DECK for DEF 2023 which happened in Dubai last November in UAE. It was a first edition hosted by Dubai Tourism to bring in the best esports companies to showcase their latest technologies and trends.

1. DUBAI
ESPORTS
FESTIVAL
DUBAI
ESPORTS
FESTIVAL
2022 VIBRANCE
YOUTH ANNUAL
Play Beyond
9th - 20th November

2. VISION
The creation of a new brand and legacy in the world of esports that further positions Dubai as the esports
hub of the MENA region, as well as an international player
Elevate the positive perception of Dubai as a futuristic and innovative city, and attract international and
regional tourists
A vehicle to connect and engage with gaming companies, studios to expand their businesses into Dubai

3. 2
GAMEEXPO

4. The DEC, a world-class exhibition building
that exemplifies operational excellence
and an architectural design that embodies
the cultural identity of Dubai at Expo City
Dubai a future-centric mini-city that builds
on the legacy of Expo 2020 Dubai

5. SPONSORS & PARTNERS
PRESENTING PARTNER
GOLD PARTNERS
ONLINE TOURNAMENT PARTNERS
EXHIBITORS
KNOWLEDGE PARTNER
COMMUNITY PARTNER

6. PGC 2022 – PUBG Global Championship Finals 1st - 20th Nov: (Ticketed)
VSPN in collaboration with KRAFTON will be hosting the PUBG Global Championship 2022 at the festival where 32 teams from across four
regions will compete against each other for a share of more than $2 million. Open to public from 17th – 20th Nov at DEC’s North Hall.
Initiate Summit 9th - 11th Nov: (Ticketed)
A B2B summit geared towards gaming industry professionals, developers and creatives with the aim of enhancing the esports
ecosystem in Dubai and the MENA region. The showcase will offer more than 200 attendees insights into the latest global esports
trends, highlight key investment opportunities as well as serve as a hub for the region’s gaming ecosystem, global talent and sector
innovation.
GameExpo 10th - 13th Nov: (Ticketed)
It is a platform for fans to interact with all things gaming and esports. Fans can watch exciting live esports tournaments as well as meet
and compete against their gaming idols at the Dubai Gaming Zone. Key feature zones – Retro, Streamer Hub & Discovery Zone.
PopConME 10th - 13th Nov: (Ticketed)
A celebration of all elements of world-class pop culture, from superheroes, cosplay, comics, gaming, art, movies, TV, anime, live
performances, movie screenings, workshops and art.

7. Online Tournaments 28th Oct – 9th Nov:
The UAE gaming community will have the opportunity to showcase their skills by participating in online tournaments promoting Dubai
Esports Festival which will take place two weeks prior to the offline event with a prize pool of AED 20,000 featuring 5 game titles.
Participants will receive free or discounted tickets to DEF.
Regional Tournaments 12th – 13th Nov & 19 – 20th Nov:
The MENA region’s best gamers will get the chance to battle it out on stage in one of tournaments – a mobile game tournament from 12 –
13 November and a console tournament from 19 – 20 November. Open to gamers of all ages in the region, players qualify online on their
chosen platform and finalists will perform live on stage.
School Tournaments 10th Nov:
Working with a select number of Dubai-based schools, the school tournament will take place on 10 November as young gamers qualify in
the classroom with finalists challenging each other live on stage during the festival.
Concert 19th Nov:
We are excited to announce that the amazing WEGZ will perform at the Dubai Exhibition Centre this November 19!. Wegz is one of the
most established Egyptian trap artists of his generation. At only 19 years of age, Wegz grew in recognition in a short space of time,
blossomed out of a highly competitive grass root led trap movement.

