FETC Partners with Esports Association to Introduce All-New Session Content for 2020

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The Future  of  Education Technology Conference and National Association of Esports Coaches and Directors have created professional development sessions focused on esports in K-12 education

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.―December 5, 2019 ―The National Future of Education Technology® Conference (FETC®) today announced a program partnership with the National Association of Esports Coaches and Directors (NAECAD) that will bring professional development content covering esports programs to FETC 2020. The sessions are part of the conference’s Future of Ed Tech Administrator track and are designed to give leaders an understanding of how to create, finance and manage successful esports teams and programs in their schools.

“Esports are experiencing rapid growth not only as an engaging extracurricular activity at the scholastic level, but as an expanding source of available college scholarships and a billion-dollar industry rivaling many of the traditional professional sports leagues. In recognition of these trends, we find it important to support education leaders in building successful esports programs that will give the students in their respective schools and districts an opportunity to participate and succeed,” said Dr. Robert M. Avossa, Senior Vice President & Publisher, LRP Media Group. “As true experts in the space, NAECAD is an ideal partner in developing high-quality program content to address the key topics in K-12 esports, and together we look forward to introducing this content to FETC participants.”

NAECAD is the primary professional organization for competitive esports coaches and directors at all levels of competitive play, including club, high school, college and professional. The organization’s vision is for esports to be viewed as a prominent competitive sport with highly trained NAECAD members leading the professional development, growth and quality of competitive esports. Esports have grown rapidly in popularity, and there are more opportunities and earnings available to those who wish to enter the field professionally, making this an important topic for FETC as the conference continues in its efforts to equip educators of all roles to leverage technology to prepare students for success.

“There is no question partnering with FETC strengthens NAECAD’s ability to share with technology leaders the many ways competitive esports is impacting a population that previously had not been given such opportunities,” said Dr. Jay Prescott, Executive Director of NAECAD.  “We are looking forward to explaining the benefits of esports and helping attendees bring these exciting activities to their schools.”

FETC 2020 will have a total of 10 esports sessions developed in conjunction with NAECAD. Spread over three days with at least two options each day, these sessions will cover all aspects of esports programs in K-12, from getting started to building a truly competitive program. The sessions include:

Sessions on Wednesday, January 15

•  Esports Programs: How to Start and Make an Impact on Campus Stakeholders―This session, presented by Kurt Melcher, will look at the “why” of starting an esports program, as well as the exploding growth and early stages of development of K-12 competitive esports.

•  Esports Financing: Fundraising, Finding Corporate Sponsors, Budgeting―Presented by Chris Haskell, this session will explain how schools have raised more than $750,000 from some of the most unlikely sources to build their first-year esports programs.

•  Esports: Understanding the Athletes, Fans, and Gaming Culture―Presenters Ramsey Jamoul and Jonathan Long will help participants understand how esports athletes develop and what makes the difference between good and great performers.

Sessions on Thursday, January 16

•  Esports Technology: Hardware, Infrastructure, and Games―Presenter Josh Pann will explain how to design a practice and competition space that can easily expand as the K-12 esports program grows, what games to play, how to purchase them and what support is needed.

•  Esports Arenas and Facilities: What to Build and How to Build It―This session, presented by Michael Jones and Derek Spinell, will cover the key elements of building an esports arena and facility to give the K-12 esports program an excellent practice and competition space.

•  Esports Organization: The Benefits of Joining an Esports Association―Presenters Mark Deppe and Gerald Solomon will discuss the benefits and resources the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) brings to schools starting scholastic esports programs.

•  Esports in K12: What, Why, and How!― In this panel discussion with J Collins, Liz Newbury and Steve Isaacs, participants will get up-to-speed on the rapid growth of esports: what it is, why it matters and how to participate.

•  Esports Athletes: Recruitment, Retention, and Scholarships―Presenters Dana Hustedt and Jay Prescott will explain the ins and outs of the process of recruiting and retaining student-athletes for esports programs in middle and high school.

 Sessions on Friday, January 17

•  Esports Leadership, Vision, and Program Development Panel Discussion―This panel will feature Chris Aviles, Mark Deppe, Kurt Melcher, Jason Bauer and Dana Hustedt, and will take a deep dive into topics such as creating campus interest and developing a proposal to add an esports program, developing a budget, hiring a coaching staff, and much more.

•  Esports Case Studies: The Good, the Great, the Challenges―This session, presented by Chris Aviles and Steve Isaacs, will describe the evolution of esports at two different schools; lessons learned about what it takes to develop, grow and manage a program; and the “gotchas” and “wish-we’d-have-knowns” from experience with esports.

In addition to the esports session content at FETC 2020, the conference’s Expo Hall will feature FETC’s first-ever Esports Arena, powered by CDW-G. The interactive arena will provide attendees an opportunity to engage in live game play and discover the types of equipment and furniture available to create high-quality esports facilities. They will also have opportunities to attend presentations and participate in demonstrations throughout the conference.

FETC 2020 will take place from January 14-17 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami, Fla.  The conference will feature keynotes by Daniel Pink and Justin Shaifer, along with the return of the popular TechSHARE LIVE!, presented by Adam Bellow, Hall Davidson, Leslie Fisher and Kathy Schrock. For additional information and to register, educators and administrators can visit fetc.org/register or call toll-free 1-800-727-1227.  Attendees are encouraged to register before December 7, 2019, to save up to $100 by securing the Early Bird rate.

 About the Future  of  Education Technology® Conference (FETC®)

The Future  of  Education Technology Conference (FETC) annually attracts thousands of education and technology leaders for an intensive, highly collaborative exploration of new technologies, best practices and pressing issues. With basic to advanced sessions tailored to the needs of each role in the digital transformation, FETC is known as one of the nation’s premier preK-12 education technology events. FETC provides school and district administrators, classroom teachers, IT professionals, special education directors, curriculum and media specialists, and other educators with roles or interest in ed tech, the opportunity to explore the most effective integration of technology across the curriculum. FETC offers a balanced blend of administrative, instructional and technical content through targeted sessions, intensive workshops, hands-on demonstrations of the newest products, and more. Visit fetc.org for more details.

About LRP Media Group

LRP Media Group, founded in 1977 by Kenneth Kahn, is an innovative media giant serving millions of business and education professionals worldwide. Specializing in education administration, education law, education technology, federal employment, human resources, workers’ compensation and disability, LRP produces thousands of books, pamphlets, newsletters, videos and online resources. The company also produces five industry-leading print and digital magazines for key decision-makers: District Administration, Human Resources Executive®, HRM Asia, Risk & Insurance® and University Business. Additionally, LRP annually delivers top-quality training and professional development to more than 80,000 professionals through its 13 award-winning conferences and tradeshows in China, Singapore and the United States. LRP currently employs more than 500 professionals in its Connecticut, Florida, Pennsylvania, Singapore and Washington, D.C. offices. Headquartered in Palm Beach County since 1996, the company has more than $70 million in annual revenue. For a complete list of LRP resources, eCourses and conferences, please visit www.lrp.com.

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