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.
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.
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.