Event Report: Dreamhack Hyderabad The Passion For 'gaming' Goes Big!
DreamHack Hyderabad, a promising platform for those who share a passion for gaming, was organized by NODWIN Gaming. The show was held from November 4-6, 2022, at HITEX Exhibition Centre, Hyderabad. Powered by its robust line-up of events, the event drew thousands to pursue and explore their interest in and potential for gaming.
DreamHack Hyderabad, one of the country's largest and most celebrated gaming digital festivals, was held in partnership with leading and well-renowned brands such as NODWIN Gaming Pvt Ltd, Intel, Monster Energy, Hyundai, Bingo!, and many others. The global festival has been featured in the Guinness World Records for hosting the largest LAN party. Elaborating on the show's nuances, Vishal Parekh, Chief Marketing Officer, NODWIN Gaming, highlights, "Dreamhack is an all-inclusive gaming convention where competitive players sweat it out to win prizes while friends and family enjoy their time participating in a multitude of fun activities and of course, gaming. A key attraction to this event is that you meet celebrities or gamers who have made their mark and have a huge fan following." Participants and attendees get to meet celebrities in person, understand their lifestyles, and learn about the field of gaming and the subject as a career. "We do quite a few workshops on the subject so that the event is not just about tapping fingers on a mobile phone, but also about how gaming enthusiasts can build a career in gaming," he adds.
Supercharged With Activity
Parekh asserts that this year's event showcased a wide variety of activities, offering artists and creators the opportunity to explore their talent, passion, and potential to the fullest. The opening day of the three-day gaming festival was graced by Samay Raina, standup comedian; Naman Mathur, aka MortaL, a BGMI player and co-owner of Team SouL; Tanmay 'Sc0utOP' Singh, player for TeamXSpark and content creator for 8Bit Creatives; Payal Dhare aka Payal Gaming, an Indian YouTuber, gamer, and social media influencer; Tanmay Bhat, an Indian YouTuber and comedian; and other popular influencers. Interesting activities were held at the show, such as 'Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) LAN (Local Area Network) Arena' where one could bring their own devices, connect them to the LAN, and play games with their friends, family, or the people they met at the festival. Bingo! 'Streamer Zone' had top content creators interact with their fans as they live-streamed their favorite games from DreamHack Hyderabad 2022. 'Pan Fest@Dreamhack' celebrated the Battle Royale fans in the mobile gaming community. It had teams come together in the lobbies of the fan-favorite title PUBG New State, and also offered Battle Royale enthusiasts a chance to win a total cash prize of
` 5,00,000. 'Meet and Greet Zone' offered the gaming community an opportunity to meet India's celebrity esports players, top content creators, and influencers. The fans could click pictures and have autograph sessions with team 8Bit Creatives, the proud talent partner of DreamHack Hyderabad 2022. Other attractions included Ko Fight Night, Snapdragon Pro Series and Cosplay Zone, Just Dance Zone, and Retro Zone, which had jaw-dropping cash prizes. Chess was a showstopper at the event, with the prize pool for 'Chess@Dreamhack' event being ` 20 lakh. For the first time, comedians played live against each other. The contenders were Tanmay Bhat, Samay Raina, Sagar Shah, Biswa Kalyan, Joel D'Souza, Anirban Dasgupta, Vaibhav Sethia, and Manik Mahna.
Advantage HITEX
Elaborating on how the venue has played a crucial role in attracting a crowd, Parekh says, "HITEX has its own legacy of receiving impressive footfall at the shows happening here. This has been our experience so far at the venue. Although DreamHack Hyderabad is happening for the first time, we have organized several events here in the past. For instance, we have conducted gaming tournaments on a large scale, and this is our third or fourth event at HITEX. We have always had encouraging numbers." "People have been waiting to get out owing to the pandemic, and nothing can be better than HITEX because it's well-connected. Moreover, the facilities at HITEX are up to standard. This is my comment not just from the standpoint of an organizer, but also as a visitor. The maintenance of the venue, the space, and the cleanliness are commendable. As an organizer, we need not think twice before picking HITEX as a venue," he notes.
A Booming Industry
Reports suggest that the Gaming industry in India was estimated at US$2.2 billion in 2021 and is expected to hit US$7 billion by 2026, which is more than three times in the next five years. While the passion for healthy competition and the inquisitive nature to try out new sports and games takes shape, Parekh says, “I have been in the industry for over a decade and have seen gamers evolve from being shy, introverted, and restricting themselves all the way to the present day when Mortal or Scout comes in, and you see them, shouting, cheering, and clicking photographs." Long before, gaming was not considered something that people looked up to, but today it has become a skill and a sport. Speaking of firsts, he adds, “We were the first ones to bring big esports tournaments to the country and organize such tournaments. This year, we took gaming to the Prime Sports channel on Prime Sports channel and during prime time for over three weeks and it was televised live from a studio, like an IPL match. We know this sport will be the second favorite after cricket in India, and we already see this happening."
Why Hyderabad?
Parekh has a convincing reply to this. “Hyderabad is an IT and technology hub. It is very cohesive. Owing to this fact, the acceptance of gadgets and newer ways of entertainment are much faster. And since we have been to this city many times, we know there is a wide base of gamers here. We have seen people coming from neighboring cities for this event. Hyderabad, for that matter, India overall, has become a gaming hub." And how DreamHack Hyderabad has grown is nothing short of impressive. But what gave impetus to the event was the way in which it was marketed. Parekh explains against this backdrop: “We have explored different types of marketing like social media for better traction, influencer marketing with gamers, radio ads, RJ mentions, and outdoor marketing with hoardings across bus shelters and metro stations."
"Dreamhack is an all-inclusive gaming convention where competitive players sweat it out to win prizes while friends and family enjoy their time participating in a multitude of fun activities and of course, gaming. A key attraction to this event is that you meet celebrities or gamers who have made their mark and have a huge fan following."
Vishal Parekh
Chief Marketing Officer
NODWIN Gaming Pvt Ltd
DreamHack Hyderabad was home to several activities and proved to be an ideal platform for those who wanted to achieve in the gaming sector. The event witnessed a massive footfall of over thousands of visitors.