The annual Met Fest convention focused on esports, tech, and STEM opportunities for children and teens in underrepresented communities took place Saturday, June 1st, 2024, at the Entertainment Sports Arena, also home to the WNBA’s Washington Mystics.
Met Fest was founded by Brenda Walker, an innovative marketing expert who has helped lead successful organizations like Interscope Records, Death Row Records, BET, and Universal Music Group. Walker was inspired to launch Met Fest because of her son, Bruce Walker, aka Lil Bruce Gamer, who is an avid gamer. She also hopes to serve kids unaware of scholarships from esports.
“Students and young people need to know about these scholarships. This event is important for people who don’t know,” said Walker.
“She always says I’m her biggest inspiration and she’s been talking about this event for so long,” said her son, Lil Bruce Gamer. He hosts his own show on DC Entertainment Office (OCTFME), which is centered around gaming. He co-hosted Met Fest with writer and comedian Javen Cannon on the event’s Twitch live stream.
Children of all ages flooded the arena to play games on old-school and modern consoles like the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo Wii, and PC. The lively atmosphere included festivities like a Rocket League tournament and an intense, daylong Super Smash Bros tournament that awarded the top three winners an Xbox Series X, and the first-place winner received tickets to Super Smash Con and exclusive passes to an NBA 2K league event.
Along with the competitions and games, universities such as Jackson State University, Old Dominion University, Howard University, and others were in attendance to recruit and inform young students about scholarships and opportunities.
Sergio Brack, a student and Director of Esports at the University of Maryland (UMD), was excited to attend the event.
“We’re here to help the underserved community and let young gamers know they have a variety of options in the world of esports,” said Brack.
The UMD table allowed kids to play games and record a tape they could use as part of their portfolios, an opportunity many don’t have access to at home.
“Parents get it now; they didn’t support it at first, but they see the money and opportunities in esports and tech,” said Coach Lee James of Eastern High School, a local school in the area. James and other community leaders in tech have been locally advocating for esports with the youth in D.C. but felt Walker and her husband, Bruce, took their idea to the next level.
The games weren’t just a hit with the kids; some parents were participating in the fun, front, and center of the screens with their kids. Wii Sports boxing was a big hit with the parents. Others sat back and relaxed while the gaming ensued.
The day featured live music from multiple acts, including energetic performances by the Ballou High School band and Eastern High School’s drumline. Organizations such as WUSA 9, United Bank, the US Army, iHeartRadio, and Hot 99.5 were present to inspire and engage the youth. Chief meteorologist Topper Shutt also gave an educational presentation on meteorology.
With the recent boom in STEM and tech, Met Fest seems here to stay, helping to bridge the gap for those who lack access to the latest technology and opportunities.
Josh Hafkin, founder of Game Gym, an esports training app, summarized the importance of the event well:
“Esports isn’t just about playing games; it helps build skills like tech, coding, social interaction, and pushes creativity.”
