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OP Live Dallas runs Sept. 22-23, 2018 at the Irving Convention Center in Irving, Texas. Along with esports competitions, the one-of-a-kind event will feature video games created by èßäÊÓƵapp Guildhall students and alumni, pro esports player meet and greets, interactive experiences, a High School Hackathon, education about esports, exhibitor hall, video game art exhibition and more.

, the leading esports production, marketing and talent management firm, in collaboration with èßäÊÓƵapp Guildhall, the top ranked graduate school for video game design in the world, is pleased to announce OP Live Dallas, a premier eSports event taking place September 22-23, 2018 on the 50,000-sq.-ft. main floor of the  in Irving, Texas.

In partnership with , the organizations are bringing together gaming education with fan experiences for a unique event that will directly benefit local children through Children’s Health.

A Unique eSports Experience

Through their collaboration, eGency Global and èßäÊÓƵapp Guildhall will offer esports fans a unique and more robust experience than traditional esports events, the collaborators say. Beyond the interactive and engaging experience, OP Live Dallas will also showcase the multitude of career opportunities available to video game and esports devotees. èßäÊÓƵapp Guildhall alumni work for the biggest names in the video gaming industry, as well as in gamification sectors in a multitude of other industries like tech, education, business and medical.

“The session for parents will shine a light on career and education opportunities for youth in the video gaming, cybersecurity and other STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields, as well as the many upsides of the gaming community. The community is known for its supportive nature and lasting friendships,” says Chris Stone, CEO of eGency Global.

The two-day OP Live Dallas schedule will include non-stop competition and activities, opportunities to meet popular pro players, cosplayers and more. Highlights include: 

• Competitions for 16 collegiate teams and 4 pro esports teams, with prizes to be awarded.
• Showcases featuring never-before-seen games created by èßäÊÓƵapp students and alumni.
• Mini TED-like talks with industry experts.
• Interactive and personalized experiences.
• Cosplay and game art gallery.
• High School Hackathon, where students compete to identify, defend and terminate cybersecurity threats in a fictional small business.
• Fundraising to benefit Children’s Medical Center Dallas through Extra Life, a division of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

“We are excited to be part of this collaborative effort with eGency Global,” said Mark Nausha, Deputy Director of GameLab at èßäÊÓƵapp Guildhall. “OP Live will be interactive, immersive, and unique from typical esports events. We look forward to bringing this awesome fan experience to the Dallas area.” 

The entire event was designed with esports and gaming fans in mind. According to Stephanie Chavez, Director of Marketing at eGency Global, “In the past year, we’ve spoken with dozens of fans who regularly attend esports and gaming events. We wanted to find out what they love most about the events and where improvements could be made. This insight was invaluable when we were planning OP Live Dallas.”

As experts in the esports ecosystem, eGency Global used their insights to create an elevated esports event that is unmatched in the industry, says Stone. “At eGency Global, we employ the best of the best in every aspect of esports event planning and execution. When esports fans talk, not only do we listen, we make it our mission to respond with innovative solutions that will exceed their expectations. That was our goal with OP Live Dallas.”

Easy access to great, affordable food as well as lodging, restaurants and activities near the event venue are top priorities for esports event attendees. The Irving Convention Center was chosen specifically for this reason. In addition, several popular local food trucks will be on site both days.

eGency Global estimates attendance of approximately 7,000 for the two-day event. Numerous sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities are available to organizations looking to reach fans in the burgeoning esports space.

Partnering with GameStop

According to eGency Global Marketing Director Stephanie Chavez, the partnership with GameStop is a perfect fit.

“We’re very excited that GameStop is partnering with us for the launch of OP Live Dallas. As the world’s largest video game retailer,  GameStop knows what video gaming and esports fans want, need and expect,” says Chavez. “Collaborating with an organization that understands the needs of the players and is willing to support them like GameStop does is an honor. We look forward to partnering with GameStop for years to come,”

Eric Bright, Vice President of Merchandising for GameStop said,  “I’m a big fan of the èßäÊÓƵapp Guildhall program. After learning a little bit about OP Live  I was eager to find a way for GameStop to be involved. There are few events as all-encompassing as OP Live and centered on esports. I love that the event gives college and high school students the opportunity to compete as well as watch the pros. The team at èßäÊÓƵapp has done a great job at bringing together the esports community in unique way,  which fits perfectly with GameStop’s focus on bringing the excitement of this growing phenomenon to all fans."

