Inside DreamHack’s ambitious strategy to double its audience

DreamHack has at all times been an outlier in comparison with different gaming conventions and esports tournaments. At its core, DreamHack is a grassroots conference that scaled. The pageant began in 1994 as a LAN occasion in a college cafeteria in Sweden. Over time, it expanded to incorporate esports, music and different gaming-adjacent communities.

This “massive tent” ethos has caught with the corporate by way of two acquisitions — first by ESL Gaming’s parent company after which by Savvy Games Group in 2022. In contrast to its ESL Faceit Group (EFG) sister manufacturers which concentrate on firmly on esports, DreamHack serves the intersection between esports and the broader gaming group. Flush with money, DreamHack and its management has formidable plans to develop the pageant’s viewers.

DreamHack’s ‘Massive Tent’ technique

DreamHack’s one-of-a-kind method blends esports tournaments with a consumer-facing conference. Final weekend, DreamHack San Diego (DHSD) hosted esports tournaments — each skilled and grassroots — in a wide range of video games alongside exhibitors, manufacturers and artists on the present ground.

DreamHack additionally understands that it could actually faucet into adjoining communities to deliver extra followers into the fold. DreamHack preserves its LAN occasion roots by way of the BYOC — Carry Your Personal Pc — part of its occasions. Equally, Magic: the Gathering tournaments are additionally welcomed underneath the umbrella.

Constructing on esports, DreamHack San Diego can also be leveraging gaming personalities and creators. The occasion featured a King of the Hill activation the place followers may compete instantly towards execs. Equally, DreamHack had a Stream Studio for creators and invited personalities Jake Fortunate and HUN2R to create content material from the present ground.

“Followers are what make esports run. DreamHack supported our imaginative and prescient of speaking to them and telling their tales,” HUN2R instructed GamesBeat.

Furthermore, DreamHack tapped into the crossover between gaming and leisure. DHSD hosted meet and greets with iconic voice actors and a screening of the Tremendous Mario Bros. Film throughout opening weekend. The occasion additionally featured a live performance with Set It Off, Metropolis of Sound and Scene Queen enjoying on the primary stage.

Uniquely positioned

“There are not any direct opponents to DreamHack that supply the entire content material that we do,” Shahin Zarrabi, DreamHack’s VP of technique & progress, instructed GamesBeat in an interview. Following each COVID and the acquisition by Savvy, the corporate noticed a possibility to increase this viewers much more. “Beforehand we have been owned by a publicly traded firm and that made you look quarter to quarter. Now we are able to look extra long-term,” Zarrabi added. 

With each a long run technique and long run funding, DreamHack can experiment with methods develop gaming tradition and its viewers. Every occasion is a big scale experiment the place the corporate can cater to the distinctive pursuits of followers in every of its host cities.

“The way forward for DreamHack is tapping into the local people. Once we’re in San Diego, the main focus is on gaming adjoining communities. For Atlanta, it’s extra targeted on the combating recreation group. In the meantime, Dallas is all about core esports,” defined Zarrabi. “We offer the framework after which every market fills it up with their native taste.”

San Diego was additionally a super alternative to succeed in out to main companions along with the native followers. Psyonix — the developer of Rocket League — selected to host the RLCS’ Winter Split Major at DreamHack. Moreover, Qualcomm — the producer of Snapdragon chips and the title sponsor of the Snapdragon Pro Series — can also be based mostly within the metropolis. About 110 of the corporate’s executives attended the occasion to be taught extra in regards to the group.

“DreamHack is an superior alternative to humanize esports for our colleagues that don’t come from a gaming background. It’s invaluable to see the true impression you’re having on a group firsthand — you possibly can’t seize that in a presentation,” stated Matthew Grossman, Qualcomm’s supervisor of product advertising and marketing for gaming and esports.

Unlocking new income streams

With its “massive tent” format, DreamHack has unlocked a novel path to monetization. The occasion can use the monetization methods of each conventional commerce exhibits — promoting ground house to exhibitors and tickets to attendees — and esports content material — partnering with manufacturers for broadcast partnerships.

“DreamHack has extra income potential than a standard commerce present by way of model partnerships and by integrating esports,” stated Craig Levine, co-CEO of ESL Faceit Group, in an interview. “Scale issues. By bringing collectively all of those completely different communities and video games, we attain a significant viewers. It lets us signal greater offers and ship nice outcomes to our companions.”

Moreover, esports tournaments hosted by DreamHack are sometimes funded by way of every writer’s esports program, reducing the fee burden in comparison with a extra commonplace esports occasion. DreamHack pitches itself as a price range pleasant alternative to faucet into the pageant’s crossover tradition and introduce video games to its attendees.

In the end, all of DreamHack’s monetization alternatives are enhanced by rising the group. The occasion organizer went into overdrive to develop its in-person attendance for San Diego. Along with an reasonably priced worth level — day passes bought for as little as $35 — the occasion additionally reached out to households and army service members.

The pageant gave away over $1 million price of tickets to native faculties. In the meantime, DreamHack additionally bought household passes that allowed mother and father to deliver youngsters underneath 13 to the occasion at a reduction. Equally, DreamHack supplied ticket reductions to members of the army. San Diego is dwelling to over 115,000 active duty service members.

These efforts labored — DHSD set a brand new report for its U.S. festivals with over 41,000 attendees. However ESL Faceit Group has extra formidable objectives.

“We would like 100,000, 200,000 attendees and also you do this by creating extra cultural momentum behind it,” Levine stated. “I feel DreamHack is probably the most thrilling alternative that we’ve got within the EFG household due to how expansive the idea could be.”