RALEIGH, N.C. (PRWEB) June 14, 2021
Carolina Games Summit and the XP League will co-host the first major in-person esports event in 2021 at the Raleigh Convention Center from August 6-8, 2021. XP League will be hosting its inaugural North American Finals, and the Carolina Games Summit will be hosting its 15th annual esports and gaming event.
“We are excited to announce our first live 2021 esports event will debut in downtown Raleigh North Carolina, a city known for it’s game development, esports, and tech companies,” states Michael Everett, Creative Director for Carolina Games Summit. “The Raleigh Convention Center and Sheraton Raleigh Hotel give us access to the incredible technology and massive amount of space required to host the 2021 XP League North American Finals and Carolina Games Summit simultaneously.”
Carolina Games Summit has been continually hosting professionally run esports events since 2006. Their downtown Raleigh debut will quadruple the size of last year's event by expanding to over 50,000 square feet of ballroom space between the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel and the Raleigh Convention Center. Over 30 esports tournaments across all competitive genres including fighting games, first person shooters, racing, sports games, and more will be showcased on hundreds of consoles and high end gaming PCs.
Speakers and educational sessions covering game development, esports, and technology will span all three days. Exhibitor booths, local artists, cosplay, tabletop gaming and unlimited freeplay on the latest consoles and PC hardware will be returning and expanded for the 2021 event. Carolina Games Summit ticket holders will also have the ability to watch the XP League North American Finals live including all preliminary competitions related to their tournaments on Saturday August 7th and Sunday August 8th.
XP League’s North American Finals will include 32 of their top performing teams from around the US and Canada. These 224 kids, aged 8-15 years old, have been preparing for their invitation to showcase their skills at this event over several seasons.
The event is the first of its kind for children in this age group. Over the course of two intense days of game play, an XP League North American Champion Team will emerge victorious. With all the elements, feelings, and spectacle of a professional esports event, the stage is set for an unprecedented experience.
“XPL’s North American Finals are positioned to set a new standard of competitive gaming championships for school age kids. It’s the crown jewel of the XP League model and invites the best of the best to meet in a fun, positive, and professional experience,” says XP League CEO, Jay Melamed. “I’m beyond excited to welcome these young, yet phenomenal, esport athletes to our home town in such a big way. I know that what we have planned, together with Carolina Games Summit (CGS) and Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee (GRELOC), will be on a whole new level. Raleigh and CGS have been wonderful to work with and are bringing our vision to life. We have put all the right pieces in place for this to be the Little League World Series of esports.”
The event being held in Raleigh is no coincidence. The Greater Raleigh area is home to numerous video game and esports companies, including leading developers Epic Games and Ubisoft, PC manufacturer Lenovo, open source software company Red Hat and tech giants Apple and Google. With hundreds of innovative technology companies headquartered in the region, plus a number of world-class universities and colleges, Greater Raleigh is well-positioned to become a global leader in the esports community.
"The Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee (GRELOC) has not stopped advocating for, hosting and supporting esports and gaming programs before, during or after the global pandemic," states Loren Gold, Executive Vice President for Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau and Co-Chair of GRELOC. "With highly successful events from the R6 Major Raleigh, The Triangle Esports Championship to the on-line PUBG Mobile competition, as we move to recovery and return to live event activations, we couldn’t be more thrilled with our partnership with Carolina Games Summit and XP League. The events target two very important pieces in Greater Raleigh’s esports ecosystem; youth and regional esports programs respectively. We look forward to making this a highly successful and sustainable part of the Greater Raleigh esports annual events calendar."
Carolina Games Summit tickets are available to the public and may be purchased online or at the door. Visit the official web site, http://www.CarolinaGamesSummit.com, for the latest information on tournaments, speakers, and event attractions. Contact the event organizers at info@carolinagamessummit.com for more information on attending, exhibiting or speaking at the Carolina Games Summit.
About XP League
XP League is the first-to-market youth esports league franchise that bridges the gap between conventional youth athletics and competitive esports. Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs with backgrounds in the franchising, entertainment and construction industries, XP League provides an innovative program that fosters social skills and sportsmanship through a positive, certified coach-led structure. Launched in September 2020, XP League has quickly grown to 37 territories in 17 states across the U.S. and Canada. With its low capital expenditure and easy to scale “League in a Box” business model, XP League’s simplistic operations allows franchisees to open additional territories and establish a market presence much quicker than other industries. Please visit http://www.xpleague.gg to learn more.
About Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee (GRELOC)
The Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee (GRELOC) is supported by a diverse group of local civic, sports and business leaders who are interested in growing esports and gaming activities. GRELOC helps stimulate the local economy and serves Greater Raleigh by helping it actively participate in the fastest-growing segment of the entertainment industry. GRELOC helps bring esports events, leagues, tournaments, teams, players and other related gaming activities to the Greater Raleigh area, and supports the local gaming community and scholastic programs. PLAY. WATCH. MAKE. http://raleighsports.gg
About Carolina Games Summit
Carolina Games Summit® hosts events throughout the year to give amateur esports enthusiasts access to high quality tournaments as well as industry advice and contacts. Our goal is to provide a clear path for all individuals seeking a career in esports or games development through scholarships, educational opportunities, and professionally run tournaments. Additional information can be found on the official web site: http://www.CarolinaGamesSummit.com