Benefiting Children's Health

The money from the collaborative event will be donated to , a charitable organization founded by video gamers in 2008 and dedicated to “Playing Games to Help Local Kids.” The organization has raised more than $40 million since it began and in 2010, Extra Life became affiliated with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Local gamers will be raising funds prior to OP Live Dallas and while they compete at the event.

“As a member of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, the fact that funds raised locally stay local is important to both us and the gamers who raise funds for Extra Life,” Children’s Health Manager of Corporate Engagement Aracely Muñoz said. “We couldn’t be more excited that OP Live Dallas will benefit the children we serve, while raising awareness about Children’s Health as a charity of choice.”èßäÊÓƵapp Guildhall is an ongoing supporter of Extra Life and hosts an annual game-a-thon to raise money for their local Children's Miracle Network Hospital. This began several years ago under the vision and direction of one of the program's graduate students and has organically grown through enthusiastic student support every year since. The 24-hour game marathons take immense student planning, and the Guildhall faculty and staff have admired how this student-led passion project has spawned a commitment to philanthropy and Games For Good by hundreds of students since its inception.

"We are extremely proud of how our students have dedicated themselves to their work with Extra Life year after year. Our 2017 student-led Extra Life game-a-thon raised over $15,000 to help local children, and we are thrilled to be able to extend that partnership now to OP Live Dallas,” said Mark Nausha, Deputy Director of GameLab at èßäÊÓƵapp Guildhall. “We have seen the impact this organization has for families in our community and beyond, and we are glad to have the ability to continue supporting Children's Miracle Network in new ways.”

The impact Children’s Health has on the children of North Texas is far greater than people realize. Not only is it the second busiest pediatric health care provider in the nation, Children’s Health is a nationally ranked Best Hospital in 10 specialties by U.S. News and World Report. Most important, Children’s Health works tirelessly to provide the best level of care for every patient and family who walks through its doors.”

Along with its Children’s Medical Center locations in Dallas and Plano and Our Children’s House specialty hospital, Children’s Health also serves North Texas children at 18 specialty centers and through partnerships with UT Southwestern, CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System and others. The organization also collaborates with 100 local schools to provide care through mobile units sent for onsite visits and its innovative telehealth initiatives.

Since working together with Extra Life, Muñoz said she’s been impressed by how passionate the èßäÊÓƵapp Guildhall students are about playing video games for a cause.

“We’ve worked closely with Extra Life and èßäÊÓƵapp Guildhall for some time now. The fact that the decision to fundraise was student-driven is telling,” Muñoz said. “Philanthropic skills are something we learn along the way. It’s not typically something you can teach. These students are learning about philanthropy from one another, which is inspiring.”

More information is available at  
View the event lineup and learn more in our downloadable OP Live Program

To learn more about attending OP Live Dallas visit . For information on sponsorship opportunities (digital, event app, brand activations, signage, event/activity/workshop sponsor, broadcasting rights, food truck zone and more) or securing exhibitor space, contact Ward Eastman, eGency Global Director, Strategic Alliances at 214-957-7870 or weastman@egencyglobal.com.

Related links: 

About GameStop Corp.:

, the world’s largest video game retailer, offers the best selection of new and pre-owned video gaming consoles, accessories and video game titles, in both physical and digital formats. GameStop also offers fans a wide variety of pop vinyl toys, collectibles, board games and more. Through GameStop’s unique buy-sell-trade program, gamers can trade in video game consoles, games, and accessories, as well as consumer electronics for cash or in-store credit. The retailer operates thousands of locations around the world under the GameStop, EB Games and Micromania retail brands. Fans can find their local GameStop store using the company’s online .

About eGency Global:

eGency Global is one of the most experienced esports firms in North America, offering a full suite of services from event production, customer/fan engagement, sponsorship and talent marketing to data analytics, media and strategic marketing. eGency Global is the leading strategic partner in helping brands, event and media properties, and teams looking to navigate and capitalize on the rapidly expanding esports ecosystem.

About èßäÊÓƵapp Guildhall:

èßäÊÓƵapp Guildhall is the . Many of the school’s founders are industry icons, and classes are taught by industry veterans. Since 2003, the program has graduated over 700 students, who now work at more than 250 video game studios around the world. èßäÊÓƵapp Guildhall offers both a Master of Interactive Technology in Digital Game Development degree and a Professional Certificate of Interactive Technology in Digital Game Development, with specializations in Art, Design, Production, and Programming.