Online gaming events and tournaments were a hot commodity during the pandemic. The gaming industry has been growing rapidly with no signs of hitting a pause. In 2021, the global Esports market was valued at just over $1.08 billion U.S. dollars, an almost 50 percent increase from the previous year. Industry projections forecast the Esports market to be worth approximately US$1.62 billion by 2024 with North America being one of the largest markets.
With the increasing vaccination rates around the world, masks are coming off, offices are filling up; it looks like people feel comfortable returning to social life and public gatherings. The next wave of in-person events is at our doorstep.
Esports tournaments are making a digital splash in the event industry. In fact, in recent years the League of Legends competition has drawn more viewers than the Super Bowl or NBA finals. Events during the last two years were affected due to the pandemic, but nevertheless, its scope is indicative of the growth, market value, and excitement surrounding the Esports industry. Esports is so popular that Comcast is constructing a $50 million arena so fans can watch live, and a new US$500 million stadium breaking ground in Toronto, Ontario owned by Overactive Media.
A deep passion and joy are at the heart of what was once merely a childhood recreation for most players now turned into fierce competitive profession that can rival some established professional sports in personal earnings and notoriety…
The Esports market is comprised of a devout group full of exceptional tactical gameplay, extremely quick mental skills, and an even greater competitive spirit. The fans make up the majority of this community, the professional players an even smaller fraction, then even more rare are those tournament organizers and planners who have the stamina, organizational skills and bravery to actually plan, coordinate and host these seemingly monstrous undertakings. Like with any major event, hosting an Esports tournament is one of the most exhausting, yet rewarding tasks within the community.
Step 1: Do Your Research — Check Out Other Esports Events
Step 2: What Kind of Event Do You Want to Organize?
Step 3: What are the Essential Requirements for your event?
Step 4: What’s Your Budget?
Step 5: Promote Your Event
Step 6: Market Your Event to Others
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Step 1: Do Your Research — Check Out Other Esports Events
Studying what others do is a fundamental part of your own hosting experience. The best way to learn how to organize Esports tournaments is to attend some yourself.
Attending tournaments organized by other parties gives you a chance to experience events from the perspective of audience members. You can scope out the scene, make contacts, and talk to players to gather the information that will be helpful in planning your own tournament. You might even be able to meet people who organized the event. Ask them lots of questions and take notes on everything.
What’s better? You can also participate in one of the tournaments.
Being a participant will give you a different perspective that will help you in planning and organizing your event. You can find out what motivates players to participate. This will also help you be a part of or build your own gaming community.
Step 2: What Kind of Event Do You Want to Organize?
Esports events come in all shapes and sizes and can last anywhere from a single afternoon to multiple days. Knowing what kind of event you want to host will help determine the factors involved in planning and holding the tournament.
Here are a few things to consider when organizing an Esports tournament:
Choose your game:
The first thing to do when organizing an Esports tournament is what type of game you want to play and how many people will take part in it. When it comes to Esports tournament games, there are several ways to make a choice. Be wise and choose games that are popular/trending and will appeal to a larger audience. For example, games like League of Legends, Fortnite, and CS:GO have a huge following.
Make an effort and ask your target audience. Talk to fellow gamers to determine which game is more popular in your community. Settling on a game that is not popular or one that you don’t know well can bring a lot of additional work.
Design your format:
Esports gaming tournaments include group and bracket stages to determine a winner. If your event is big and you anticipate many participants, a single or a double elimination bracket is the fastest and easiest way to decide a winner. Round robin or Swiss seeding can be more time-consuming, as it provides an opportunity for each player to run against every other contestant in the tournament.
Free or do you want to monetize your event?
What are your events goals and objectives? Are you looking to build or grow your gaming community? Are you organizing the event to build your brand? Are you planning an event to increase your revenue or earn big profits? Monetizing an event could include all sorts of things like:
- Sponsorships
- Ticket sales
- Concessions
- Vendor market
- Signage and way finding ads
- Online event app ads
- Video streaming
- Bets
You’ll need to decide on how you’ll collect money and how you’ll reward the winners. Automating the process can make it much easier for you.
Step 3: What are the Essential Requirements for Your Event?