8. 7
International Esports Event
S-tier tournaments with
undoubted worldwide
influence
The biggest PUBG event in
the calendar year with
the largest prize pool
Professionally-organized
tournaments put Dubai
on world’s esports map
PGC 2022 Qualified Teams
1st - 20th November, North Hall, DEC, Expo City
To Register: https://dubai.platinumlist.net/event-tickets/85232/pubg-global-championship-2022-at-dubai-esports-festival
Live Stream: twitch.tv/pubg_battlegrounds

9. CONSOLE MOBILE
+
12th - 13th of November, La Mer
19th - 20th of November

10. Creating a National Primary Schools
Minecraft Education Esports
Tournament with Microsoft
Live broadcast of the final
plus content produced around
the tournament
Tours and workshops will be
conducted for selected secondary
schools and universities
10th November, Main Stage, South Hall, DEC, Expo City

11. To Register: https://gamershub.me/def

12. ORGANISED
BY:
CO-LOCATED
WITH:
THE MENA B2B SPAWN PLATFORM FOR
ESPORTS AND GAMING
9th - 10th November, North Hall,
DEC, Expo City

13. INAUGRATION SPEECH BY
H.E. OMAR BIN SULTAN AL OLAMA
Minister of State for
Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy & Remote Work Applications

14. OUR SPEAKERS
ABDALLAH AL
GHAFARI
ABHIJIT PATTANAIK AMIN EL HUSSEINI
ANDREAS
HADJIPASCHALI
ARAVIND
SWAMINATHAN
ARIF AABED CARLOS CELORRIO CHARBEL KHOURY CHENFAN WANG CHRISTOPH TIMM
Senior Esports Manager
Level Infinite
Co-Founder & CGO
Playtonia Esports
Director of Mobile
Products
MBC Group
CEO and Co-founder
Bravado Gaming
Co-Founder & Business
Development Director
Calyx
Mobile Apps & Gaming
Business Portfolio
Manager
MBC Group
CSO
Team Queso
Founder & CEO
ESTAZ Esports
GM of Global Business
VSPN
Co-Founder
Team Nigma
DANI CONTRERAS
PEREZ
DAVID FERNANDEX
REMESAL
ELIE HONAIN ELIE GEMAYEL
ELRASEC “RADA”
OCAMPO
FRANK A. SLIWKA HASHEM ALBORNO JMR LUNA JOE AL ZOGHBI JOHN LACEY
Head of Gaming
Belobaba Fund
CEO
Sandsoft Games
CEO
Quest
CSO
Quest
General Manager
Blacklist International
COO
Epulze
Co-Founder & COO
Gamers Lounge
CEO
OG Esports
Senior Business Manager
Level Infinite
MENA Head
Level Infinite
KARIM EL HENAWE
KISHAN DEEPAK
PALIJA
KLAUS KAJETSKI LALIT VASE LUCY CHOW MADIHA NAZ MARIE MEJERWALL MARIO STEFANIDIS
ARSHIYA “XaRSHYY”
FARAGHAT
MICHAEL HEINA
Founder & CEO
Heros.live
CEO
Geekay Group
CEO
YaLLa Esports
Founder & CEO
NASR Esports
General Partner
WBAF Angels Investment
Fund
Esports Athlete Esports Veteran
Vice President, Research
Roundhill Investments
Streamer & Content Creator
CCO
Shikenso

15. OUR SPEAKERS
MOHAMED GHAREEB MOHAMMED ALBSIMI
MUFADDAL
FAKHRUDDIN
NAJI GHAZARI
PAUL “THE PROFIT”
DAWALIBI
PETE BAIKINS RALPH BEJJANI ROBERTO CROCI
LAGHRISSI MOHAMED
AMINE
SAEED SHARAF
Head of Esports
Team RA’AD
CEO
TrueGaming
Senior Editor
IGN
Game Operation Manager,
PUBG Mobile
Tencent Games
CEO
Holodeck Ventures
CEO
GAMIFICATION+
Head of Production
Calyx
Entrepreneurs Committee
Member
Capital Club Dubai
Project Director
JuegoXFless & CNJ
CEO
Esports Middle East
AMNA “MOKI”
ALAMERI
SAM MATTHEWS SEBASTIAN LAGER TRYKE GUTIEREZ VINCENT GHOSSOUB WADIH SAYAH YOUBA HAMATOU YOUSSEF MOHSEN CRISIS WI DUKE HUA
Pro Player & Content
Creator
Founder & CEO
Fnatic
Founder
TwogNation
Co-Founder & CEO
Tier One Entertainment
Chairman
Falafel Games
Head of Esports
YaLLa Esports
Founder & CEO
GameSense
Founder & Managing
Partner
Anubis Gaming
SVP & Chief Director
VSPN
Head of Esports
VSPN
FATIMA “BUFFY” AL
ALI
FERNANDO PEREIRA PHILIP WRIDE
ALVARO GONZALEZ
DE BUITRAGO
AHMED TEHEMAR MICHAEL BRODA MINHO YI MANISH BAKSHI DEVANGSHU RATH MICHAEL ZAPTIES
Gamer & Streamer
President
Grow Up Esports
CEO
Cheesecake Digital
CEO
Team Queso
Chairman
Falafel Games
Head of Esports
YaLLa Esports
Founder & CEO
GameSense
Managing Director
BENQ
Project Manager
GAMERS HUB
Sales & Sponsorship
Director
GAMERS HUB

