Tuesday 19th October

On the Tuesday before BEYOND kicks off there are a number of fantastic events to orientate you in Belfast and inform you about the city’s rich history, including the ‘Hidden Heritage of James Connolly’ tour as well as a guided tour of Belfast’s street art. In the afternoon you can preview the world premiere of Department Story by Big Telly Theatre Company, before attending the BEYOND Speakers and Delegates Dinner, where there will be a chance to mingle with the other BEYOND delegates and speakers.

Friday 22nd October

On Friday the 22nd there are yet more exciting activities on offer to those attending the conference in person. Themed around HBO’s incredible Game of Thrones, which was filmed across 25 different locations in Northern Ireland, there are two exclusive tours showcasing these locations and giving an insight into the making of the series. BEYOND delegates can choose between the VIP ‘Hang out with Hodor’ tour which showcases the mythical lands of Westeros and Essos with Flip Robinson, body double for “Hodor” and “The Mountain”, and the Winterfell Tour in which you visit the castle and Demesne, taking in the beautiful surrounding landscapes and far-reaching views across the lough along the way.

All of these amazing opportunities have been made possible by Future Screens NI who are supporting this years’ conference alongside UKRI.

See you in Belfast!

Talented teams across the Creative Industries have been pivoting to digital, adapting their plays, games and festivals to work when delivered to us at home, within the confines of our four walls. Last month we saw Kylie Minogue present a livestream virtual gig that promised to take viewers from ‘solitary isolation to a ‘euphoric dancefloor of togetherness’. A bold and energising promise for these unusual times. But if you’re not the most enthusiastic dancer in the real world – how does that play out in the confines of your own kitchen? Some suggest it adds a whole new level of engagement; for others, there’s nothing like the real thing.

Audience Research Poll at BEYOND 2020

At this month’s BEYOND conference, the Audience Research: Landscape of a Pandemic session explored how lockdown has impacted audience engagement across the Creative Industries. It considered how audiences are motivated to uncover new experiences, with a presentation of key research insights. This included the work of Professor Jonny Freeman, Professor of Psychology (and Academic Lead for Knowledge Exchange) at Goldsmiths, University of London and MD of i2 Media Research Research, in partnership with Nesta.

This encompassed a new audience segmentation based on a large-scale nationally representative survey, completed by i2 media research as part of the Innovate UK and UKRI funded Audience of the Future programme.

Freeman quizzed the BEYOND audience on some of the questions included in the segmentation:

“The audience polls we ran at BEYOND conference told us that that audiences feel uncertain, and are really missing feeling part of an audience collective. This reflects really well some of the key insights i2 media research and Nesta obtained in our Audiences In Lockdown research: that audiences felt pretty negative during lockdown, and are really wanting to feel part of an audience at live performances as soon as possible.”

Jonny continues, “The poll also revealed that the most likely lasting impact of how we have navigated the pandemic is greater use of digital distribution for live performance. Again, this speaks to our Audiences in Lockdown research (and multiple trials and other research reports by others) that new and existing audiences are open to theatre and performance coming to them – even when we’re allowed back in venues. The carnage of the pandemic has caused immense pain and difficulty, but it has also created opportunities for the sector.”

Meet The Audience Insights

Based on the research, i2 Media Research’s recommendations for meeting the needs of audiences whilst generating revenue for cultural organisations include:

1. Develop a skills pipeline to support innovative production.
   
2. Invest in virtual production methods to support remote working and more efficient workflows.
   
3. Develop the skills and know-how to distribute a range of digital content options to audiences via innovative and widely adopted technology platforms.
   
4. Develop and test new business models e.g., testing audiences’ willingness to pay for a range of digital content types.
   
5. Post CV-19, synchronous distribution of live, in-venue and digitally with diverse audiences and increase reach and access to UK cultural content globally.

Download the Research Findings

Download a summary of the research findings and the full deck from i2 Media Research, presented at BEYOND 2020.

