The history of the esports is not very long, especially compared to sports such as soccer or baseball. Despite its relative lack of age, however, the speed at which the fans have created this new culture around esports is truly remarkable.

What is the force driving esports culture? The thrilling competitions play a major part, but so do the fans, who push the community and the players with their passion and support. There is also the wide variety of titles that esports encompasses, such as StarCraft, Counter-Strike: GO, League of Legends, DOTA 2, and Overwatch; with so many games, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

There is one other essential element, one that raises players, creates competitions, and helps bring the community together: the esports organizations. The esports market, which was but a barren wasteland just 10 years prior, was able to flourish thanks to the efforts of the dedicated teams, coaching staff, and investors.

The development of the esports industry is tied directly to the actions of the organizations, though this relationship is often unnoticed by the community; after all, the spotlight is almost always cast on the players. However, while it is the players that attract viewers with their skills, it is the organizations that provide both the spotlight and the stage upon which the players stand.

Whenever there is a particularly fierce tournament, those who witness it are often inspired by it, but not all are inspired in the way same. Most usually dream of becoming skilled players, but some instead dream of creating their own esports team or organization.

When organizations first began getting involved in esports, it was clearly not going to be a guaranteed success, and yet something drove them forward nonetheless; the leaders of these organizations saw a potential in esports that few others did. What was that driving force, and what exactly did they see in esports that inspired them? It’s usually quite unlikely for someone to encounter those leaders and get the chance to ask them these questions, but at the IGEC - ESPORTS DEEP DIVE, that chance can be found.

There will be many presenting their stories at the event; Jack Etienne, the founder and CEO of Cloud 9 and owner of the Overwatch League team London Spitfire; Noah Whinston, the young CEO of Immortals who is also well known as the owner of the OWL’s Los Angeles Valiant; Mike Milanov, the Chief Operating Officer of Team Liquid, the esports organization that was 1st in 2017’s total prize winning; and Arnold Hur, the Chief Growth Officer of KSV eSports, a rapidly growing company that has accomplished many terrific achievements.

The topic they will be discussing is, ‘Owning a professional team: How to turn your dreams into reality’. In this presentation, these leading figures will share their perspectives and insight on how they were able to form their teams and turn them into the biggest esports organizations in the world. To help facilitate deeper discussion, official OWL commentator and analyst Christopher 'MonteCristo' Mykles will join the panel discussion as a moderator.

All esports personnel and fans should not miss out on the 1st IGEC - ESPORTS DEEP DIVE on this upcoming May 1st, at UC, Irvine. Many owners, coaches, pro players, and important individuals from the esports industry will be with us. Along with the presentations, there will also be a variety of events including cosplay shows and exhibition matches where fans to get to play with pro gamers.