ALBANY, NY – The team behind HV Gamer Con 2019, which includes Albany Capital Center (ACC), Center for Economic Growth (CEG), Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) are pleased to announce they have been awarded a grant for what will be the largest northeast collegiate esports event to date in the Capital Region – the Hudson Valley Gamer Con 2019.

The $152,000 award will be used to promote HV Gamer Con, which will be held March 30 and 31 at the ACC. It will bring together the best collegiate esport athletes from around the region as well as gaming enthusiasts.

The HV Gamer Con is the first of its kind tournament in upstate New York and is expected to draw a tremendous audience to downtown Albany. Collegiate teams from Providence College, Neumann University, Thomas College, Stevenson University, Saint Peter’s University, Moravian College, Keuka College, Marist College, Canisius College, SUNY Canton, Quinnipiac University and Mansfield University have committed to bringing teams to compete in tournaments in League of Legends, Overwatch and Fortnite.

“This two-day conference aligns with the Capital Region Economic Development Council’s new video game hub strategy to invest in our state’s creative economy and help establish an ecosystem of new gaming studios and software developers so that they can thrive and attract more people to the area,” said Doug McClaine, general manager of the Albany Capital Center. “This event will be a big draw for gamers and showcase what we have to offer.”

“We would like to thank the Capital Regional Economic Development Council and New York State for their support of the Hudson Valley Gamer Con.  Not only will this event bring the nation’s top collegiate gamers and software developers to the Capital Region, it will also allow us to raise the national profile of our video game hub and attract the talent that our thriving video game studios need to succeed,” said Center for Economic Growth President and CEO Andrew Kennedy.

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“The MAAC is extremely grateful that New York state and the REDC have decided to recognize the HV Gamer Con. HV Gamer Con is a unique event that will simultaneously allow for a world class esport tournament for fans and players as well a showcase of the high-tech industry in the Capital Region allowing us the chance to connect our current players with future employers.” Kiernan Ensor, MAAC esports consultant and Canisius College esports coordinator.

“We are thrilled at this award from the Regional Economic Development Council,” said Dan Coonan, president and CEO of the Eastern College Athletic Conference. “We applaud their vision for this event and appreciate their support. This promises to be spectacular event for the ECAC, for intercollegiate esports, and for the Region.”

This grant will help to solidify and fund the Capital Region as a gaming destination for collegiate-level gaming during the growing video game development cluster. Throughout the eight counties, this cluster includes at least 14 studios that employ more than 350 workers, including more than 285 software developers, according to a February 2018 CEG study. More than half of the studios surveyed had hiring plans for the next 12 months.

The announcement was part of the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative in which Governor Andrew Cuomo established 10 Regional Councils to develop long-term strategic plans for economic growth in their regions.

More information and a link to buy tickets is available here.

About HV Gamer Con:
HV Gamer Con will bring together the best esport athletes from colleges across the Northeast for a full weekend of gaming competition on March 30 and 31, 2019 at the Albany Capital Center. In addition to the gaming, vendors and exhibitors from the biggest names in tech will be on hand for a Gaming Expo. The weekend’s events are being put on by a partnership of the includes Albany Capital Center (ACC), Center for Economic Growth (CEG), Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 38th year of competition during the 2018-19 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.

ABOUT THE ECAC
Established in 1938, the ECAC is the nation’s largest Conference, ranging in location from Maine to Georgia, and westerly to Missouri. The ECAC hosts numerous championships in men’s and women’s sports across Divisions I, II and III, offering opportunities for thousands of student-athletes. For more information, visit www.ecacsports.com.

STAY CONNECTED
Stay updated on the latest news, championships and more by connecting with the ECAC on Facebook (ECACSports), Twitter (@ECACSports) and Instagram (@ECACSports).