Venue:
Esports tournaments can be held in a variety of locations. It’s better to pre-plan and decide on your event needs and potential audiences when choosing a venue. Not all venues will be able to provide what you need. Some venues may have limitations or certain restrictions on what your event can include.
Scope out the different venues available to you and make a list of all the important factors. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- Is the venue big enough for your estimated audience?
- Does the venue have proper licenses or do you need an event permit?
- Does the venue allow food and drinks?
- Is the internet connection strong and reliable?
- Does the venue provide a backup generator?
- Does the venue have ample parking?
- Is the venue close to public transit?
- Are there enough electrical outlets and room to set up equipment?
- Does the venue have restrooms and adequate seating?
Planning and collaboration with an experienced event solution partner can help answer all these questions.
Licensing:
Copyright laws apply to video games, as well as to other published works. Game developers and publishers have the right to approve or disapprove of the use of their games in public tournaments. Many publishers sell licenses to Esports tournament organizers and third-party leagues as a source of revenue. The rising popularity of these events gives an opportunity to promote their games.
It’s imperative to contact the gaming company well in advance of your planned event, to ensure that you will have sufficient time to secure the necessary licenses and permissions for your event.
Event technology:
Esports events need massive amounts of electronic equipment and a robust power system for the players alone. An Esports gaming tournament setup must include enough powerful computers to carry out several hours or days of the competition. It’s also important to have a strong power supply distribution and a backup plan in case of power outages.
More importantly, the audiovisual support and event technology you leverage can greatly unlock greater potential for your brand and allow your audience to scale and grow – maximizing the usage of the chosen venue. From essential sound and lighting to immersive visuals and massive LED video walls, you need an extensive suite of on-site and digital technology offerings to maximize the event experience and connect participants.
Internet connection:
Most online multiplayer games are played in real-time with other real-life players, so high-speed broadband internet at the venue is critical. Both the local network infrastructure and the internet connection service must be strong enough to support all the digital action.
Slow connections frustrate players, create unfair competition, and your spectators can lose interest quickly, resulting in negative publicity for your event. Check out our Bandwidth Calculator on how to best plan for large-scale gameplay:
https://www.encore-can.com/bandwidth-calculator/
Event teams and admin crew:
Consider hiring tech-savvy support staff to circulate and help attendees get connected, answer questions during the event, and troubleshoot issues. You may also require additional event staff for:
- Contestant check-in and ticket sales
- Seating arrangements
- Announcements and schedule monitoring
- Referees for keeping scores, rules, and gameplay tracking
- Tech personnel for troubleshooting
- Food and beverages
- Merchandise sales
- Hotel accommodations agents
- Shuttle and transportation coordinators
Step 4: What’s your Budget?
The budget is possibly the most important thing to consider when planning any event. You’ll want to carefully plan and consider your budget so that you don’t overcommit yourself with inadequate funds. Consider your goals and determine what is reasonable to spend on the event. You’ll also want the budget to match the size of the event.
Here’s a list of expenses you might want to consider:
- Marketing
- Venue
- Technological and equipment costs
- Registration software or service
- Prize money
- Staff costs like electricians, videographers, game monitors/judges, etc.
- Food and beverages
- Utilities and miscellaneous
You can also bring in additional revenue to cover some of the costs:
- Registration for players
- Entrance fee for audience members
- Sponsors
- Vendors
- Hardware partners
Encore Canada offers affordable Esports and gaming event options. With a team of creators, innovators, and experts, we transform events into immersive, collaborative experiences that deliver real results.
Step 5: Market Your Event to Others
Esports gamers interact through the internet and even compete using it. Therefore, the best way to promote an Esports gaming tournament is with the help of the power of the internet.
Social media is likely the most popular and most effective mode of advertising in the 21st Century, and for this reason, it should be your #1 go-to when advertising for your event. The internet contains multiple social media platforms that you can resort to using when you market your Esports tournament. There are millions of gamers watching streams of gaming events and tournaments on social media platforms every single day! You can come up with an ad for your event and have it targeted to a particular audience. Here are a few social media platforms that you can consider using to market your Esports tournament:
- Twitch
- Youtube
- Discord
- TikTok
- Major Esports portals
Make a strategy for pre-event, during the event, and post-event marketing. Start planning 6 to 8 weeks ahead of your event.
Source: Sportspro Media
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