Download now

Watch the Audience Research session at BEYOND 2020

Professor Jonny Freeman was joined by Leah Kurta from i2 Media Research and Fran Sanderson from Nesta on the main stage at BEYOND on Monday 30 November for the Audience Research: Landscape of a Pandemic session which BEYOND members can view below (paid access to non-members coming soon).

AUDIENCE RESEARCH: LANDSCAPE OF A PANDEMIC

How has lockdown impacted audience engagement across the Creative Industries, with key research insights from a spread of expert sector representatives.

Watch now.

This year’s BEYOND conference, from 30 November to 03 December 2020, featured 175 speakers across 4 days, with over 80 sessions exploring how the Creative Industries can collectively build back better, but different – sessions from each day of the programme are available to view on-demand.

The first day of BEYOND 2020 certainly did not disappoint, with over 700 delegates from across 20 countries, day one on 30th November of this four day conference proved to inspire, educate and challenge in sessions that addressed how we can collectively build back better, a focus that many of us – both personally and professionally – have had to consider this year following the impact of Covid-19.

Based around the theme of Divergence, the first day of BEYOND looked at innovations in the way the world of Esports is responding to the pandemic, unveiled research on how audiences are communicated with, what happens when theatre and immersive collide, a deep-dive into The Tempest with Tender Claws & Royal Shakespeare Company, and how virtual production has and will continue to transform how we experience – and create content in – the arts, along with many more innovative and thought-provoking perspectives.

With over 175 speakers, including renowned names and new voices working across highly regarded and innovative new projects, it was impossible for day one to disappoint. MC’d by Joanna Abeyie MBE (Blue Moon), we heard from James Dean (ESL UK), Samantha Gorman (Tender Claws), Sarah Ellis (Royal Shakespeare Company), Matthew Shaw (ScanLAB Projects) as well as creative experts from ReKTGlobal, Hotdrop, i2 Media Research, Newzoo, Nesta, Nexus Studios and many more.

Delegates also had the chance to Meet the Researchers and Makers in sessions with the talent behind the R&D projects featured in the Immersive Futures Lab and ECR Poster Exhibition.

DAY ONE @ BEYOND: ON-DEMAND

In case you missed any of the amazing sessions, delegates can catch up on all the action via the on-demand videos, including:

WELCOME TO BEYOND WITH PROF ANDREW CHITTY

A warm welcome to BEYOND 2020 from Professor Andrew Chitty, Challenge Director for Audience of the Future and Creative Industries Clusters Programmes.

Watch now.

ESPORTS: RESPONDING TO THE PANDEMIC

Exploring the evolving relationships between organisers, players, audiences and advertisers, to gauge the response required for the sector to survive and thrive, with gaming experts Anna Baumann, ReKTGlobal, Heather Dower, Hotdrop and James Dean, ESL UK. Watch now.

CREATIVE DIVERGENCE: TOUR OF THE FRONTIERS

Panel session with Jung-In Jung and Lynda Clark from InGame offering a tour of the best of this work, from the worlds of gaming, theatre, VR, music, film, TV and visitor experiences, from the UK and beyond.

Watch now.

AUDIENCE RESEARCH: LANDSCAPE OF A PANDEMIC

How has lockdown impacted audience engagement across the Creative Industries, with key research insights from a spread of expert sector representatives.

Watch now.

To watch all of the videos from day one at BEYOND, keep an eye on https://beyondconference.org/ondemand/

There’s still time to grab a ticket, to access the BEYOND on-demand videos and catch the rest of the live conference, running from 30 November – 3 December 2020. You can also follow all the action via #BEYONDconf on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.

In addition, the Poster Exhibition at BEYOND includes research from Doctoral Candidates and Early Career Researchers working in the areas of research addressing the BEYOND 2020 conference themes.

Not only do BEYOND delegates get exclusive access to the showcases and exhibition, but a series of sessions throughout the BEYOND schedule offers attendees the chance to meet the makers and researchers behind the cutting-edge creativity and research to feature at BEYOND.

