N3rd Street Gamers Participates in National Association of Collegiate Esports 2019 Convention

JULY 26, 2019 – In our ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between amateur gaming, collegiate level gaming, and professional esports, N3rd Street Gamers participated in multiple panels at the National Association of Collegiate Esports’ (NACE) 2019 Convention in Harrisburg, PA.

The convention brought together leaders of varsity esports programs from across North America and covered topics including coaching, growing University programs, health and wellness, facilities management, and recruitment, and provided networking opportunities for all attendees.

NSG was asked to partake in the conference due to the pivotal role we continue to play in building the infrastructure for amateur and collegiate-level esports in the United States. Along with producing and broadcasting the Overwatch showmatch between Harrisburg University and Boise State University, our team hosted and participated in multiple speaking sessions.

Danny Harvith, Director of Business Development at NSG, spoke on the Beyond the Student Athlete panel, where they dove into making esports more accessible to a larger population of students, and helping students build the skills and expertise that will help them succeed in the gaming industry.

Also in attendance was Matthew “Emjay” Johnson, who talked about turning his passion as an avid gamer into a profession as Head of Design at N3rd Street Gamers. Emjay emphasized the importance of implementing esports programs at the collegiate level to not only nurture organized competition, but also to expose students to a wide array of career opportunities within the industry.

One of the most popular sessions at the NACE Convention was co-hosted by our University Partnerships expert, Christian Kunkel. The session focussed on strategies for universities wanting to develop and grow their esports facilities and programs. Christian educated the audience on best practices to follow for the development of both small and large-scale esports programs and how to fund them within various budgets.

NSG Chief Operating Officer, Rob Johnson, participated in a marketing discussion that covered the basics of marketing and building brands for teams, programs, and players. When asked about which social media channels should be utilized to promote an esports program, Rob’s key advice to attendees was to never overcommit yourself beyond what your team can handle.

He explained, “You want to make sure the platforms you are on are operated well and authentically, and that takes resources. If you can’t do that for all platforms, don’t overcommit yourself because then the content will get stale. That being said, the esports audience currently lives on Discord, Twitch, and Twitter.”

For more information on how N3rd Street Gamers can work with your University, please contact ckunkel@n3rdstreetgamers.com.