BERLIN / HANNOVER / STOCKHOLM — ESL Gaming, the world’s leading esports company, is happy to share that DreamHack licensee Freaks 4U Gaming, a global full-service agency specializing in esports and gaming, and Deutsche Messe, one of the world’s leading exhibition organizers, announced today a multi-year partnership to bring the leading gaming lifestyle experience to Hannover, Germany. The first DreamHack Hannover will take place December 15 – 18, 2022 at the Hannover exhibition grounds.
As the official license holder of DreamHack in Germany and France starting 2022, Freaks 4U Gaming has ambitious plans for one of the original, longest-standing events in the gaming community. With the decision to enter a multi-year strategic partnership, Freaks 4U Gaming and its venue partner Deutsche Messe have the shared goal of bringing the most relevant gaming and esports festival to Hannover and transforming it into one of the largest DreamHack festivals in the world. The DreamHack Hannover in December 2022 will be the first DreamHack event in Germany in almost three years since the last edition which took place in Leipzig in January 2020.
DreamHack Hannover will feature all activities this iconic event is best known for, including a LAN area, cosplay competitions, influencer appearances and an exhibition area, while music performances and esports tournaments will also be an integral part of the onsite program. Additionally, B2B opportunities for brands, publishers and other esports stakeholders to allow the industry to connect on-site will be announced in the near future. In the city of Hannover, DreamHack aims to bring “everything gaming under one roof.”
Michael Haenisch, CEO of Freaks 4U Gaming, said: “DreamHack is undisputedly the most iconic event synonymous with the gaming community, it’s a momentous milestone for Freaks 4U Gaming to be realizing DreamHack in Germany in the coming years. We are incredibly excited to team up with Deutsche Messe to bring the most relevant gaming and esports festival to Hannover through a multi-year partnership, also growing DreamHack Hannover into one of the lighthouse events within the DreamHack brand worldwide.”
“We are thrilled that we were able to win DreamHack, a forward-looking event series for Deutsche Messe and the state capital Hannover. We worked together excellently as ‘Team Hannover’ and showed the organizer our commitment to DreamHack. Our thanks go to the state capital Hannover with the office of the Lord Mayor, to Hannover Marketing- und Tourismus GmbH (HMTG) and to the City-Gemeinschaft Hannover. We are excited for DreamHack and its very special, digital and emotional festival atmosphere on the exhibition grounds in Hannover and in the city”, says Philipp Wilhelm, Senior Project Director New Events, Deutsche Messe AG. “The enormous potential of professional athletes and active esports fans makes the event incomparable and trend-setting within the industry. Together with Freaks 4U Gaming, we will fascinate and redeem the visitors with a new area and scale of esports festivals.”
Shahin Zarrabi, VP Strategy & Growth at DreamHack: “The German gaming community has fully embraced DreamHack from its first iteration back in 2016, and it's exhilarating bringing our beloved festivals back to the country and its new home in Hannover. Whether festival-goers admire cosplay costumes, participate in tournaments, watch pros compete, learn to stream, test technology at the Expo, or attend a panel, DreamHack welcomes everyone and offers an unforgettable experience that has no equal.”
DreamHack Hannover is a 4-day festival which kicks off on December 15, 2022. Additional information such as program, ticket sales, exhibition and partnership opportunities will be shared in upcoming releases.
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About ESL Gaming
ESL Gaming is the world’s leading esports company. For more than two decades, we have been shaping the industry and leading esports and gaming innovation globally across the most popular video games, creating a comprehensive ecosystem with opportunities for players to go from zero to hero, and for fans to witness the best stories esports has to offer. Our portfolio consists of high-profile products such as the ESL Pro Tour, Intel® Extreme Masters, ESL Mobile, DreamHack Festivals, and many more, ranging from grassroots to global elite competitions. ESL Gaming is part of MTG, the leading international digital entertainment group.
More information is available at about.eslgaming.com.
About DreamHack
DreamHack is an immersive, gaming lifestyle experience where the community comes to life. Millions of fans tune in to DreamHack broadcasts each year, and the 24 hour-a-day festival weekends feature everything gaming under one roof. Attendees experience professional esports tournaments, amateur and varsity gaming tournaments, world-famous bring-your-own-computer (BYOC) LAN party, cosplay championship, panels, art, activities, expo, screenings, live music and more. The DreamHack brand is a part of ESL Gaming, the world’s leading esports company.
ESL Gaming is part of MTG, the leading international digital entertainment group. More information is available at dreamhack.com and about.eslgaming.com.
About Freaks 4U Gaming
Freaks 4U Gaming is a global full-service agency specializing in esports and gaming. Headquartered in Berlin with regional offices across Europe, Asia, and North America, the company offers unparalleled industry insights and a multitude of client-centric solutions since 2011. From strategic consultancy to online and offline activations, Freaks 4U Gaming also delivers state-of-the-art broadcast productions as one of the most prominent esports content creators worldwide.
Deeply rooted at the heart of the community, Freaks 4U Gaming has built some of the most successful communities through its proprietary platforms including 99Damage, Summoner’s Inn, Agent’s Range and 1pv. For more information visit www.freaks4u.com
About Deutsche Messe
Deutsche Messe in Hanover has been an established player in the global trade fair business since 1947. The worldwide trade fair organizer, based in Hanover, Germany, is at first glance known for major brands in the capital goods industry, such as HANNOVER MESSE, LIGNA and INTERSCHUTZ. Major guest events such as AGRITECHNICA, EMO, EuroBLECH and IAA TRANSPORTATION also reach their international customers at the exhibition grounds in Lower Saxony. In addition to the international trade show heavyweights, Deutsche Messe also organizes highly specialized trade fairs such as DOMOTEX, as well as small, fine industry events – both in Germany and abroad.