From HBO’s hit show Westworld to the popular role-playing video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the world of entertainment has long been inspired by science fiction. This is also the inspiration behind GamesBeat, VentureBeat’s annual flagship gaming event, which focuses on the ways games, sci-fi, and tech converge to create “real-world magic.” For this year’s event, gaming executives, publishers, entertainment industry professionals, and sci-fi experts from around the world will convene in Berkeley, CA, on May 1-2, at the historic Claremont Resort Hotel.
Dean Takahashi, VentureBeat’s games editor and founder of GamesBeat, is a huge fan of the Star Wars franchise. Not surprisingly, a featured speaker at this year’s GamesBeat will be Gary Whitta, the screenwriter of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, who will share his insights about inspirational sources of creativity. Another featured guest is Akshay Khanna, vice president of strategy at the Philadelphia 76ers, a traditional sports team that has taken a lead in investing in esports organizations. Khanna will engage in a fireside chat with Greg Richardson, chairman of Team Dignitas, the international esports team that the 76ers acquired in 2016. The two will discuss the strategy behind their alliance and how they see esports evolving in coming years.
Other notable speakers at the GamesBeat Summit 2017 will include Jamil Moledina, games strategic lead at Google Play; Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games; Richard Marks of Sony PlayStation; and Owen Mahoney, CEO of Nexon. To guarantee your opportunity to meet with these and other industry leaders and to network with fellow game fans, book your ticket now here.