This month GRID’s Meet the Team blogpost covers Stefan Đokić, Senior Tournament Partnerships Manager, whom joined the team two years ago. Stefan and his team fortify the GRID Esports Solution vertical across a variety of use-cases as well as fostering relationships GRID has with partners in the vertical. Read on to learn more about his story and contribution across departments!
1. Where do you primarily work from? Are you based in one of GRID’s offices, or do you work remotely?
I work remotely from the beautiful city of Banja Luka, located in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Although I am not present in the office, we have a plethora of virtual activities where I can interact and bond with other GRIDers. We also often travel and meet up throughout the year, either working on projects or for events such as the annual GRIDCon & GRIDFest!
2. You have recently celebrated your second-year work anniversary and been promoted — congrats! What does your day-to-day look like as Senior Tournament Partnerships Manager on the GRID?
Thank you! It’s only been two years, but it feels much longer considering the work and growth we’ve achieved together since I joined.
As a Senior Tournament Partnerships Manager, my day-to-day work can be distilled into two main objectives: developing & nurturing existing relationships with our partners and exploring the market for new opportunities.
Working with existing partners currently occupies most of my time, where my primary goal is to build long-lasting relationships regardless of the type of partnership and my objective remains the same.
Whether I’m working with a client whom GRID is organizing a tournament series for, a tournament sponsor, a production partner or a third-party product interacting with our data and services — I aim to develop a level of trust and a productive environment where creative ideas can flow effortlessly, allowing everyone involved to generate great value from our time together.
3. Two years can feel like a long time in esports. What has been your most memorable experience over this time? What are you working on currently?
My professional journey in esports actually started back in 2016 in the regional scene, but it’s only been 2 years since I’ve been working internationally. When it comes to the memories I hold close to my heart, I’ll probably join a large group of people who say that LAN events are something special in our industry and the experience of orchestrating such a complex project is unparalleled.
When you witness tier-1 players and organizations participating in something you’ve poured your energy into, it’s a truly special feeling.
Currently, we are preparing several big projects, some of which have already been announced, such as the 2024 Thunderpick World Championship with a $1,000,000 USD prize pool. Additionally, we are going to announce a few projects that have been in development in the background for quite some time. We are excited to jump back into action and offer a competitive environment to esports teams around the world.
4. How would you describe how your team interacts with other GRID departments?
Our department, Tournament Partnerships, primarily leans on the Tournament Operations team, and together, we form what is known as the Esports Solutions vertical within GRID.
However, we don’t shy away from, and are often required to interact with other teams in the business. This interaction may involve doing work with the Marketing team for press releases or a team from the Data Consumer Solutions vertical when we seek to leverage multiple GRID products and services to secure a partnership with a client.
For example, the Champions of Champions Tour (CCT) runs entirely on GRID Data Platform infrastructure — creating a hybrid product from Esports Solutions and Data Distribution Solutions verticals. CCT may not seem closely related to GRID’s core business but it’s a great use-case of a tournament product built entirely on the GRID.
Although each department has very defined responsibilities and goals, working in a dynamic industry such as gaming & esports often requires us to utilize and borrow resources from different areas of work in order to deliver the best possible result for a partner.
5. The GRID team is as unique as its people and their interests — what are some of your favorite hobbies outside of work?
Some of my favorite hobbies include gaming, of course. Currently, I play a lot of Hellhalt Legion TD and some League of Legends.
Other than that, I love going for long walks in the forest with my partner and our dog and I also try to attend good rave parties in my region, so you might find me in an abandoned warehouse here and there.
Look out for the next edition of Meet the Team!
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