Esports event holder DreamHack has enlisted Guy Blomberg to direct its North American division.
As noted by DreamHack, Blomberg has extensive leadership with video game-related events, and held leadership positions for E3, PAX, and Comic-Con. In addition to event planning, he serves on the board of directors for the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) and founded the Games Industry Gathering (GIG) networking group.
It's because of his previous event experience that he was brought on to DreamHack. In the press release, festival VP Shahin Zarrabi acknowledged how he "built some of the world’s most renowned [video game] events, and we’re thrilled to have his expertise as we shape the future of our festivals in North America."
"DreamHack is such an established and beloved brand, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to take the reins of its North American festivals," added Blomberg. While noting the "weird time" for game events (such as E3's on-again/off-again status), he stressed the significance of in-person events for the industry.
"I want to build [DreamHack] into a broader festival and celebration of all types of games, especially with its already existing appeal to the younger generation of players," Blomberg said in a recent interview with Game Developer.
We also asked Blomberg about working with Dreamhack, whose parent company, ESL FaceIt Group, is owned by Savvy Games. Savvy is backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), but Blomberg assured that Savvy has nothing to do with the event organizer.
"[ESL FaceIt] and its brands like DreamHack are very much independent," explained Blomberg. "I’m not concerned, as Savvy is a commercial entity and isn’t involved in our day-to-day or direction."
He went on to stress that his role concerns "[growing] the festivals here in North America, so I’m focused entirely on this region. [...] ESL FaceIt believe in DreamHack and its values, and we’ll continue to follow the core vision, which is to create positive and inclusive festivals."
The first DreamHack event to feature Blomberg's involvement will be the Atlanta, GA festival on December 15-17, followed by one in Dallas, TX (from May 31-June 2, 2024) and another in Atlanta (October 4-6, 2024).