See why The Conduit is presenting at Esports Travel Summit

Ryerson’s dedicated video games and esports research lab, The Conduit (external link, opens in new window) , has been invited by Destination Toronto (external link, opens in new window) , an important city tourism resource, to represent the city at the world renown EsportsTravel Summit (external link, opens in new window)  this month in Pittsburgh, PA. From December 14 to 16, The Conduit’s Director of Operations, Geoffrey Lachapelle (external link, opens in new window) , will be presenting at the international event with the goal of highlighting how committed Toronto is about hosting major esports events in the city going forward.

As a former competitive Halo 3 and Magic: The Gathering player, Lachapelle says his work is all about video games. His goal with The Conduit, along with the lab’s Director of Research, Dr. Kristopher Alexander, is to focus on the legitimization of video games and esports industries via academic publication and creative content dissemination. 

Toronto takes a prominent stance in the global esports industry

According to their website, the EsportsTravel Summit (external link, opens in new window)  is the world’s largest gathering of esports tournament and video-game event organizers, and the only event focused on the travel side of the esports industry. The Summit’s unique mission is to educate stakeholders on the nexus between venues, destinations, event supplies, the travel industry, and esports. 

At the summit, Destination Toronto will host the Toronto Lounge - a prominent display and major point of traffic at the summit. Participating in the event is an effort by the city to put Toronto's entire esports community and industry centre stage. 

The summit will be a unique opportunity for Destination Toronto and their supporters from The Creative School and OverActive Media (external link, opens in new window) , an esports and entertainment company, to showcase the potential for prominence within the global esports industry. This is further supported by the latest announcement by video game developer, Riot Games (external link, opens in new window)  that part of the World Championship Semifinals of the extremely popular video game, League of Legends, will be hosted at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena in 2022 (external link, opens in new window) . 

With key spokespeople like Lachapelle, the goal of attending the summit is to push for deeper investment and growth of the industry in Toronto as it continues to surge in popularity around the world. 

Paving the way for bigger partnerships

“This partnership adds to The Creative School’s already growing support from companies,” says Alexander. “Support like Red Bull (external link, opens in new window)  and Inven Global (external link, opens in new window) . And it further highlights Toronto's commitment to esports, interactive 3D & video game technology.”

The invitation to participate in an event of this scale shows both Toronto and The Creative School’s relevant and impactful place within the esports industry, and ways the learning and vocational opportunities available will attract major esports industry players on a global scale, says Lachapelle. 

“When we open the Red Bull Gaming Lab in the Rogers Communication Centre, it's going to allow us to host competitive events, “ says Lachapelle. “It will allow us to host the new classes and engage with the student community for sports in a way that most schools only dream of being able to do.” 

Learn more about The Conduit here (external link, opens in new window) . 

The Creative School at Ryerson University

The Creative School is a dynamic faculty that is making a difference in new, unexplored ways. Made up of Canada’s top professional schools and transdisciplinary hubs in media, communication, design and cultural industries, The Creative School offers students an unparalleled global experience in the heart of downtown Toronto.