16. ESPORTS GROWTH
08.40 - 08.50
INAUGURATION SPEECH
Expanding and Investing in the Local Gaming and Esports Industry
H.E. Omar Bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital
Economy & Remote Work Applications
08.50 - 09.00
INAUGURATION SPEECH
The Vision and Creation Story of DEF
Chenfan Wang, GM of Global Business, VSPN
09.00 – 09.40
PANEL DISCUSSION
Positioning Dubai as a Global Gaming Hub and Esports Destination
Moderator:
Paul Dawalibi, CEO, Holodeck Ventures
Panellists:
Duke Hua, Head of Esports, VSPN
Kishan Deepak Palija, CEO, Geekay Group
John Lacey, Head of MENA, Tencent Games
Christoph Timm, Co-Founder, Nigma Galaxy
09.40 – 10.20
PANEL DISCUSSION
Helping the Ecosystem Grow - Investment in Gaming and Esports
Moderator:
Paul Dawalibi, CEO, Holodeck Ventures
Panellists:
Dani Contreras Perez, Head of Gaming, Belobaba Fund
Frank A. Sliwka, COO, Epulze
Lucy Chow, General Partner, WBAF Angels Investment Fund
Roberto Croci, Entrepreneurs Committee Member, Capital Club Dubai
10.20 - 10.40
NETWORKING & REFRESHMENTS BREAK
08.00 - 08.30
REGISTRATION AND WELCOME REFRESHMENTS
08.30 - 08.40
CHAIRPERSON’S WELCOME ADDRESS | Marie Mejerwall, Esports Veteran
DAY 1 | WEDNESDAY, 09 NOVEMBER 2022
SUMMIT AGENDA
BUILD WINNING AGENCIES & TEAMS
10.40 – 11.00
Alternative Routes – From Gaming Creator Management to World Champions
Tryke Gutierrez, CEO, Tier One Entertainment
11.00 – 11.40
PANEL DISCUSSION
Spearheading Talent Incubation, Acquisition and Management in the GCC
Moderator:
Wadih Sayah, Head of Esports, YaLLa Esports
Panellists:
Lalit Vase, Founder & CEO, NASR Esports
Meena George, Head of Esports, Geekay Esports
Mohamed Ghareeb, Head of Esports, Team RA’AD
Wadih Sayah, Head of Esports, YaLLa Esports
Youssef Mohsen, Founder & Managing Partner, Anubis Gaming
11.40 – 12.20
PANEL DISCUSSION
Creating Wholistic Esports Agencies that become Major Drivers of Community
Growth
Moderator:
Abdallah Al Ghafari, Senior Esports Manager, PUBG Mobile
Panellists:
Andreas Hadjipaschali, CEO & Co-Founder, Bravado Gaming
Aravind Swaminathan, Co-Founder & Business Development Director, Calyx
Elie Honain, CEO, Quest
Klaus Kajetski, CEO, YaLLa Esports
Matthew Pickering, CEO, PLG - Power League Gaming
12.20 – 12:40
A Walkthrough on Different Monetisation Models for Successful Esports Teams
Mario Stefanidis, VP of Research, Roundhill Investments
12.40 – 13.00
NETWORKING & REFRESHMENTS BREAK
TURNING TOURNAMENTS INTO GEMS
13.00 – 13.20
Ensuring a Low-Latency Playing Experience – Overcoming Performance
Inhibitors for Pro and Home Gamers Alike
Speaker:
Reserved for TelCo Sponsor
13.20 – 14.00
PANEL DISCUSSION
Designing Broadcasts – How Audiences want to Access and Consume Content
Moderator:
Marie Mejerwall, Esports veteran
Panellists:
Arif Aabed, Mobile Apps & Gaming Business Portfolio Manager, MBC Group
Elie Gemayel, CSO, Quest
Karim El-Henawe, Founder & CEO, Heros.live
Mohammed Albsimi, CEO, TrueGaming
Ralph Bejjani, Head of Production, Calyx
14.00 – 14.40
FIRESIDE CHAT
Delivering State-of-the-Art Tournaments and Leagues
Moderator:
Marie Mejerwall, Esports veteran
Panellists:
Abhijit Pattanaik, Co-Founder & CGO, Playtonia Esports
Elie Honain, CEO, Quest
Hashem Alborno, Co-Founder & COO, Gamers Lounge
Michael Broda, Co-Founder & CEO, EIG
Minho Yi, VP & Head of PUBG Esports, Krafton
14.40 – 15.00
Reinventing the Fan Experience and Esports Tourism – International Best Practice
Crisis Wi, SVP & Chief Director, VSPN
15.00 – 16.00
NETWORKING LUNCH AND END OF DAY ONE