MEET THE MAKERS

‘Meet the Makers’ behind the Immersive Futures Lab showcase projects in the sessions below at BEYOND (ticket holders only):

DAY TWO: 01 DEC @ 13:15 – 14:15
DAY THREE: 02 DEC @ 11:00 – 12:00
DAY FOUR: 03 DEC @ 12:10 – 13:10

Delegates can also hear more about some of the projects on the BEYOND main stages, including:

Creative China main stage:
WED 2 DEC @ 11:45
Shaun The Sheep in Shanghai – Aardman

BEYOND main stage:
THURS 3 DEC @ 15:30
World in a Cell: An Artscience Collaboration – USC World Building Media Lab

Visit the Immersive Futures Lab for a list of all the projects to feature in this a digital showcase, projects drawn from the cutting-edge R&D work developed through the award-holders and networks supported by the Audience of the Future and Creative Industries Clusters Programmes.

Visit the BEYOND Creative China Showcase for a full list of the eight projects to feature. The projects are from Creative Partnerships that have been established through the UK-China Creative Partnerships Programme, an international programme which has developed research-industry partnerships between the UK and China in the creative industries (funded through the UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) Fund for International Collaboration (FIC) and delivered by a partnership of AHRC, EPSRC and Innovate UK. 

POSTER EXHIBITION – MEET THE RESEARCHERS

Doctoral Candidates and Early Career Researchers working in the areas of research addressing the BEYOND 2020 conference themes, feature their work in the Poster Exhibition. Areas of focus include film, television, theatre, visitor attractions, gaming and much more.

‘Meet the Researchers’ behind the their cutting-edge research in the sessions below (BEYOND ticket holders only):

DAY ONE: 30 NOV @ 12:40 – 13:40
DAY TWO: 01 DEC @ 11:55 – 12:55
DAY THREE: 02 DEC @ 11:00 – 12:00
DAY FOUR: 03 DEC @ 15:20 – 16:20

For a glimpse of the showcase projects at BEYOND, watch the showreel below. Buy. Grab your BEYOND ticket here to experience all the showcase projects, meet the makers and meet the researchers unveiling their cutting-edge research.

For 2020, BEYOND is transformed from a live event, previously in London and Edinburgh, into a fully virtual programme from the 30th November – 3rd December. Under headline themes of Divergence, Convergence, Emergence and Collaboration, the BEYOND community will explore the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Creative Industries and how the sector has responded.

On day three of the conference, as part of the Emergence theme, the Deep Dive: FRAMERATE session, presented by Matthew Shaw, co-founder of ScanLAB Projects and Andrew Chitty, Challenge Director for the Audience of the Future and Creative Industries Clusters Challenge (UK Research and Innovation), will take an in-depth look at some of ScanLAB’s recent mind-blowing projects. Created from thousands of daily 3D scans and hundreds of billions of precisely measured points, the work observes change on a spatial and temporal scale impossible to see with the human eye or the lens of traditional cameras.

Leading production solutions specialist White Light, will be hosting the ScanLAB session via their SmartStage xR Studio located at the Science Museum in London. With 50 years of expertise in the provision of full-service technical production to the diverse entertainment sector, White Light has been at the forefront of integrating technologies and driving innovation.

SmartStage is a multi-award-winning solution which has earned White Light global recognition as the leaders in deploying xR and virtual production studios to clients in a broad range of markets. Its first conception, ‘The Cube’, was seen back in 2018 when this immersive, mixed-reality studio was utilised by Discovery Eurosport for international coverage of the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games. Informed with the learnings from ‘The Cube’, SmartStage was pioneered and later that year launched as the world’s first xR immersive production solution.

Within the education sector, it has since helped revolutionise remote learning and collaboration for leading academic institutions around the world; including the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the University of Portsmouth, which is investing in SmartStage for its training platform of the future – the Centre of Creative and Immersive eXtended Reality (CCIXR), opening in October 2021. Despite the challenges of 2020, the technology has enabled many markets including corporate, worship and live music, to safely deliver game-changing events to their audiences, within an immersive virtual world.

