Industry Leaders and Elite Esports Elites Gather at Cyberport as Digital Entertainment Continues Steadfast Growth
HONG KONG SAR – 10 December 2021 – The grand opening of the annual Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum (DELF) took place at Cyberport today, with Zhang Zhihua, Director General of the Youth Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Dr David Chung, JP, Under Secretary for Innovation and Technology of the HKSAR, Dr George Lam, Chairman of Cyberport, and Peter Yan, CEO of Cyberport as Guests of Honour.
Held in a hybrid format of online and in-person participation, the three-day forum brings together more than 70 overseas and local speakers to discuss under the theme “Infinity Games – Breaking the Limits of Digital Entertainment”. Participants will be able to immerse themselves in digital entertainment and esports experiences with “sea”, “land”, and “air” elements, including 10 esports tournaments and show matches, over 40 live and on-demand forum discussions as well as game experiences and workshops.
In his welcome remarks, Dr. George Lam said, “Digital entertainment has seen a robust year both in terms of popularity and profitability. The flourishing technology-driven industry is leading the global entertainment and media markets to continuous growth, with no signs of slowing down. Cyberport has been committed to promoting and facilitating the development of digital entertainment and esports by organising various events and programmes to enable the industry to expand their network, generate business opportunities and nurture new talents. By taking advantage of Cyberport’s state-of-the-art facilities and value-added services, we look forward to seeing local industry players unleash their creativity, showcase their ingenuity on our platforms, and provide more quality and diverse services and products to tap into local and overseas markets.”
Dr. Lam also pointed out that there are currently around 150 companies in the digital entertainment and esports cluster within the Cyberport ecosystem, and that the two esports related support schemes have been met with great enthusiasm, with the Esports Internship Scheme having provided 79 internships for 39 employers, and with the in-demand Esports Industry Facilitation Scheme having approved more than 140 grants with a 17% increase over the past year, reflecting the vibrancy of the industry despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
DELF has invited speakers from the United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, Mainland China and Hong Kong. During the first day of the event, Adam Simon, US Head of Innovation of UM, and Senior Vice President Strategy of IPG Media Lab, shared his insights on how to succeed in the future of entertainment amid the industry’s rapid changes and the abundance of information facing the audience every day. Dr Max Howard, former Animation Producer and Studio Executive of Walt Disney, Warner Bros. Feature Animation and Dreamworks, discussed the impact on cinemas and the traditional way of distribution brought by the emerging appetite for streaming services witnessed during the worldwide pandemic.
Michelle Zhao, Director of Global Gaming for GCR of Meta, urged the gaming industry to pursuit the trend in streaming, and combine their creativity with streaming elements to attract more users and enhance brand value. Cesar Caceres, Technical Head of APAC of disguise explored the future of movie shooting with virtual set technologies. Becky Yeung, Regional Head of Brand Partnerships of Warner Music Asia, noted that music and gaming industries are already working together more closely than ever, with the possibility of further integration in the future. Other speakers highlighted topics such as winning digital strategies for Mainland China, and global scaling of Hong Kong digital entertainment.
In the afternoon, the “Tech Track” and “Venturer Track” breakout sessions featured international and local professionals speaking on hot topics such as brand marketing and art creation in metaverse, extended reality, artificial intelligence, 5G and 6G technologies, as well as analysing other growth trends in technology and innovation.
The “Talent Track” breakout session tomorrow will feature topics on talent cultivation including the role of women in gaming, the gamification of STEM education, and the development of educational esports programmes. The spotlight event APRU Esports MetaGame Conference 2021 will be held in the morning, where local and overseas leaders will discuss digital skills of the future and universities’ role in preparing the next generation of innovators and changemakers, as well as how esports can offer pathways to careers through international collaboration.
A series of spectacular tournaments will be presented in the following two days, while workshops and Experience Zone will be open till this Sunday.
About Cyberport
Cyberport is an innovative digital community with around 800 on-site start-ups and technology companies. It is managed by Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, which is wholly owned by the Hong Kong SAR Government. With a vision to be the hub for digital technology, thereby creating a new economic driver for Hong Kong, Cyberport is committed to nurturing a vibrant tech ecosystem by cultivating talent, promoting entrepreneurship among youth, supporting start-ups on their growth journey, fostering industry development by promoting strategic collaboration with local and international partners, and integrating new and traditional economies by accelerating digital transformation in the public and private sectors.
