Patrick Kelly is the Senior Sales Manager at Discover Peoria, the convention and visitors bureau driving tourism and economic growth across the Peoria, Illinois area. With a landmark collegiate esports event on the horizon, he’s making the case that mid-sized markets can compete on the national stage.
Tell us about Discover Peoria and how you came to be involved in esports.
We promote the Peoria area to attract visitors and grow the local economy — and we’re always looking for new ways to do that. Esports is a natural fit for that mission. It brings in a new demographic, fills hotel rooms, and puts our destination in front of an audience that might not have considered us otherwise. What really drew us in was the community around it — passionate fans, dedicated competitors, and an industry that’s still figuring out where its next great event cities will be. We saw an opportunity to raise our hand early, put Peoria on that list, and do something bold. So we did.
What is Future Play in Peoria, and what makes it unique?
Future Play is our flagship event, scheduled for October 2026 at the Peoria Civic Center. It will be the first national collegiate championship of its kind — students from across the country competing in Rocket League, wrapped in a live music and fan experience. It’s not just a tournament. It’s a full destination event designed to be embedded into the community economically, experientially, and strategically.
How do you define success for an event like this?
Successful integration goes well beyond booking hotel rooms. For Future Play specifically, we’re measuring year-over-year growth and relying on continuous feedback from our production partner, Cinematic. The long-term goal is to establish Peoria as a premier location for esports events — a place athletes, fans, and organizers want to return to.
What partnerships have been most important to getting here?
Several partners have been instrumental. The Peoria Civic Center identified esports as a primary growth demographic early on. Enjoy Illinois and the City of Peoria made significant financial investments. Cinematic is managing tournament production, concert planning, and interactive activations — and they believed in our community from the start. Sports Illinois has been a great collaborator across state CVBs, and ESTA has connected us with industry expertise and key leaders we wouldn’t have found otherwise.
You’ve been an ESTA member for about six months. What’s been the value so far?
We get to be part of something that’s still taking shape — events like the Virtual Coffee Hour and the EsportsNext conference drop us into a community of people openly sharing what’s working and what isn’t. Everyone has been encouraging. We’re learning quickly and hoping to become one of the industry’s leading event destinations.
