Kris Alexander: Video Games, Esports and the Future Events Workforce

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Dr. Kris Alexander had an upbringing not unlike many of us in that when he discovered the joy and excitement of video games, he never looked back. But unlike many of us, he has turned that passion into a successful career, not just playing the games but educating the future work force that will help the industry continue to flourish and thrive. As professor of video games at Toronto Metropolitan University, Alexander has built a program that now includes about 300 students and has produced the Red Bull Gaming Hub, an active events center that serves as not just a laboratory of sorts for his students, but a functioning venue that has hosted esports and other neighborhood events.

As you’ll see from this discussion, Alexander is passionate about video games and esports and has a compelling case to make as to the benefits that games can bring in educating students and as sources of continued business development. In this conversation with SportsTravel Executive Editor and Publisher Jason Gewirtz, Alexander goes into his own fascinating background in video games as a player, his transition to academia, the future of esports and video gaming and some behind-the-scenes insight on what it takes to successfully execute a TED Talk viewed by more than 1 million people.

Among the topics discussed in this episode:

• Alexander’s background in esports (4:21)
• How he moved from playing video games to academia (8:24)
• How Toronto Metropolitan University is training students for esports careers (9:17)
• The importance of the Red Bull Gaming Hub as an esports venue on campus (10:57)
• Description of the competitive teams that compete there (12:29)
• What type of events are staged at the Gaming Hub (14:07)
• Thoughts on the challenging last few months for professional esports (17:05)
• What kinds of careers esports students are interesting in pursuing (18:52)
• How Red Bull became title sponsor for the Gaming Hub (20:53)
• How he approaches video games and screen time with his own children (23:25)
• Why Toronto has become a hub for esports activities and organizations (25:12)
• Alexander’s don’t-miss experiences in Toronto (26:45)
• How he came about getting to perform a TED Talk (28:03)
• What TED Talk speakers have to prepare before they can give a talk (31:02)

To view Alexander’s TED Talk, see below:

This episode is sponsored by: