Response to RFQ — PR: 1000000028 / 10

EWC 2026 Celebrity & Talent Management Services

Submitted to the Esports Foundation by NES, a Riyadh-based production company specialised in gaming and esports, and Playmakers, a commercial and marketing agency based in London operating at the intersection of gaming, esports, sports and culture.

Submitted by NES & Playmakers

Date 22 June 2026

Reference PR: 1000000028 / 10

Key Contacts Elie Honain, CEO — NES
Alfie Wright, Co-Founder & CEO — Playmakers
Sam Cooke, Co-Founder — Playmakers

About NES & Playmakers

Built for briefs like this one.

Headquartered in London, Playmakers is a commercial and marketing agency that works at the intersection of gaming, esports and sport and entertainment. We help brands and rights holders build meaningful connections with the audiences that matter to them, through activations, talent partnerships, influencer campaigns and live events.

We have a direct working relationship with some of the most influential creator and talent properties in the world, including the Sidemen, alongside a deep network spanning gaming, football including Premier League clubs, music, fashion, major esports organisations worldwide, and global lifestyle brands. Our experience managing real commercial relationships with talent at scale, our expansive international live events experience, and our attention to detail is what sets us apart in executing activations like this one.

NES is a leading production company based in Riyadh, specialised in all things gaming, esports and creators. Together, NES and Playmakers bring a uniquely complementary set of capabilities to this brief — regional access, production expertise and global commercial relationships, united under a single delivery structure.

Find out more about Playmakers on LinkedIn

The Team

Co-Founder & CEO, Playmakers

Alfie Wright

Alfie has expansive direct relationships with talent management, creator business teams and the key sports representation agencies across Europe and globally, built over a decade in gaming and esports. Those relationships sit at the heart of how we approach talent management and activations on this brief.

Co-Founder, Playmakers

Sam Cooke

Sam is also CEO of sister company Insights Group, home to The Esports Radar and Global Esports Industry Week. An international mainstay in esports for over a decade, Sam has delivered multiple live events across the USA, Singapore and Europe, and has overseen talent management at every level — from ensuring on-site comfort to guaranteeing delivery to spec.

CEO, NES

Elie Honain

Elie leads NES, a leading production company in Riyadh specialised in gaming, esports and creators. With vast experience across esports and gaming alongside managing major brand campaigns from Jameel Motorsports to Mentos, Elie brings deep regional expertise and production capability that is essential for an event of EWC's scale and cultural significance.

Brands we have worked with

Our Approach

The EWC 2026 opportunity as we see it.

Talent is a vital vehicle for expanding EWC into mainstream culture and reaching wider audiences, whilst adding to the excitement and legitimacy of the undisputed global leading multi-title esports event that loops in gaming and connects entertainment. Our approach treats talent not as bookings to be managed but as strategic assets to be activated.

The challenge

The main challenge is the gap between global cultural ambition and the operational window. To deliver talent that best bridges gaming, sport, music and lifestyle, you need names that carry conviction in each of those worlds, and not crossover appearances that feel forced. Getting those names in this timeframe requires access, understanding and drive. We have all three.

The talent we are proposing are names within our extended existing network that will enable us to move at the pace this timeline demands.

The activation philosophy

A talent appearing at EWC for a single day generates a spike. A talent who builds anticipation in the build-up, creates native content on the ground, and amplifies afterwards generates a campaign. Our activation model is built around preventing that single-day drop-off, using the activation window to build momentum that peaks during key moments.

Our four-phase model

Phase 1 — Sourcing & Contracting

Talent identification, vetting against EWC themes, commercial negotiation and binding agreements for a minimum of three global or priority regional talents.

Phase 2 — Pre-Event Activation

Integrated campaign mechanics spanning hype content, digital engagement, co-streaming rights framing and cross-platform social coordination across the activation window.

Phase 3 — On-Ground Management

Senior-led operational deployment across Championship Weekends, providing full coordination and chaperoning for up to four high-profile talents concurrently.

Phase 4 — VVIP Logistics

End-to-end premium travel, accommodation and hospitality management for talent and key personnel throughout peak attendance windows.

Proposed Talent Roster

A curated slate across gaming, sport, music and lifestyle.

The RFQ calls for talent who serve as cultural bridges across gaming, sports, music and lifestyle. The following represents our initial proposed roster, calibrated against the weekly tournament themes outlined in the brief. A refined and confirmed longlist will be presented within five working days of award, with binding agreements sought for a minimum of three global or priority regional names.

Gaming & Creator

The Sidemen

The UK's most commercially successful gaming creator collective, with a combined following exceeding 100 million across platforms. Genuine gaming roots combined with mainstream cultural reach make them uniquely suited to anchor EWC's crossover narrative. Existing relationship via Playmakers.

