With the global esports ecosystem moving at pace as ever, the industry is turning its eyes to Germany this June. Global Esports Industry Week (GEIW) 2026 is landing in Cologne alongside the iconic IEM Cologne Counter-Strike Major Finals, promising a massive week of high-level dealmaking, strategy, discussion, learning, socialising and networking.
Behind the scenes of this joint collaboration between The Esports Radar (TER) and the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) is Sam Cooke, CEO of The Insights Group. We sat down with Sam to discuss the evolution of the GEIW event and why this year’s summit is an unmissable stop for industry veterans and newcomers alike.
Along the conversation, Cooke shows his attention with one single metric for GEIW 2026: ensuring every attendee walks away knowing their time and money were well spent, a goal well-evidenced and backed by a proven track record. Check below the full Q&A leading to the event, which takes place on June 18–21, with the key industry conference days at the Hyatt Regency over Thursday 18th to Friday 19th June. The full agenda and tickets can be found at this link.
From intimate rooms to the global stage
The Esports Radar: You’ve been building the “Esports Leaders” community for a long time. Last year, you teased it into the first GEIW in Austin alongside the BLAST Major, and later in the year Esports Leaders London at Nobu Portman Square. Now you’re heading to Cologne for another massive Counter-Strike Major peak, with Esports Leaders firmly baked in. What’s the thinking, how has this progressed and what does it look like behind the scenes?
Sam Cooke: For sure, Esports Leaders was something that I brought with me over from Esports Insider [platform founded by Cooke in 2016 and sold in Jan 2025], and we ran the first edition alongside ESI Lisbon. It had been an idea brewing for a while before that too!
Going back a decade or so now we had the Esports BAR events which did a great job of bringing together decision makers & leaders from the sector in Cannes but vitally newcomers too (whether that’s brands, destinations, government officials or others) all in one place, and in a more closed environment for real discussions around opportunities. A lot of commercial deals began life or were made at those events, as they have been at the Esports Leaders events.
Our more open, larger events; from ESI London, NYC, & Singapore wearing my old hat previously to now in my current role Global Esports Industry Week, a joint collaboration from TER and ESIC, always have been and are just as important to be clear, and we do our best to maximise accessibility to these, but my view is that the more intimate, senior level events need to exist too. I strongly believe they can live happily alongside one another for the betterment of both. That’s why we have an edition of Esports Leaders aligning with GEIW this year!
This type of event and platform is vital for the growth of the sector; we all know we need new brands in the space.
Why isn’t there more representation from the travel & hospitality sector, from banking and fintech, to FMCG and health and wellness? Undoubtedly this is shifting and there are some excellent examples, but more, done right, is better & incredibly important for esports’ sustainability – Sam Cooke
It’s our aim with Esports Leaders to support that and ease them into understanding the sector and wider opportunities with both esports and gaming. We’ve plans in the works to build on this platform beyond just events too, and Esports Leaders Honours is one important piece of that puzzle!
TER – What can attendees expect from the session structure this year?
Sam Cooke – Our content can be broken down into two types; Main Stage meaning talks from panels to keynotes delivered to the audience with some questions at the end, and Roundtables which feature ‘Session Leads’ or subject matter experts to guide the group conversations and allow all attendees to get more engaged and involved throughout, if they wish to.
For example we have the Esports Foundation CEO Ralf Reichert on the fireside chat and opening session on the Main Stage, as well as Expedia Global Strategy Lead Perla Bloom with the same on the Esports Leaders track, whilst when it comes to roundtables we’re blessed with a wealth of knowledge from Raul Faria, Head of Gaming at the Portuguese Football Federation, to Kristelle Lavallee, Global Head of Teen Wellbeing, Discord, to two-time Dota 2 Champion Jesse ‘JerAx‘ Vainikka amongst others. Overall we’ve execs from Oracle Red Bull Racing, KRAFTON, Electronic Arts (EA), MOONTON, Visit Raleigh, game, and many more as speakers and session leads!
There are workshops too from the likes of WIPO and IGET which are on much more specific materials, but add an excellent layer to the event and give those who invested in those areas much more takeaway and value in attending.
I’ve been building out event agendas like this for some years now and truly I’m really happy with this one!
TER – Is it only for organisations, organisers, and publishers? What kind of industry members will we find there? Can an attendee, for instance, contact the media there and make new connections?
Sam Cooke – GEIW is built for the most hardened of esports industry veterans as much as it is those brand new and who don’t know their Rocket League from their Dota 2.
It’s for catch ups and first time meetings, with the event built around networking and chances to meet and socialise in comfortable settings. Next door to the Main Stage, we’ve The Hangout throughout the 18th-19th June at Hyatt Regency, open to all ticket holders, which will have a barista station (including latte art), exhibitors like Runestone, Pixoul and UNEVN, plenty of seating, and catering throughout the days.
