days 2 and 3 are announced. Tickets for the Esports Ambition industry event on 9th September are on sale now. Tickets for the Talent Aspiration on 10th September and Player Action on 11th September events priced at £10 for students will be released on 19th May.
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