17. ULTI CHARGING FOR PUBLISHING & ADVERTISING
08.40 - 09.00
Understanding why MENA Countries are leading Gaming and Esports World
Markets
Speaker:
Michael Heina, International Sector Director Esports and Gaming, YouGov
09.00 – 09.40
PANEL DISCUSSION
How to Launch a Game Successfully in MENA
Moderator:
Paul Dawalibi, CEO, Holodeck Ventures
Panellists:
Amin El Husseini, Director of Mobile Products, MBC Group
Kishan Deepak Palija, CEO, Geekay Group
Naji Ghazari Game Operation Manager, PUBG Mobile, Tencent Games
Saeed Sharaf, CEO, Esports Middle East
09.40 – 10.20
PANEL DISCUSSION
Current Trends in Commercialising Esports Teams
Moderator:
Marie Mejerwall, Esports Veteran
Panellists:
Carlos Celorrio, CSO, Team Queso
Elrasec Ocampo, CGO, Blacklist International
JMR Luna, CEO, OG Esports
Sam Mathews, Founder & CEO, Fnatic
10.20 – 10.40
NETWORKING & REFRESHMENTS BREAK
10.40 – 11.20
PANEL DISCUSSION
Establishing Dubai as the Undisputed Business Hub for Global Gaming and Esports
Corporations
Panellists:
Senior Representative, DMCC
Senior Representative, Silicon Oasis
Senior Representative, TECOM Group
PLAY FOR IMPACT
13.30 – 14.00
FIRESIDE CHAT
Fighting Stigma - The Organic Growth of Educational Gaming and the Social
Benefits of Esports
Panellists:
Charbel Khoury, Founder & CEO, ESTAZ Esports
Pete Jenkins, CEO, GAMIFICATION+
Youba Hamatou, Founder & CEO, GameSense
14.00 – 14.40
Women in Esports – New Avenues for Excellence
Moderator:
Madiha Naz, Esports Player
Panellists:
Amna “Moki” Alameri, Pro Player & Content Creator
Arshiya “xArshyy” Faraghat, Streamer & Content Creator
Fatima “Buffy” Al Ali, Gamer & Streamer
Fernando Pereira, President, Grow Up Esports
15.00 – 16.00
NETWORKING LUNCH AND END OF DAY TWO
08.00 - 08.40 REGISTRATION & WELCOME REFRESHMENTS
DAY 2 | THURSDAY, 10 NOVEMBER 2022
SUMMIT AGENDA
POSITIVE DISRUPTION
11.20 – 11.50
FIRESIDE CHAT
Integrating East/West Content – Helping Local Production Reach a Wider
Audience and Vice Versa
Panellists:
Tryke Gutierrez, CEO, Tier One Entertainment
Youba Hamatou, Founder & CEO, GameSense
11.50 – 12.30
PANEL DISCUSSION
The Rise of Mobile Gaming –The New Arena for Reaching Competitive Gaming
Audiences
Moderator:
Joe Al Zoghbi, Senior Business Manager, Level Infinite
Panellists:
Youba Hamatou, Founder & CEO, GameSense
David Fernandez Remesal, CEO, Sandsoft Games
Vincent Ghossoub, Chairman, Falafel Games
12.30 – 13.10
PANEL DISCUSSION
The Evolution of the Gaming Economy onWeb 3.0 and Monetisation Opportunities
for Esports
Moderator:
Mufaddal Fakhruddin, Senior Editor, IGN
Panellists:
David Fernandez Remesal, CEO, Sandsoft Games
Ahmed Tehemar, Global Games BD Manager, Binance
Dani Contreras Perez, Head of Gaming, Belobaba Find
Frank A. Sliwka, COO, Epulze
Vincent Ghossoub, Chairman, Falafel Games
13.10 – 13.30
NETWORKING & REFRESHMENTS BREAK

