Language: German
Patrick Baur, CEO esport manager
In each episode, Format Shift poses a simple, tough “what if” question and tests it with people from the worlds of practice and technology.
In this episode, we ask ourselves: What happens when we no longer “attend” a business conference, but have to play it? When roles, quests, and team mechanics become basic requirements. And when “I'm Meyer, head of marketing” suddenly becomes a character who immediately joins in the collective action.
We take esport-manager.com as a case study. Patrick Baur and his team bring eFootball to the floor as a trade fair activation and networking format. Low-threshold, in short rounds, with the clear goal of connecting people. Colleagues noticeably become a team more quickly. And strangers become conversation partners because they have just experienced something together.
Together with Patrick Baur, we talk about why playing games breaks down barriers, why we as adults forget how to “make friends quickly,” and how to bring back the best ideas from the avatar and remote era, but this time physically on site. Not as a gimmick, but as a design principle for better encounters.
The focus is on takeaways for event organizers, agencies, brands, and venues: Which game mechanics generate real audience energy and real connections? How can activation be measured, for example via QR registration and profiles? And how do you build a format that not only entertains, but also makes collaboration between trades visible?