Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki Digital 2020 will take place from September 14th to 18th, 2020. To give you a taste of what to expect, we'll regularly be publishing interviews with the speakers at the show.

For more details on PGC Helsinki Digital and to book a ticket, head to the website here.

In this speaker spotlight, we caught up Fnatic partnership manager Edward Gregory, who originally began his career at Accelerate Sport before leaving in 2017 as CEO. During Gregory's time there he represented multiple National Federations, managed World Surf League events, won the 2023 Netball World Cup Bid, and relaunched multiple SA Open events.

Following this, Gregory joined Fnatic at the end of 2019, overseeing BMW's launch into esports and Gucci's first esports collaboration. On top of this, the partnership manager renewing the company's deal with OnePlus as they look to build on the momentum of Fnatic Mode and PUBG Mobile in India.

Edward Gregory will be hosting a session on the "OnePlus x Fnatic Partnership, what we have done, what we are looking to do, what the future holds for mobile gaming"

PocketGamer.biz: Tell us a bit about your company?

Edward Gregory: Fnatic is a global esports entertainment brand headquartered in London, laser-focused on seeking out, levelling up, and amplifying gamers and creators. Founded in 2004 by Sam Mathews, Fnatic teams have since claimed more than 200 championships across 30 different games.

Driven by entertainment, Fnatic is the channel through which the most forward-thinking brands communicate with young people. It delivers industry-leading content, experiences and activations through offices and facilities in cities between Los Angeles and Tokyo.

What does your role entail?

My role consists of the day-to-day management of our partners, content and social strategy, as well as focusing on our campaign development, data analytics and reporting.

Why did you want to work in the games industry?

Esports is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world and yet is still in its infancy. That's why I wanted to join a project where we could be an industry leader and help to set the standard to which other organisations aspire to and deliver best in class partnerships.

What advice would you give to anyone looking to get into it?

Make it more than passion. You need to study the industry and look at where you would want to enter as there are so many avenues and opportunities available today. Learn about trends, understand the audience and look at it with an objective outlook about where specifically you could offer value.

What major trends do you predict in the next 12 months?

Mobile esports are only going to grow, with the progression of devices and games such as Wild Rift - the mobile version of the worlds number one esports title League of Legends.

I also think we are going to see a convergence more and more of esports teams collaborating across music, traditional sports, etcetera. which will speak to more and more people.

How has the games industry changed since you first started?

I haven't been in the industry that long, and yet so much has changed, with Covid-19 clearly contributing towards that. Esports are rapidly moving towards the mainstream but the lack of traditional sports has certainly accelerated the movement into the general consumer's world. Similarly, we have seen a massive amount of positivity surrounding esports during this time too.

Which part of the Connects event are you most looking forward to and why?

I'm looking forward to hearing more from developers. We are always trying to keep our ear to the ground in terms of what developments are coming up and so I look forward to any insights I can gain from tracks that focus on the subject.