Today, SmartStage has evolved into the most advanced xR environment in the world. Utilising the resource of a dedicated in-house Innovations team, White Light has conducted three years of intense R+D to streamline and enhance this ground-breaking technology. As an immersive tool, it is extremely user friendly and enables creatives to ‘get inside’ and experience their content from the inside out, while making modifications in real time. This has re-defined the project development process and made it possible for different markets to harness the power of xR to present their content in exciting and previously unimaginable new ways. It also provides a way of reimagining presentations, with the focus on the content rather than the camera, in turn making presentations naturally more engaging. The digital environment surrounding a presenter can be manipulated and remote participants can also be brought in to cohabit the space and interact authentically, with natural eyelines.

SmartStage is infinitely flexible, offering a compact solution, scalable to a location of any nature or size – the Studio at the Science Museum occupies just 5m x 5m. It also allows for seamless integration with a broad range of technologies, enabling content from popular rendering engines, including Unreal, Unity and Notch; to be brought into the environment, simultaneously if required. These capabilities yield opportunities for enhanced education and engagement across multiple audiences. Furthermore, it brings new concepts and environments to life through the creation of immersive walkthroughs, inviting architects, designers and stakeholders to get inside their projects for invaluable perspective and insight.

On seeing the FRAMERATE content on the SmartStage for the first time, Matthew Shaw comments: “The FRAMERATE project is all about giving people a privileged visual perspective on subjects that are otherwise impossible to view via traditional media channels. SmartStage is the perfect platform for presenting this work at the Beyond Conference, as it has enabled the content to come to life in ways we could not have imagined. It has been a pleasure to work with the team at White Light, who are super professional and helpful in every respect.”

On 3rd December at 1.15pm, White Light will be delivering a session exclusively for BEYOND delegates. The Inside SmartStage session takes attendees on a journey within one of the world’s most advanced xR environments. To join White Light’s expert team for the session, book your BEYOND ticket here.

Highlighted below, a number of sessions throughout the BEYOND programme that directly address these issues, as well as showcase the best of what the industry has to offer in terms of the use of digital technologies to tackle some of the world’s toughest challenges.

2 Dec, 11am: Creative Emergence: Tech for Good

Featuring on the main stage (2nd Dec, 11am), Deepa Mann-Kler from Future Screens NI, part of the Creative Industries Clusters Programme, curates the Tech For Good session with a showcase of the best of UK creativity and research projects, unveiling projects that are utilising new and existing technologies to increase access and inclusion.

Commenting on the importance of diversity and inclusion in the creative industries ahead of her session at BEYOND, Deepa says: “For me tech for good is a mobilising framework for articulating the values, behaviours and attitudes that describe a focus on social impact, that is, putting people first.”

She goes on to add, “The outcomes of tech for good are more important than the mechanisms. They include the impact on the environment, communities, health, education, mobility and
transport. Everyone that works in this space is establishing a clear sense of identity and purpose. And that has to be a good thing.”

Deepa’s session sets out to illustrate how powerful tech for good can be as an enabler of increased diversity and inclusion and also demonstrates how it can provide mechanisms for people to access technologies in an open, efficient and sustainable way.

This session explores how AR is being used to improve the lives of people living with autism; the use of VR and music with people who have learning and/or physical disabilities; plug-ins supporting people with dyslexia; social action initiatives that leverage an innovative mix of digital technology and people power to reduce pressure on public services and address the challenges of an ageing population, loneliness and inequality across the UK.

3 Dec, 3.20pm: Towards an Inclusive News Sector

Focusing in on the news sector, a panel discussion (3 Dec, 3.20pm) around the decolonisation of news looks at the need to recognise audience trauma and how we can make news more neuro-inclusive. Hear from panelists including Grace Quantock, (Psychotherapeutic Counsellor, Writer and Researcher), Linus Harrison (R&D Project Lead, Entrepreneur, Support Worker) and Shirish Kulkarni (Bureau of Investigative Journalism) as they debate and discuss these topic areas and challenge the status quo, including audience Q&A.

