Inspired by the sheer amount of access to career opportunities for connection and growth in STEM and creative fields that make up the esports universe, my investment in this field was set in stone when I founded the Esports Trade Association in 2017. I’d been keeping my eye on the industry since the beginning and recognized the need for support from a trade association where stakeholders, organizations, leagues, and players can come together to thrive as an industry. As a managing director of varying types of nonprofit organizations throughout my years in business, I've always loved creating functional structures for teams to thrive. Through our programs, Esports Trade Asoociation promotes, protects, and advances the vibrant, ever-evolving space that is the esports industry.

While the Esports Trade Association is ultimately here to serve the esports consumer, we are focused on the stakeholders and organizations that are invested in the sustainability and growth of this industry. Our offerings have created an ethical structure and community committed to facing the business challenges of this industry. Esports Trade Association is a united platform that educates the public on what esports is as well as a space to examine what resources to create as the industry expands while building a supportive community for all those involved. We are a community of members whose benefits include educational and professional development opportunities (i.e. webinars, podcasts), industry best practices, relevant research, networking opportunities including the annual conference, and more.

I invite you to learn more about us and get involved as a member, sponsor, or partner. Together, we have the opportunity to support this industry during a time of unprecedented growth and to make a substantial difference for generations to come.

I am excited for your voice to join our passionate team and to see what we can all build together.

Best regards,

Megan Van Petten
Founder  |  Esports Trade Association

This is an exciting time in the sports and entertainment industry. Individuals are more connected than ever before, traditional sports leagues are struggling to fill stadiums, young consumers are difficult to engage, and competitive gaming is growing like wildfire. Gamers have been competing for over 20 years, but just recently, esports has hit the mainstream. Leagues and teams, formed on a global scale, are receiving investments from major brands and backers who are struggling to understand the space.

Inside the industry, this growth is exciting, but new opportunities present new challenges that teams and leagues have never faced before. For the first time, an organization’s business plan, investment strategy, and ability to activate partnerships can be more significant to their survival than wins and losses. For an industry that generates the bulk of its revenue in sponsorship dollars, but has had difficulty identifying key metrics and has been slow to generate ROI for most sponsors, it is incredibly important that we form a firm foundation through best practices and guidance from the esports community, and supported by business professionals with complementary experience, that the esports industry now requires.

This is why I joined the Esports Trade Association and why I am excited and honored to serve as the Board Chair.

Our mission is to bring together players, teams, leagues, publishers, fans, and others inside and outside the esports space to support and strengthen sustainable growth for our industry through shared collaboration, consultation, annual conferences, and professional development opportunities.

Let me be clear, our first and greatest need is to ensure that esports stays true to itself and is driven by the gaming community to keep the interest of gamers and fans first and foremost. Next, we need to add to this core group with the help of professionals from outside our community to come alongside us and support the growth of esports. We need production and event coordinators, city and state governments, business developers, talent coordinators, engineers, analysts, designers…..WE NEED YOU!!

Join us to help strengthen this industry and support sustainable growth. To learn more about becoming a member of Esports Trade Association, please visit our membership page or contact us at [email protected]. Together, we can help fans and competitors pursue their passion for decades to come.

John Davidson
Chair, Esports Trade Association