You can see some of those we have attending on the site, but in short it’s a lot of different types of businesses, from brands like adidas, Porsche, Expedia, Polymarket, DHL, Radisson Hotel Group, Logitech G, and ZOWIE to name a few, to esports team owners and executives from G2, Team Vitality, Team Falcons, Team Liquid, FURIA, etc, tournament & event executives from ESL FACEIT GROUP, BLAST, NODWIN, StarLadder, Good Game Global, the Esports Foundation, Fissure, and more, to agencies, service providers, destinations, governments, investment groups, media, etc.
We have the GEIW 26 event app for networking, sending messages to arrange meetings, and of course check the schedule too, and naturally, we recommend following GEIW on LinkedIn to stay up to date.
TER – For the possibility of someone thinking “Isn’t my company too small to be there? What kind of opportunity can I raise by attending an event with so many high profile attendees? Will I get my share of attention?”, what can you say?
Sam Cooke – We love our start ups, scale ups and SMEs at our events, from my ESI days to now, we have always catered to those, perhaps especially the former. A picture below of a young Arwin Fallah Shirazi (Shikenso CEO & Co-founder) pitching in the first edition of The Clutch, a startups competition I used to run. Shikenso is now a powerhouse in esports and increasingly in sports too, and they’re now shortlisted for Product Innovation in our Esports Leaders Honours [part of GEIW 2026 agenda].
There is one example of someone who came, saw and is now in the process of conquering.
I’ve plenty more beyond that too; G-Science, now part of Adamas, were a part of (and won!) that first edition of The Clutch, as was Oddin. Now both very established and key operators in and around the esports ecosystem. A few editions later, UNEVN won it in 2023, with a nice cash prize and giant cheque courtesy of HSBC UK, and then Excel Esports [now GIANTX]. This edition they’re exhibiting at GEIW with global distribution and partners.
These industry events are typically what you make of them whatever the size and status of your business; attend, be enthusiastic & passionate about what you do, be friendly, always be polite & respectful, but hustle and try for those meetings. I promise you’ll get at least some of them. In my experience the most senior leaders in this industry are more open than most when it comes to chatting on new ideas and opportunities. It’s one big reason I love it.
TER – Also, with a significant brand and media presence locked in, what is the best way for attendees to map out their meetings?
Sam Cooke – We have the GEIW 2026 app which is already available to attendees and will be prominently displayed on the website ahead of the event’s live days. As ever, we suggest following GEIW on LinkedIn and engaging there too.
There is a lot going on and getting some prescheduled meets in, even if more informally agreed, is best practice to say the least! Use ‘The Hangout’, the primary coffee and networking lounge at the Hyatt Regency as the meeting point over the conference days on Thursday 18th and Friday 19th June.
TER – Are there any last-minute spaces left for companies looking to get involved or secure partnership slots?
Sam Cooke – 24/7/365, the door is always open for partnerships! We’re lucky to have a range of great partners locked in and supporting this time including Title Partners Runestone, alongside Host Partner ESL FACEIT Group, Supporting Partners ZOWIE and Abios, and others including Visit Raleigh, The Story Mob, Get In, ESBD [E-Sport-Bund Deutschland] and more locked in and behind us to make this happen, and we’ve not much sponsorship inventory remaining at this point, but if someone is interested in a last minute activation we can see what’s possible!
There are of course group ticket bundles and discounts available. The hotly contested padel tournament on Saturday morning does need sponsor too come to think of it…
TER – The esports landscape is moving incredibly fast right now, with the Esports World Cup (EWC) just around the corner to be held in Paris, and the first massive nation vs nation competition coming at the end of year [Esports Nations Cup]. For any industry stakeholder, publisher, or brand still on the fence about making the trip to Germany this month, what’s your ultimate pitch for why they need to be in the room at the Hyatt Regency?
Sam Cooke – A Eurostar and train trip from Paris to Cologne is under 3.5 hours. The EWC coming to Paris is huge; so big I request you put it in all caps in the final copy [sorry boss, not all caps as it looks bad, but I’ll ensure a bold]: It’s an enormous opportunity for France and Europe as a whole, with $75 million on the line as a prize-pool across multiple tournaments meaning different fandoms across the 6-7 weeks.
In turn we wish to welcome those French brands in particular either brand new & interested, lukewarm/or uncertain, or in need of a reconnect to esports to GEIW as our guests on the 18th and 19th June. From Dior to Danone, BlaBlaCar to Babybel, and Lancôme to L’Oréal, we would love to have you with us.
This is your chance to get prepped for what’s coming to Paris both this summer and indeed the future. For all others too, the Global in GEIW is there for a reason; we’ve leaders and decision makers from North America, EMEA and APAC with us in Cologne. We’ve brand representatives and agencies meaning budget holders and buyers alongside rightholders, and those who make it all happen. – Sam Cooke
We’re obsessed with ensuring the event is money and time well spent for everyone who walks through the door, and we know how an event feels and the atmosphere throughout matters just as much as the lights and who’s on the stage. The quality of the coffee matters just like it does the app and the ability to connect with others and know what’s on, where and when.
To close, we hope to see you there. And if anyone has any questions they are welcome to reach me personally at sam@gsegroup.gg, or via LinkedIn. See you in Cologne!
Disclaimer: The Global Esports Industry Week is an initiative with participation of The Esports Radar, part of The Insights Group.
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