2 Dec, 10.10am: Creating Shared Experiences for Multicultural Audiences

On the Creative China stage, as part of a programme exploring innovation in the Chinese Creative Industries, the Creating Shared Experiences for Multicultural Audiences session (2nd Dec, 10.10am) looks at how creating shared new innovative immersive cultural experiences that enhance audience engagement require understanding the complex needs of a multicultural audience – what do we share, how do we differ, what do researchers and businesses need to know in order to create successful co-productions? Join John Cassy (Factory 42), Haili Ma (University of Leeds), William Latham (The Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL / SoftV Ltd and London Geometry Ltd) and Zhenyuan Liu (College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University).

Showcase: Interactive Theatre 3D Video

BEYOND delegates get exclusive access to the Immersive Futures Lab, a showcase featuring many innovative and ground-breaking projects using a mix of the latest creative technologies, including this project from creative technology company Charisma.ai: a interactive theatre 3D video production that integrates the digital platform Zoom with AI technologies to create an online storytelling family experience.

Structured as an interactive theme park, it gives families agency and choice to create their own story based on the much-loved Lewis Carroll tale. Alice, A Virtual Theme Park was born out of a collaboration from interactive and immersive storytelling company Charisma.ai, together with Creation Theatre and Big Telly Theatre Company. As well as experiencing the production in the showcase, delegates can Meet the Makers behind this experience at BEYOND on 2nd Dec at 11am.

3 Dec, 6pm: Creative Informatics: CI Lab – Games Go Guerrilla

As part of the BEYOND programme, this CI Labs: Games Go Guerilla event (3 Dec, 6pm) from Creative Informatics explores the world of indie gaming with designers and artists that are developing innovative and inclusive new games concepts. Hear from some fantastic independent developers, designers and composers, creating new gaming experiences that include exploring a fictional Islamic country under an occupying force, an LGBTQ+ dating game – for the undead, and a therapeutic game for children with Cystic Fibrosis.

Discover how a growing number of independent developers, creators and practitioners, are taking games in entirely different directions behind the well-known major studios, using data in innovative new ways and creating unique experiences.

Join Jamie Bankhead, CEO of Konglomerate Games, an award-winning video games company, to hear about their games project designed to assist with the physiotherapy care of children with Cystic Fibrosis. Together with artist, musician and video games developer Jack King-Spooner (maker of alternative games – check out https://jackspinoza.itch.io/) and Luci Holland, a composer and sound artist who composes and produces music and audiovisual art for film, games and concert. Tickets can be booked for this free event, as part of the BEYOND programme, via Eventbrite.

This event explores the world of indie gaming with designers and artists that are developing innovative and inclusive new games concepts! The UK video games sector has far more to offer than Grand Theft Auto and Minecraft. Join this session from Creative Informatics, to hear from some fantastic independent developers, designers and composers, creating new gaming experiences that include exploring a fictional Islamic country under an occupying force, an LGBTQ+ dating game – for the undead, and a therapeutic game for children with Cystic Fibrosis.

Behind the well-known major studios, a growing number of independent developers, creators and practitioners, are taking games in entirely different directions, using data in innovative new ways and creating unique experiences. Whether you are a die-hard gamer, or have never picked up a joypad, join this Creative Informatics’ event to find out more about the opportunities being created across the creative industries, looking towards a more interactive future.

Speakers include

Jamie Bankhead, CEO of Konglomerate Games, an award-winning video games company that specialises in developing healthcare and other serious video game projects. Konglomerate’s current project is a game designed to assist with the physiotherapy care of children with Cystic Fibrosis.

