The Esports Radar has rubber stamped the schedule and list of big name attendees for Esports Leaders Paris 2026, set for Friday, Aug. 21 at the 5-star Hôtel du Collectionneur in central Paris. The gathering takes place on the last day of the Esports World Cup, and will see more than 90 senior executives and decision-makers from across the global esports and gaming industry descend on the French capital.
Who’s in the room
The confirmed attendee list is a ‘Who’s who?’ of esports organizations, with the likes of Team Liquid, ESL FACEIT Group, G2 Esports, HLTV, Havas Play,NiP Group, Embark Studios, Polymarket, IMG, ESIC and BetBoom all in attendance. Demand is such that capacity has been extended.
Runestone has been confirmed as Supporting Partner, with ALHI (Associated Luxury Hotels International) onboard as Hospitality Partner. Get In is back in its role as Social Media Partner, while Arabhardware has been brought on as Media Partner.
What the day looks like
The Aug. 21 agenda is structured around eight roundtable sessions, two main-stage presentations, and a premium networking brunch. Sounds good — here’s how the day breaks down:
| Time (CEST) | Session |
|---|---|
| 9:30am | Welcome refreshments and networking |
| 10:30am | Opening remarks and keynote |
| 11:15am | Executive roundtable discussions |
| 12:15pm | Premium networking brunch |
| 2:30pm | Event concludes; informal networking continues |
| 5:00pm | Padel Gaming Club Paris (separate ticket) |
The opening keynote features Stuart Saw, CEO at RTS, who is set to chat about EVO, the long-running fighting game tournament and festival. This will be followed by a data-focused panel, with speakers from SURGE Europe, Gaijin Entertainment and Runestone discussing and debating how data is shaping esports ecosystems.
Roundtable leads come from the Esports Awards, Adamas Esports, ALHI, SAGES, NiP Group, Get In, Playmakers and the Cote d’Ivoire Esports Federation.
After the sessions wrap
The Padel Gaming Club makes its Paris debut at 5:00pm at Padel15, building on previous iterations held in major cities including London and Austin. Anyone who has a ticket for the main event will need to buy a separate ticket if they want to get in, with registration available through the same Luma link.
Sam Cooke, CEO and Co-Founder of The Insights Group, said, “It’s set to be another great edition of Esports Leaders this time in Paris, with our go-to format of conversation focused roundtables in a beautiful setting with great food and drinks laid on. It’s really good to be working with the Esports Awards team again too ahead of their huge Miami show at the end of the year.”
Why Paris, why now
Timing the event alongside the Esports World Cup’s final weekend is good business. The industry’s biggest brands, teams and executives are already in Paris so why not create a focused B2B gathering alongside it that maximizes turnout?
What’s more, the venue is right in the heart of the city, just steps from the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées. The high-end setting of the 5-star Hôtel du Collectionneur, with its rich comforts, lavish decor and sumptuous dining, is what everyone is used to, after previous Esports Leaders editions held at the Nobu Hotel London Portman Square and other properties in Austin, Cologne and Lisbon.
Esports Leaders Paris takes place Friday, Aug. 21, with the Esports Awards’ Miami ceremony expected to follow later in the year.