100M+ combined following

Gaming & Creator — MENA

Aboflah

Saudi Arabia's most prominent gaming creator and one of the most followed Arabic-language streamers in the world. With deep roots in the Gulf gaming community and a fanbase that spans the MENA region, Aboflah provides critical regional relevance for an event with strong ties to Saudi Arabia and a growing Middle Eastern audience base.

30M+ across platforms

Gaming & Esports

Shroud (Michael Grzesiek)

One of the most watched and respected gaming streamers globally, with particular affinity for the FPS titles central to EWC's schedule. A credible and organic presence at an event of this scale, with a reputation for authentic engagement that resonates deeply with the core esports audience.

30M+ across platforms

Racing / Motorsport

Lando Norris

A Formula 1 world champion and one of the most digitally native athletes in professional sport. Norris streams regularly, holds gaming brand partnerships, and carries enormous appeal with the 18 to 34 demographic that defines EWC's core audience. A natural fit for the Racing week.

25M+ across platforms

Tennis / Sports

Roger Federer

Among the greatest athletes in history, Federer commands a genuinely global audience and brings an air of prestige that few names can match. Fluent in French, German and English, his connection to Paris through Roland Garros adds a compelling local resonance. An active entrepreneur with On, the Laver Cup and more, he is also a natural fit for the culture and lifestyle crossover EWC is pursuing in 2026.

Global mainstream reach

Boxing / Sports

Oleksandr Usyk

A boxing world heavyweight champion and global superstar who is also, less widely known, a dedicated Counter-Strike fan. Usyk would be an exceptional addition during the CS2 segment, with scope for a Wingman showmatch at the EWC Festival alongside another celebrity CS enthusiast such as Oleksandr Zinchenko, and retired pro names like GeT_RiGhT — creating a moment that connects sport, celebrity and the core esports audience in one activation.

Global mainstream reach

Music & Entertainment

Central Cee

One of the most streamed UK artists globally, with a strong affinity for gaming culture and a highly engaged international fanbase. His presence would signal EWC's mainstream cultural ambition — reaching audiences who may not yet be esports fans but are embedded in the culture surrounding it.

15M+ social following

Fitness & Lifestyle

KSI

A creator who has built one of the most diverse personal brands in the creator economy, spanning music, boxing, energy drinks and entertainment. KSI's crossover appeal is unmatched for a gaming-adjacent event aiming to reach mainstream audiences across multiple cultural verticals.

80M+ across platforms

Comedy & Entertainment

Druski

One of the most in-demand comedic entertainers in the world right now, with a devoted global fanbase and a natural affinity for gaming culture. Druski's presence would generate significant organic social amplification and bring a high-energy entertainment dimension to EWC that appeals far beyond the core esports audience.

20M+ across platforms

The above roster is indicative and subject to availability and the Esports Foundation's approval. A refined longlist with confirmed availability status will be presented within five working days of award. Final talent selection will be aligned with EWC's weekly tournament theme calendar and broadcast schedule, with binding agreements sought for a minimum of three global or priority regional talents as specified in the RFQ.

Scope of Work

End-to-end delivery across all four service lines.

NES and Playmakers propose to fulfil the full scope of requirements as specified in the RFQ. Partial bids are not submitted. The following details our delivery approach across each of the four BOQ lines.

BOQ Line 01

Talent Retainer & Sourcing Management

NES and Playmakers will manage the end-to-end talent sourcing and commercial acquisition process for a minimum of three confirmed global or priority regional talents. This encompasses the compilation of vetted, theme-aligned talent lists, all commercial negotiations, contract execution, and ongoing management throughout the activation window.

Talent longlist delivery within five working days of award
Commercial negotiations led by senior team with direct access to talent representation
Binding agreements secured for minimum three talents
Cross-platform social media schedule coordination aligned to tournament weeks
Ongoing commercial management for the duration of the 12-month contract

BOQ Line 02

Talent Activation Development

For each confirmed talent, Playmakers will develop an integrated activation programme spanning the full activation window. The objective is to build sustained momentum rather than a single-day appearance, using pre-event content, digital engagement mechanics and co-streaming frameworks to maximise ROI and audience retention throughout the tournament calendar.

Bespoke creative concepts per talent, aligned to weekly tournament themes
Pre-event hype content development and production briefing
Interactive digital segment formats and co-streaming rights framing
Showmatch format development where applicable
Cross-platform posting schedule management across all talent handles

BOQ Line 03

On-Ground Talent Management

NES and Playmakers will deploy a senior-led operational team on the ground in Paris for the duration and across all Championship Weekends. The team will provide full coordination and chaperoning for up to four high-profile talents concurrently across peak event windows, Friday through Sunday, throughout the Championship Weekend calendar.

