This May, the new NBA 2K League–a professional eSports league co-founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive–will launch its inaugural season. Mavs Gaming will be one of 17 eSports teams participating. When the Dallas Mavericks were looking for a company to transform the interior of its former headquarters in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas into a home base for Mavs Gaming, The Trade Group’s name kept popping up.
According to Neeshu Hajra (pictured above), VP of business development at The Trade Group, “TTG’s Peter Pham happened to meet representatives from the Mavs at DreamHack, an eSports event we manage, and Laurent Genin-Satoh, an eSports broadcast partner, also referred us to them. By coincidence, Maverick’s owner Mark Cuban has also been on stage at two events we handled–IEM Intel Extreme Masters and the launch of ELEAGUE at CES. Since the Mavericks had heard and seen what we can do, they knew they were in good hands with us.”
An expert in designing and building eSports environments and experiences, The Trade Group knows how to create spaces that accommodate the specific needs of eSports players and facilitate tournament play. “The Mavs appreciated the fact that we could bring all of our experience in the eSports arena to bear,” says Hajra. “For example, we know what type of desks suit eSports players best, including what sizing is appropriate and tournament ready, which was of utmost importance when the Mavs chose us.”
Along with providing a place that Mavs Gaming could call home, the multipurpose space was designed so the Mavericks could host eSports tournaments, parties, receptions, meet-and greets and other events. Highlights include a mini eSports stage, broadcast suite, player warm-ups, locker room and more. Flexibility was key when designing the space. As Hajra explains, “Dallas is home to an abundance of eSports players and teams in a variety of leagues–everyone from Team Envy to various Overwatch leagues. If the Mavs want to host a tournament, the stage, warm-up tables, etc., can be configured in the appropriate format–from a 5E5 for CSGO to a 6E6 for Overwatch.”
The Trade Group also enjoyed the opportunity to build a permanent installation, as opposed to the temporary installations most eSports activations require. Says Hajra, “It’s been great working with the Mavs on a permanent home base. We know the level of construction has to last and look good for years – instead of just a couple days at an event. So it was fun to incorporate beefier, higher-grade materials into the environment that will serve the Mavericks and Mavs Gaming for years to come.”
The new Mavs Gaming home will be operational this spring – in time for the season tip-off of NBA 2K in May.
The Trade Group is a full-service, award-winning provider of products and services for trade shows, corporate events, retail environments and an endless array of face-to-face experiences and activations. The organization helps clients share their unique stories through a comprehensive suite of solutions that includes: exhibit design and fabrication, graphic design and production, exhibit management, digital applications, experiential marketing activations, event coordination and production, videography, strategic marketing and more. For more info, call 800-343-2005 or visit www.TradeGroup.com
