27 Feb The First eSports City Talks Andorra Closes with Sold-out Tickets
Andorra la Vella, February 22, 2024. Andorra has been the scene of the first eSports City Talks, an event focused on innovation within the esports and video game community and organized by Andorra Business and Encom, which has ended with sold-out tickets. The day was divided into three content areas: the integration of esports into urban development and as an economic driver; the innovative role of blockchain technology; and the exploration of synergies between gaming and education.
The Minister of Presidency, Economy, Labor and Housing, and president of Andorra Business, Conxita Marsol, who opened the event, recalled that “for the Government of Andorra this is a priority sector. In fact, we have been working for almost 4 years to position the country as a benchmark in this sector.” She pointed out that “the objective is to position Andorra as a technological hub and a recognized destination for the development of this type of business, to facilitate the landing of companies in the sector and to promote the attraction of this type of tourism to the country with the organization and promotion of various events.”
The director of Andorra Business, Judit Hidalgo, highlighted that “the day has allowed us to learn about the latest trends in the sector firsthand thanks to some of the most important international leaders of the moment who have come to Andorra to share their knowledge. In addition, it has been a good opportunity for video game professionals from different countries to have professional contacts and exchange ideas about an industry in constant evolution.”
For his part, the director of Encom, Arturo Castelló, remarked that “we are very happy with the success of the eSports City Talks and the positioning of Andorra within the esports sector. We extend our special thanks to Andorra Business for their indispensable collaboration and our distinguished speakers for enriching the event with their valuable contributions.”
This first edition featured American, French and Spanish speakers such as: Loren Gold, Executive Vice President of Greater Raleigh, Edward Tomasi, co-founder of Subnation, Michael Haenisch, Managing Director of Freaks 4U; Christina Macedo, COO of Ready Games; Christoffer Melin, CEO of CTRL Events, among others. The event was organized with the collaboration of the Comú d’Andorra la Vella, Andorra Turisme, Assegur, Esports City League and Creand.
The speakers analyzed the situation of the video game world from different perspectives, and its implications for education, the economy of cities and the innovations that are being worked on in a sector that, according to data from Newzoo, moved more than 1.3 billion euros last year.
Andorra, a benchmark for esports
In recent years, Andorra has become a stronghold for video games. It has recently hosted events such as the eSports City Fest Andorra; an international event that is held in the country and is the most important circuit of amateur esports competitions linked to DreamHack Spain. In addition, the Andorran government, together with Andorra Business, has recently developed a strategic plan to position the Pyrenean country as an actor in the value chain of the esports industry and sector. In fact, Andorra is the second country in Europe and the fifth in the world to approve a law that regulates this sector and the first to approve the development of a strategic plan.
