Koen Schobbers

Leading global expert and entrepreneur delivers engaging keynote speeches about the gaming and esports industry, responsible and balanced gaming, and innovation and gamification.

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The Netherlands

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14 Client reviews

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When we got in touch with Koen Schobbers for the advanced training ‘Expert Class in Esports Management’ at the Free University of Brussels – via LinkedIn, of course – we were immediately convinced to invite Koen for an interactive guest lecture. By now, he has done so several times in Dutch and English in front of an ambitious high profile audience in the esports industry. We consider his book ‘My Gaming Child’ as a must-have when learning about this industry. We therefore didn’t hesitate to order a large number of copies and are very happy to offer the book as a business gift to our partners. In short, Koen as a guest speaker is highly recommended!

Jos Verscheuren

Program Director Sports, Esports and Cycling Management at the Free University of Brussel

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Non-binding request for Koen Schobbers

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Reasons to Book Koen Schobbers

Koen always personalizes his content. He believes in providing a unique experience instead of telling the same story twice. In order to achieve this he will work with you to make sure the speech will educate, activate and inspire the audience.
Koen’s goal is not to just share some random words about the industry he loves, but to create a lasting change in feeling, thinking and behaving by speaking in an open, accessible and down to earth style
Koen is transparent and down-to-earth. He creates a strong connection with the audience by sharing personal stories, highs and lows, and an unlimited amount of real life examples.

Non-binding request for Koen Schobbers

Professional gamer, entrepreneur, & esports industry expert

Keynote speaker Koen Schobbers is a leading global expert and entrepreneur in the gaming and esports industry. Starting as a professional gamer in 2007 at the age of 15 years old, he was not able to share his passion due to the stigma he faced. Today, Koen has become a leading industry speaker, has been covered in over 300 media outlets and is author of a successful book. He put aside his medical master degree at the University of Amsterdam to found two businesses, and commit to being part of a global movement that is rapidly taking over the world.

Koen Schobbers is a leading global expert and entrepreneur in the gaming and esports industry and is an outstanding, engaging and down-to-earth keynote speaker looking to educate, activate and inspire his audience.

He became a professional gamer at the age of 15, but the relationship with his mother was very difficult as a result. He later used this experience to found Parents of Play to help parents with the relationship with their gaming children and train professionals on how to deal with gaming children. The concept is based around his specific models and guidelines which are now used globally. Koen is also the author of a book titled ‘My Gaming Child’ in which he answers the 50 most common questions he has been asked by parents. He spoke at TED in 2019 about how to (re)connect with gaming children.

Koen is a board member and vice chair of the Athletes, Players & Community Commission of the Global Esports Federation (GEF). The Global Esports Federation has over 140 partnerships including UNESCO, the WHO, Microsoft and over 125 member federations. Koen also founded Koenz, a company helping businesses to implement the gaming and esports industry in their strategies and campaigns. Some organizations Koenz has worked with include Vodafone, Spinnin’ Records, Populous, KIA and Acer.

Koen is highly revered and he has been covered in over 300 media outlets since 2014. Between 2016 and 2020, he was also the anchorman of an esports show broadcasted on ESPN. He was the Dutch Champion in Trackmania between 2011 and 2016 and was 3rd at the World Championships in 2013.

Customer Reviews

Jos Verscheuren Program Director Sports, Esports and Cycling Management at the Free University of Brussel

Because of the empathic and enthusiastic way in which Koen presents his story, the participants feel free to respond spontaneously and ask questions. This creates a relaxed an open atmosphere, making it easy for professionals, parents and children to talk about the impact of gaming.

Lilian Leber Program Director at Library Waterland

Koen has been a reliable ambassador for our brand for many years. His passion for gaming and drive to help people relate to who we are as a company.

Bart Janssen Country Manager Benelux at Acer

Koen is an enthusiastic (!!) speaker who, thanks to his professional and personal experience, is able to take a broad audience into the greatness of the gaming world. He has supported JOGG as a strategic sparring partner about our role in the gaming industry, but also as a speaker for education, healthcare and sports professionals in the country.

Jasper Oomen Program Manager Media at JOGG

Koen is a wonderfully inspiring ambassador for responsible gaming and esports. He leads by example in every way (lifestyle, fitness, education) and uses his unwavering energy to bring others into his passion and fight against all-too-easy prejudices. A privilege to work with him!

Frank Thewessem Managing Director at Topsport Amsterdam

Koen knows how to combine the love for gaming with a healthy lifestyle. Useful for professionals, parents and children.

Mark Tuitert Olympic Champion

It is good to know Koen Schobbers in order to understand the gaming and esports industry. He knows the industry like the back of his hand, knows how to make smart, meaningful connections and explains how to deal with gamers.

Jolanda Jansen CEO of Rotterdam Ahoy

I was very impressed by Koen’s presentation at the Hot Game, the annual event of the Amsterdam Sports Council about a current sports theme. With his expertise, experience and empathy, Koen knows how to connect worlds that do not always understand each other very well.

Ageeth Telleman Chair at the Amsterdam Sports Council

During an inspiring presentation, Koen made the audience think about the opportunities that the sports industry and esports can offer each other.

Mariëtte van der Voet Secretary Director at the Netherlands Sports Council

Koen's story was spot on. With his knowledge and experience, he managed to take our international guests into his world of gaming and esports. Koen's keynote breathes authenticity since you can sense that the material has been lived through and through. It was noticeable that a lot of time and energy went into the presentation and it was tailor-made. Literally because we had an extremely wide screen on stage to which he had adapted his slides and videos and figuratively because he included our theme in his story. Thank you so much!

Thijs Pepping Trend Analist at Sogeti

The commitment of, and cooperation with, Koen for our Ziggo Shop in Shop employee day was a good move. Koen knows how to engage with the audience by matching his story with the audience and our products and services. What was also very pleasant was the opportunity to discuss his input beforehand and that Koen took the time after the presentation, and during the drinks, to answer any questions. Koen is very accessible to everyone and easily takes you into his world, even if you are not familiar with this industry!

Marianne van Haaften Third Party Manager at VodafoneZiggo

Koen Schobbers is a fantastic ambassador of the gaming industry. We gratefully made use of his talents and broad knowledge. Koen gives parents valuable insights and makes them feel more connected with their children when it comes to gaming.

Hans den Heijer Senior Media Relations Officer at VodafoneZiggo

Koen has a sympathetic, accessible personality and is an experienced speaker. He has a lot of knowledge and experience in the gaming industry and his story is inspiring to many.

Mark Versteegen Sponsorship Director at KPN

Koen was one of the best speakers we ever had on stage at TEDxMünster. His talk was poignant and intense, and he presented it in a highly professional way: clear, understandable and entertaining. It was a pleasure to work with him.

Dr. Wiebke Borgers Organizer and Curator at TEDxMünster