“For me, coordinating the event required hard work, developed self-confidence, and honed interpersonal skills. It was a rewarding experience – seeing everything the class put into it successfully come together had to be the best part.”  Those words are from Amber Lenard, one of the twelve students in Dr. Peggy Keiper’s event management class that hosted the inaugural UAF eSports & Gaming Summit on March 30, 2019.  Amber was one of the five in-person students who served as committee chairs for the event.  Seven online students served on respective committees and supported the committee chairs in the event planning and execution. The Summit was an absolute success, drawing in over 300 participants throughout the day!

The overall mission of the event was to provide an interdisciplinary platform for anyone interested in gaming to expand the fields of eSports and gaming in the State of Alaska. The event included eSports and gaming experts from around the country, including a SOM alumna, Cricket Carlson. Cricket is the Games Community Manager for Rooster Teeth, a prominent media and entertainment company that has over 45 million subscribers to its YouTube network.

Almost 40 organizations, both local and national, supported the eSports and Gaming Summit in the form of sponsorships. Students from the event management class secured the majority of the sponsorships, which included gift certificates, booth displays, and swag bag items. The grand prize at the event was a gaming chair donated by Gravity Games. Students from across the UA system, teens and children from the community, and adults from across Alaska all gathered to celebrate gaming. Aside from the give away items, another major showcase of the event was the Smash Bros Tournament, which had 73 registered participants.

The students from the event management class, along with some support from Professor Keiper and SOM staff, planned and executed every aspect of the event, including marketing, logistics, budgeting, hospitality, and sponsorship.  In the words of student Brittany Richards: “Being a part of the eSports and Gaming Summit planning committee was the best learning experience I could have asked for. From the beginning of the semester, it was very clear to see that we had a big job ahead of us, which definitely had many challenging times and stressful moments. However, it was all worth it when it came to the day of the event, seeing so many people happy and enjoying the experience. I am extremely grateful for this real-life work experience that you don’t get in many other classes.”