Economics Club Breakfast: The Future of esports
Date and Time
Wednesday Jan 26, 2022
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM EST
Program: 7:30 AM
Location
Wyndham Garden York
2000 Loucks Road
York, PA 17408
Fees/Admission
In-Person Attendance:
Economics Club Members: No charge - use your promo code to register.
Economic Alliance Members and Guests: $35 per breakfast
Video Recording:
There is no charge to receive a link to a recording of the event. Video link will be sent within one business day.
Registration in advance is required.
Contact Information
JJ Sheffer
Send Email
Description
Join us on January 26 for a panel discussion on the The Future of esports.
According to the Entertainment Software Association, the U.S. gaming industry generated $90.3 billion in economic output in 2019, supporting nearly 429,000 jobs. In Pennsylvania, the economic impact is nearly $665M. The industry generates $12.6 billion in federal, state and local taxes annually.
Esports (short for electronic sports), is competitive video gaming, played in amateur and professional settings. Advances in livestreaming technology has precipitated the rise of its popularity and career opportunities, which parallel that of traditional sports. The industry?s rapid growth has attracted huge marketing investment and prompted workforce development initiatives for postsecondary scholars and youth.
We'll welcome three panelists who will discuss how their respective programming is preparing the future gaming industry workforce for the wide array of careers available in the sector.
Our panelists include:
- LaQuinn Thompson, Founder, The B.E.A.S.T. Initiative
- Todd Snovel, Vice President, Student Affairs and Community Engagement, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design
- Alexander Gibson, Director of Secondary Services & Partnerships, Harrisburg University
Attendees have the option of joining us in person for breakfast at the Wyndham Garden York, or receiving a link to a recorded video of the event that will be sent out within one business day. Breakfast will be provided as a served buffet. As a reminder, all guests are required to be masked at all times, regardless of vaccination status, except while they are eating.
About the panelists
LaQuinn "Tru Beast Mode 31" Thompson is a York, PA native who has loved the world of video games since his childhood. Seeking a way to connect gaming and service to his community, he became a streamer/content creator on Twitch/Facebook Gaming/YouTube and founded The B.E.A.S.T. Initiative esports/gaming youth program whose mission is to "bring community together through gaming." His goal is to motivate, inspire, encourage, and empower the next generation to strive toward their goals and dreams by living with a "B.E.A.S.T." mindset: "Be yourself, Experience life at its full potential, Achieve greatness, Shine like no other, and share their Testimony."
Todd Snovel currently serves as Vice President for Student Affairs and Community Engagement at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design. Outside of work, Todd enjoys staying engaged in the community, and currently serves as the board chair for the Keystone Business Alliance (Central PA?s LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce), the chair of the Fund for Women and Girls at the Foundation for Enhancing Communities, and as a Foundation Trustee for ACPA: College Student Educators International.
Alexander Gibson was an educator with William Penn SHS in York, PA, where he taught mathematics and computer science courses, as well as helped run the esports club. He helped develop student leadership, create teams for competitions, and dove into the world of esports with the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF), becoming a NASEF Fellow during the 2020-2021 School Year and a NASEF Mentor during this current school year. During the NASEF time, he has created a curriculum around the computer science and educational content found within video games. He is an advocate for STEM learning and has transitioned to the Director of Secondary Schools & Partnerships at Harrisburg University to further work on equity and access to STEM career training and opportunities for high school students learning at a college level.
Annual Table Sponsors:
Truist
Glatfelter Insurance Group
LOCALiQ
Penn National Insurance
York Traditions Bank
WellSpan Health
The Economics Club Breakfast series offers an informative monthly breakfast and provides attendees the opportunity to network with key business and community leaders. A variety of speakers discuss economic and business updates important to York County.
Contact Kyle Joines at 717.771.4584 to learn more about joining the Economics Club.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations for a full refund are accepted until seven days prior to an in-person event. Once the deadline is past, there is no refund for those who have registered for an in-person event and cancelled, and unpaid registrations will be billed for the function, whether they attend or not. Registrations may be transferred to another person upon notifying the York County Economic Alliance. No refunds are offered for cancellations of virtual event registrations, however a credit for a future virtual event can be applied for cancellations given within 48 hours of the event.