Jack King-Spooner is an artist, musician and video games developer based in the Scottish Borders, who makes alternative video games inspired by his life and whatever is on his mind. His games can be found at https://jackspinoza.itch.io/.

Luci Holland is a composer and sound artist who composes and produces music and audiovisual art for film, games and concert. Luci will be joining us to share two of her latest interactive pieces EmojiNote and Pumpkin Player.

Register to attend this event directly on Eventbrite CI Labs #14: Games Go Guerilla (Thu, 3 December 2020, 18:00 – 20:00 GMT)

About Creative Informatics CI Labs

CI Labs are part of Creative Informatics, a partnership across the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University, Codebase and Creative Edinburgh, enabling individuals and organisations to explore how data-driven technologies can enhance their work. To find out more about the Creative Informatics programme visit https://creativeinformatics.org/.

Funded by the Creative Industries Clusters Programme managed by the Arts & Humanities Research Council as part of the Industrial Strategy, with additional support from the Scottish Funding Council. The programme is part of the City Region Deal Data Driven Innovation initiative.

Directed by Netia Jones, designed by Joanna Scotcher, and composed by Samantha Fernando, Current, Rising is inspired by the liberation of Ariel at the end of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. It places audiences at the centre of an immersive, dream-like virtual world, taking them on a journey through imaginary landscapes of the night, from twilight to dawn. Current, Rising is a fully immersive 360 experience exploring ideas of isolation, connection, and how we can collectively reimagine our futures. It allows audience members to step inside a production and have a “multi-sensory” experience involving sight, sound and touch, as well as “4D effects” such as wind.

In this ‘Deep Dive‘, on Day 2 of the BEYOND Conference 2020 schedule, two of the principal creators behind the experience, Annette Mees and Simon Reveley, discuss the origins and realisation of the project. Joining them will be Challenge Director for the Audience of the Future and Creative Industries Clusters Professor Andrew Chitty, discussing how the project links to the conference’s Day 2 theme of Convergence.

Current, Rising has been produced as part of the Royal Opera House’s innovation programme, Audience Labs, and will take place in the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre from 28 November 2020.

Introducing: Annette Mees

Annette Mees is an award-winning artist and immersive theatre director. She advises on the future of culture, artistic innovation, creative R&D and models of art that allow dialogue with audiences.

Annette is currently the Head of The Audience Labs at the Royal Opera House – dedicated to exploring the artistic possibilities of immersive technologies. It partners leading artists with cutting-edge creative immersive technology and inter-disciplinary creative teams to create world-class work that innovates and pushes boundaries.

Introducing: Prof Andrew Chitty

Professor Andrew Chitty is Challenge Director for the two Creative Industries programmes at the heart of the Creative Industries Sector Deal. This £120m investment is supported by the Government’s Industrial Strategy and delivered by UK Research and Innovation.

The £50m Audience of the Future Challenge will deliver a step change in the ability of the UK creative sector to adopt immersive technologies through business led innovation, whilst the £85m Creative Industries Clusters Programme supports nine University/Business R&D partnerships across the UK.

Introducing: Simon Reveley

Simon Reveley is the founder of Figment Productions, a digital media production company, delivering projects for numerous high-profile clients, including ROH. In recent years Figment has followed a new course, specialising in immersive production work, including projects such as Derren Brown’s Ghost Train at Thorpe Park, The Great LEGO Race VR and the patented Vector VR rollercoaster system for Kraken Unleashed.

Co-funded by an Innovate UK grant, Figment’s first VR short film premiered at SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival. It was swiftly followed by immersive hyper-reality experience ‘Jurassica’, which ran on Figment’s ‘Helix’ technology platform. Simon was then able to secure funding from the government’s ‘Audience of the Future’ fund to develop new production tools for use in Current, Rising.

BEYOND 2020

To experience the showcases and speakers featured in this article, tickets for BEYOND are on sale now. Join us from 30 November – 3rd December 2020 for this year’s BEYOND – a unique, annual gathering of current and future innovators focused on Research and Development across the Creative Industries. The all virtual BEYOND 2020 is a space where thinkers, makers, investors and researchers across the creative industries come together to explore the relationship between creative research and business innovation. Find out What’s On and register for updates for all the latest.

