Raleigh hosts Esports Travel Summit as it looks to attract tournaments

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Local tourism officials, businesses, and universities are taking part in the Esports Travel Summit in Raleigh as they look to draw future events to the state.

"People are here. So, (it's) one thing to hear about it, read about it, even see videos, but actually physically coming in and seeing what they're able to offer and all the great things that we have here, how nice of an area it actually is," said Caleb Smith, co-founder of North Carolina Esports Academy in Cary.

A report by PLAYHRDR Advisors, the Greater Raleigh Esports Organizing Committee and students from the Niner Esports program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte listed Raleigh as a "Top 5 Major Esports Event Host Destination between 2021 and 2023."

"Raleigh as a destination is just amazing. The team is so involved and dedicated to Esports and this is the state-of-the-art. We would love to see this across the US with all the governments and cities involved as much as Raleigh is. We are hoping to find more opportunities in the future to bring more events to Raleigh," said Jascha Braeker, a Hospitality Manager with ESL FACEIT Group.

Previous Esports events at PNC Arena and the Raleigh Convention Center have generated millions in economic impact, including hotel books, restaurant, and retail sales. The growing presence has also been felt at the university level, with NC State utilizing a $16 million grant from the state to expand its operations.

"We are in the process of developing an Esports arena that will be opening up in a couple of years in Raleigh," said Cody Elsen, NC State's Esports Program Director.

Currently, it's treated as an extracurricular activity.

"We have over 1,000 students that are involved in Esports at NC State right now in the club, but we will definitely do varsity competitive teams at some point with structure, coaching, staff, resources," said Elsen.

Elsen explained they are working to bring events to campus, noting possible locations include Reynolds Coliseum and Hunt Library.

"A lot of the science, technology, engineering and math goes into this. Tons of analytic work, analyzing things within the game and out of the game. Then obviously it's digital, like the marketing side, the business management," said Elsen.

The establishment of such programs is a consideration for students at community colleges looking at furthering their education.

"I teach them soft skills that are leadership, time management, decision making under duress," added Tu Nguyen, the Esports Coach at Guilford Technical Community College "It is 100% a question for every student-athlete I have. They will immediately ask, 'Are there any staff-led or coach-led situations in North Carolina?'"

Drawing events to the region has also allowed students hands-on networking opportunities while allowing them to gain experience.

"What really appeals to me about being this close to Raleigh is that they can come here and there are often volunteer opportunities," said Dwayne Meekins, the Esports Coordinator at North Carolina A&T University.

On Friday, the North Carolina Esports Summit will be held at the Raleigh Convention Center, with NC Varsity Esports + STEM League High School Championship held Saturday and Sunday.