Credit: The Esports Observer/Esports Business Solutions UG
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The Intel 
Extreme Masters Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament returned to Chicago for a second year this past weekend, moving from its temporary home of the Wintrust Arena to the United Center, home of the NBA’s Bulls and NHL’s Blackhawks.
The United Center is a much larger venue, with a concourse that is separated from the stadium seating and an expansive atrium that features a statue of retired NBA star Michael Jordan. ESL’s brand partners took advantage of all of the extra room for their interactive activations, which were larger in scale than at the first event.
Presenting partner Intel had the largest brand activation of all, with a sprawling setup that featured numerous computer setups showcasing the tech giant’s hardware products. Inside the booth, Intel had desktop gaming PCs loaded with popular games, while the outside of the booth across from the statue featured a virtual reality setup in which two players could compete while wearing headsets.
AT&T, fresh off of its announcement of an expanded partnership with ESL and a new agreement with DreamHack (both ESL and DreamHack are owned by MTG ), brought back its activation from 2018’s event with some tweaks.
Credit: The Esports Observer/Esports Business Solutions UG
On the other side of the Jordan statue was a setup of several gaming PCs, in which players could compete for a chance to win exclusive “Best Seat in the House” seats on the show floor. It also featured console games on stations surrounding the PCs. An AT&T representative told The Esports Observer that feedback from IEM Chicago 2018 showed that people were looking for shorter, quicker-hit games to play, so the company focused on pick-up-and-play titles that didn’t require a large time commitment. The booth also had a small streamer’s lounge alongside it.
In the concourse, AT&T had a separate mobile gaming booth to promote its partnership for the ESL Mobile Open, allowing attendees to play games on smartphones and again compete for a chance to win premium seating at the tournament. Elsewhere in the concourse, AT&T utilized its existing partnership with the United Center to host branded team signing sessions at the AT&T Digital Lounge. AT&T also had branded kiosks throughout the venue that allowed attendees to borrow free phone chargers.
Related Article: A Look at Intel Extreme Masters Chicago 2018’s Brand Activations
Credit: The Esports Observer/Esports Business Solutions UG
Acer’s Predator gaming peripheral brand also had an activation adjacent to AT&T’s booth in the atrium. It featured dozens of lit-up gaming keyboards attached to a wall behind a performing DJ, with Predator’s gaming headsets available to try out. On the other side of the wall sat four gaming stations featuring Predator peripherals, with branding appearing throughout.
Fellow partners Chipotle , PepsiCo’s MTN DEW AMP GAME FUEL, and Betway did not have onsite activations targeted at attendees, however, they were featured in the broadcasts and had their logos included on the stage setup and within the venue. Chipotle also provided food to the players, while MTN DEW AMP GAME FUEL bottles were prominently shown on the analysts’ desk in the broadcasts and Betway betting odds were also seen on the stream.
Last year’s event had more total brands activating onsite, thanks to the presence of Red Bull and HyperX , in addition to the three sponsors that returned for 2019. However, Intel, AT&T, and Acer Predator all had larger and more significant activations this time around to take advantage of the larger venue and available space.
