Another year down the hatch!
This past Saturday, our team successfully ran the 2nd iteration of Cream City Convergence (C3), a premier largescale esports tournament hosted in the heart of downtown Milwaukee. This event saw over 1,000 day-of attendees (which doubled last years attendance) from 32 states and 5 different countries. It also saw 10 of the top 25 Street Fighter 6 players in the world fly into Milwaukee to compete for their chance at qualifying for the $1m Capcom Cup tournament.
To be able to host an event of this caliber and prominence in Milwaukee has meant more than I can put into words. Knowing that players, spectators, family, and friends from all over the WORLD were all traveling into a "small-market" city like Milwaukee just to attend an esports tournament is a reward unlike any other. Beyond the global attendance, it is the pleasure of a lifetime to see 1,000 smiling faces in one room knowing that the source of this happiness is video games. This "basement-dweller hobby" has changed my life and so many others' and that makes me so happy.
All of this was only possible because of my incredible colleagues and I'd like to thank them below:
Brandon Tschacher - A friend, above anything else. Brandon is the founder of the Milwaukee Esports Alliance and the glue that keeps our team together. Simply put, C3 does not exist without Brandon. Through his unmatched dedication to the esports industry, incredible business acumen, and just a remarkable personality, Brandon has made Cream City Convergence a leading event in the space and will continue to make waves with his leadership. It's an absolute pleasure to have Brandon as a colleague and a friend.
Magik4 FGC crew - Josh, Joshua, Rae, and Diane - an absolute powerhouse of a tournament organizing crew. I have never seen a group of people so dedicated to making others feel good, welcomed, and supported more than I have with this group. They have cultivated an extraordinary community within the Milwaukee esports scene, a community that shows undying support for C3 when they are needed most. But most importantly, they are the literal best of the best when it comes to tournament organizing. I won't go into all of the details, but our team knows that Magik4 is the heart and soul of this tournament. To say that I am grateful to have met and worked with this group in my professional career is an understatement.
Jacob Johnson - A trailblazer in every sense of the word - Jake oversees the Smash portion of our tournament organizing and we are incredibly lucky to have him doing so. He just ran the 7th year of his own tournament, Invincible, which boasts a large following and a tight-knit community. He brings incredibly unique insight to our group and helps provide answers to questions that the rest of us may not fully understand. Not to mention, he helped run our tournament while starting at a new job, launching a start-up company, and also getting married. Congrats, and thanks Jake.