Introducing: Brenda Romero

Brenda Romero is a BAFTA award-winning game director, entrepreneur, artist and Fulbright award recipient and is presently game director and creator of the Empire of Sin franchise. She is also CEO and co-founder of Romero Games based in Galway, Ireland.

As a game director, she has worked on 50 games and contributed to many seminal titles, including the Wizardry and Jagged Alliance series and titles in the Ghost Recon, Dungeons & Dragons and Def Jam franchises.

Brenda is the recipient of multiple lifetime achievement awards, including a Grace Hopper Award and GDC Ambassador Award, and many of the games she has contributed to have won dozens more awards.

Mainstage: Metaverse 1.0

Joining this year’s BEYOND as a keynote speaker, Brenda Romero will explore whether, this time, we are really on the brink of the Metaverse. The session will delve into our Day 2 theme of emergence, as we begin to wonder what life will look like post-pandemic – what will be left behind, and what will emerge from the chaos.

With viable technology and the promise of a parallel economy unaffected by pandemics, the notion of the Metaverse – the seamless integration of physical and virtual worlds – is back.

With her expert knowledge of the new technologies and business models, Brenda Romero discusses what a metaverse might look like if we fail to remember how damaging and limiting biases have so often been baked into new technologies.

Introducing: Heather Dower

Heather Dower set up the Esports creative marketing agency ‘Hotdrop’ in late 2019. Her journey in gaming began as a streamer in early 2011, quickly learning how to optimise a personal brand and developing expertise in the emerging market of esports & gaming influencers by becoming a successful brand influencer and esports broadcaster.

Pre Hotdrop, Heather applied her industry experience as the UK’s Marketing Director for ESL. She led the marketing and creative teams through various global properties, brand activations, charitable events as well as pioneering new IP product development.

Live Panel on Esports: Responding to the Pandemic

Heather Dower will be chairing this live panel and Q&A, joined by gaming experts James Dean and Anna Baumann. Together they will look at the significant changes that the global pandemic has delivered to the Esports sector. The session will link to our Day 1 theme of ‘Divergence’, exploring how the pandemic has interrupted normal programming and what changes will be permanent.

So far in 2020 the hiatus in live sports has led to surging interest from traditional sports fans – however, currently Esports tournaments remain paused too. This session explores the evolving relationships between organisers, players, audiences and advertisers, to gauge the response required for the sector to survive and thrive.

Introducing: James Dean

Providing invaluable insights to the above panel with discussion about the future of Esports, James is the founder and CEO of the ESL UK subsidiary, responsible for building the ESL brand and community on a regional level. He also leads the consortia developing the Audience of the Future Esports Demonstrator ‘Weavr’, funded by UKRI.

We are delighted to have James joining us on Day 1 of BEYOND, and can’t wait to hear how this discussion will unfold as the panelists delve into the future of the Esport sector.

Introducing: Anna Baumann

Anna is Executive Vice President of Esports at ReKTGlobal, overseeing its eSports properties Rogue and London Royal Ravens. While she remains Managing Director and General Counsel of the European subsidiary, running the LEC and Polish Regional League slot, she now focuses on a streamlined implementation of the unique vision of ReKTGlobal’s ownership group: to build a global brand, connecting music icons, esports superstars and community outreach across all esports properties.

BEYOND 2020

To experience the showcases and speakers featured in this article, tickets for BEYOND are on sale now. Join us from 30 November – 3rd December 2020 for this year’s BEYOND – a unique, annual gathering of current and future innovators focused on Research and Development across the Creative Industries. The all virtual BEYOND 2020 is a space where thinkers, makers, investors and researchers across the creative industries come together to explore the relationship between creative research and business innovation. Find out What’s On and register for updates for all the latest.