1 Senior Lead on-site throughout all Championship Weekends
1 Dedicated Support member per talent where concurrent management is required
Additional team members available as needed
Full day-of logistics, scheduling and chaperoning
Liaison with EF operations, broadcast and security teams and partners
Real-time issue escalation and decision-making authority

BOQ Line 04

Travel & Accommodation Logistics

NES and Playmakers will manage all end-to-end VVIP travel and accommodation logistics for up to four top-tier talents across peak tournament attendance blocks. All arrangements will be executed to a premium standard, with secure transit, local transport coordination and exclusive hospitality managed throughout each attendance window.

Premium flight and accommodation booking for each talent and required entourage
Secure ground transportation and local transit coordination in Paris
VVIP hospitality arrangements including hotel, dining and event access — we have access and a strong partnership in place with a 5-star hotel in central Paris
Dedicated logistics management from arrival through departure for each talent
Contingency planning and 24-hour on-call support throughout

Team Structure

Senior-led for the duration.

NES and Playmakers operate as senior-led organisations. Every client engagement is led at Partner or Director level, with dedicated specialist resource below. The team deployed against this brief will meet the expertise requirements specified in the RFQ across all four designated roles.

Role 1 — Partner / Account Director

Senior Commercial Lead

Bachelor's degree in Marketing or Business Administration. Minimum 15 years' experience in commercial partnerships, talent management and agency leadership. Full CV and authorisation documentation available upon request.

Role 2 — Principal Talent Specialist

Head of Talent & Partnerships

Bachelor's degree in Entertainment Management or PR. Minimum 10 years' experience in talent representation, creator partnerships and entertainment contract management. Holds direct relationships with management teams across the gaming, sports and music sectors.

Role 3 — Senior Associate (On-Ground Lead)

Senior Event & Operations Manager

Bachelor's degree in Event Management or Communications. Minimum 5 years' experience in live event and talent operations. Prior experience at scale esports and sports properties, with a proven track record managing VVIP talent at major international events.

Role 4 — Associate (Support Team Member)

Talent Operations Associate

Bachelor's degree or equivalent industry certification. Minimum 2 years' experience in event operations, talent coordination or agency support. Full CVs for all personnel will be provided to EWCF upon request prior to contract commencement.

Subcontractors

Strategic partners where specialist capability adds value.

In accordance with Section 3.4 of the RFQ, NES and Playmakers disclose the following proposed subcontractor engagements. NES and Playmakers remain fully responsible for all deliverables and the actions of any subcontracted party at all times.

Proposed Subcontractor

Kuoda

Creative & Media

For over 15 years Kuoda has been heavily involved in the tech, gaming and esports scene — creative facilitators delivering engaging and data-driven campaigns and solutions. Their team is made up of practitioners who understand the consumers in this space on a personal level. NES and Playmakers propose to engage Kuoda to support the guest care and hospitality experience of talent on the ground in Paris, ensuring individual needs and wellbeing are managed to a VVIP standard, while also providing access to maximise media opportunities throughout the event.

Proposal Terms

Submitted in full compliance with RFQ requirements.

Language of Proposal

English

Partial Bids

Not submitted — full scope bid

Proposal Validity Period

90 days from submission date

Currency of Proposal

USD

Performance Security

5% of total awarded value — agreed

Submission Method

Electronic — PDF, by email

Subcontractor Disclosure

Kuoda — disclosed above

Contract Duration

12 months from LOA signature

NES and Playmakers confirm that they have no conflict of interest in relation to this RFQ, and are not engaged in any assignment that would create a conflict with the requirements of this brief. All correspondence in relation to this proposal and any subsequent contract will be conducted in English. NES and Playmakers acknowledge the zero-tolerance policy on fraud, corruption and gifts as set out in Section 3.2, and confirm full compliance. This proposal is submitted in good faith and remains valid for 90 days from the submission deadline of 22 June 2026.

Get in Touch

Ready to help EWC 2026 become a mainstream cultural moment.

We welcome the opportunity to discuss this proposal in more detail. Please acknowledge receipt of this submission to the Esports Foundation focal point as instructed, and direct any questions to us via the contacts below.

Contacts

Alfie Wright, Co-Founder & CEO — Playmakers alfie@weareplaymakers.gg Elie Honain, CEO — NES weareplaymakers.gg

Playmakers is a trading name of Gaming Sports Entertainment Group Limited. Company No. 16273441. Registered in England and Wales.