The 2021 EsportsTravel Summit—the only event of its kind for esports tournament and event organizers—will be held August 10–12, 2021, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Produced by Northstar Travel Group, the EsportsTravel Summit will be hosted by SportsPITTSBURGH at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. SportsPITTSBURGH has signed on as a multi-year sponsor of the EsportsTravel Summit, beginning with the 2020 EsportsTravel Summit, which will be held November 18–20, in Arlington, Texas.
The EsportsTravel Summit is the only business conference that focuses exclusively on esports and gaming and their positive impact on the travel industry. The Summit facilitates partnerships between esports organizations and the destination/hospitality industry while providing educational programming and business networking opportunities.
“Pittsburgh is emerging as a primary hub for the esports industry so we are thrilled to be taking the 2021 EsportsTravel Summit to the ‘City of Champions,’” said Timothy Schneider, founder of the EsportsTravel Summit and chairman of the Sports Division of Northstar Meetings Group, which publishes SportsTravel magazine and also organizes the annual TEAMS Conference & Expo. “Summit attendees will experience firsthand how a city with a storied past in sports has positioned itself on the leading edge of the future of the sports and entertainment industries.”
The Summit is one of the first new events to commit to Pittsburgh for 2021. The meeting is a result of a partnership between the Local Host Committee comprised of SportsPITTSBURGH, the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Point Park University, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Pittsburgh Knights and The AbleGamers Charity.
“Pittsburgh has proven time and again that we are a major sports destination, in large part because of community collaboration, which allows us to host a wide variety of exciting events,” SportsPITTSBURGH Executive Director Jennifer Hawkins said. “Pittsburgh is committed to the future of the esports industry. Hosting the 2021 EsportsTravel Summit amplifies our city’s leadership position in sports and technology. We look forward to welcoming the thought-leaders who attend the Summit and showcasing the broad spectrum of esports and gaming throughout our region.”
One of America’s most popular sports cities, Pittsburgh is home to several academic institutions that have been esports leaders, including Robert Morris University, Point Park University and Carnegie Mellon University, which are developing degree programs in esports event management and game design or offering varsity esports programs.
Pittsburgh is a legendary sports city with a reputation of providing iconic experiences to the millions of visitors that attend live events in the community. For more information, please visit www.SportsPITTSBURGH.com.
The EsportsTravel Summit was launched in conjunction with the TEAMS Conference & Expo in Orlando in 2017 and has since been held as a stand-alone event in Las Vegas in 2018 and Atlantic City in 2019. The 2020 EsportsTravel Summit will be held November 18–20 at Esports Stadium Arlington in Arlington, Texas.
The EsportsTravel Summit has achieved rapid growth by filling an information vacuum that exists for both organizers of esports events and those in the travel and tourism industry who want to understand and benefit from the esports phenomenon. Visionary destinations, venues and sports organizations have recognized esports as the best way to engage the next generation of visitors, fans and followers. For further information, please visit www.EsportsTravelSummit.com.
About Northstar Travel Group
Northstar Travel Group is the leading B-to-B information and marketing solutions company serving all segments of the travel industry including leisure/retail, corporate/business travel, corporate and sports meetings, incentives, hospitality, and travel technology. Northstar is the owner of well-known brands including SportsTravel, Successful Meetings, Meetings & Conventions, Incentive, M&C China, Business Travel News, Travel Procurement, The Beat, Travel Weekly US, TravelAge West, Travel Weekly China, Travel42, Axus Travel App, and Web in Travel.
The company produces more than 80 face-to-face and digital events in 13 countries in retail travel, hospitality, corporate travel, travel technology, sports travel, and the meetings & incentive industry. Leadership events include The Business Travel Show, the largest corporate travel event in Europe; The Meetings Show, the largest meetings industry event in the UK; Web in Travel; CruiseWorld; Global Travel Marketplace, and the TEAMS Conference & Expo, the world’s largest gathering of sports-event organizers. In addition, Northstar owns Phocuswright, the leading research, business intelligence, and event producer serving the travel technology industry.
Northstar Travel Group owns the Burba Hotel Network, the leading producer of hotel investment events globally, including ALIS, the largest hotel investment conference in the world produced with the American Hotel & Lodging Association in Los Angeles each year. Northstar is also the majority shareholder in Inntopia, the leading SaaS e-commerce software, CRM database marketing and predictive analytics business serving the mountain destination, golf, activities, hospitality, and specialty destination travel markets.
Based in Secaucus, NJ, the company has offices in New York, NY; Stowe, VT; Denver, CO; Edwards, CO; Burlington, VT; Los Angeles, CA; Costa Mesa, CA; Lombard, IL; and global offices in London, Singapore, Beijing, and Shanghai. Northstar Travel Group is owned by funds managed by EagleTree Capital.
About SportsPITTSBURGH
SportsPITTSBURGH’s primary goal is to attract and host a wide variety of sporting events. In 2019, SportsPITTSBURGH hosted 50 events while securing 63 future events for the region, working to maximize the value and impact of sporting events and meetings in the city while coordinating between event planners and community stakeholders to promote community engagement. Pittsburgh, the “City of Champions,” is dedicated to hosting events that make public health and safety top priorities. For more information on Pittsburgh’s health and safety protocols, visit www.sportspittsburgh.com.
About the David L. Lawrence Convention Center
Located in Downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, along the Allegheny River, the environmentally smart Platinum LEED® certified, ASM Global managed David L. Lawrence Convention Center features 313,000 ground square feet of exhibit space, 37 loading docks, 53 meeting rooms, and a 33,000-square-foot. ballroom. The Center’s dynamic architectural design offers breathtaking views, open terraces and column free space. The Center works exclusively with showNets, the industry leader in fast, secure and reliable internet and custom networking solutions for trade shows, corporate events and convention centers.
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