The Next World Forum is a new conference being hosted in Saudi Arabia, and it’s centered around the world’s rapidly-growing gaming and esports ecosystems. Hosted by the Saudi Esports Federation and featuring speakers and industry experts representing organizations such as the Esports Entertainment Group, MENA and GGTech, and the Africa Esports Development Federation, the forum is a summit where exciting future opportunities for developers, gamers, esports leagues, investors, and plenty of other groups are being shared, planned, and discussed.
The two-day conference is currently in-progress, and Day 1 of the forum just wrapped up. In this article, we’ll provide an overview of all of the highlights from the first day of the event, as well as a look at what’s coming during Day 2.
Next World Forum Day 1 highlights: Spotlight Panel, VR/AR, and workshops
Day 1 of the Next World Forum opened with a 45-minute spotlight panel that gave attendees an overview of the developments and innovations that folks can expect to see from the Saudi Esports Federation and its partners in both the short and long-term future. During the presentation, an expected 250% increase in the Saudi gaming market “from now until 2030” was announced, with in-progress Saudi megaprojects like the “smart city” NEOM and the cultural epicenter Quiddiyah featuring gaming and esports at their cores. It was then followed by an industry “Gaming and Esports as the Next Frontier of Media” keynote hosted by multiple different experts that focused on the way gaming and esports have shaped and continue to shape entertainment.
“The gaming industry is bigger than all these media industries put together,” said Chester King of the British Esports Association. “Mainstream sports such as every Premier League football team in the UK and Formula 1 have esports teams as the sectors continue to merge.” During the keynote, King and several others discussed how the success of gaming is wholly expected to continue, with experts projecting gaming revenue to reach a staggering $200 billion by 2023.
Another highlight from Day 1 was the “VR/AR and the Metaverse in the Spotlight” presentation, in which the unique opportunities offered by virtual and augmented reality technologies were evaluated and discussed. The “Flash Talk: The Rise of In-Person Gaming Communities” panel provided an in-depth look at how gamers and esports organizers have developed popular and active communities outside of online spaces in recent years.
Notably, there was also a panel titled “Gaming as an Untapped Economic Powerhouse” that was centered around the financial potential of the gaming and esports sector. As companies and brands across the globe continue investing heavily in the space, this presentation focused on all the reasons why, as well as why gaming’s potential is so high.
Multiple workshops were hosted throughout Day 1, too, including collaborative discussion about important topics such as women in gaming, game technology development, investments and finances, the overall gaming and esports ecosystem, and the future of the gaming and esports sector.
What to expect from Next World Forum Day 2
While Day 1 of the conference is over, there’s still plenty to look forward to tomorrow during Day 2. Some of the planned discussions, presentations, and events for the second and final day of the summit include a presentation about independent game designers, talks about future esports professionalization and legitimization, and a panel about how governments can enable the gaming and esports ecosystem.
Additionally, there will also be discussions about how to improve the health of gamers and esports competitors, a panel focused on game art and creative experts, presentations focused on the rise of esports venues, a review of gaming activity around the world, and more. Make sure to review the full Day 2 schedule for more details on what to expect, and don’t forget to check for updates on the Saudi Esports Federation’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn pages.