18. 10th - 13th November, South Hall,
DEC, Expo City

19. 18
*Draft floorplan
The Classics… where it all began. Walk down memory lane! A curated
area with games, arcade machines of the best & most beloved games of
yester years!
Unleash the Gamer in you by challenging your peers to a 1V1 or a 5V5
battle.
A dedicated area designed to welcome professional & amateur social
media & gaming streamers to use to stream live content from the
GameExpo.
1
2
3
4
The Indie Game Zone will invite global Indie – medium size developers
with the latest/upcoming multiplayer games that could be the next big
eSport title.
FEATURE ZONES
GAMEEXPO FLOORPLAN
The official GameExpo Tournament Stage! Watch all the action LIVE with
teams facing off for the ultimate victory!
5

20. GAMEEXPO ZONES | RETRO ZONE
The Classics… where it all began. Walk down memory lane! A curated area with games, arcade machines
of the best & most beloved games of yester years!
*Conceptual Renders

21. A dedicated area designed to welcome professional & influencer social media & gaming streamers to
live stream their content from the GameExpo.
*Conceptual Renders
GAMEEXPO ZONES | STREAMER HUB

22. GAMEEXPO ZONES | DISCOVERY ZONE
The Discovery Zone will invite global Indie – Medium size developers with the latest/upcoming
multiplayer games that could be the next big eSport title.
*Conceptual Renders

23. GAMEEXPO ZONES | GAMING CAFE ZONE
Unleash the Gamer in you by challenging your peers to a 1V1 or a 5V5 battle.
*Conceptual Renders

24. GAMEEXPO | MAIN STAGE
The official Tournament Stage! Watch all the action LIVE with teams facing off for the ultimate victory!
*Conceptual Renders

25. 24
*Draft floorplan
GAMEEXPO FLOORPLAN

28. To Register: https://dubai.platinumlist.net/event-tickets/85057/wegz-live-in-dubai-expo-city

31. Impressions from all channels
100M
Online engagement
50M
Video content viewership
20M
Expected footfall from all
components combined
50k
Media coverage
5k
ESTIMATED DEF 2022 ACHIEVEMENTS

32. Website, Social Media Channels Influencers & Pro-Player Teams
Outdoor Advertisement (OOH)
Digital Advertisement
Media Coverage
TOP TIER PROMOTION COVERAGE

33. JOIN US
DUBAI ESPORTS FESTIVAL 2022
For Sponsorship Opportunities:
Renaldo Howell
Renaldo.Howell@dwtc.com
+971 4 306 4325
For Speaking Opportunities:
Georgios Chatzivamvakis
Georgios.Chatzivamvakis@dwtc.com
971 4 308 6372