Hey,
My local sports bar has just had a major refurb and it's looking fantastic - there's no doubt it's the best sports bar in the area. The owner actually owns a construction firm too, so he's done a great job of renovating the property, going as far as even building a whole new storey.
Anyway, I've been itching to promote eSports (competitive video gaming) events for quite some time, and this seems like as good an opportunity as any to get started. I know the owner of the bar and he'll be more than happy to let me use one of the rooms to host the gaming tournaments.
I've organised and co-promoted a number of events over the years, so the running of the events is not an issue in itself (I've never run a video gaming event before though).
There aren't any real esports/gaming events in the area and I think there's a big market for it waiting to be filled. I know games like LoL and DOTA are fucking ginormous, but I'll be focusing on more 'accessible' games such as Fifa and Street Fighter.
I've got a plan for how I want to move forward, but as it's uncharted waters for me (and it's still a new industry in of itself), I'm hoping to get some feedback and advice from others with experience in the eSports industry.
My plan is to initially promote one event per week for a few months to build up a following and go from there - eventually I can begin promoting bigger events further afield.
As for the equipment, I think I'll be able to get my starting gear for under £1,000. I won't be charging any entry fees for the tournaments and will instead look to monetize the events primarily through sponsorships from businesses.
Eventually I'll pay pro gamers to enter our tournaments but initially, it will be locals playing for pride and small prizes. If we build up enough of a following and it starts bringing enough people into the bar, I'm sure the bar owner will throw some money at us too.
I've also got plans to organise online tourneys but, to begin with, I'll be focusing on the live weekly events.
To give a super-simplified example of how the first few events would go, there'd be an event between 7pm-10pm every Tuesday night, with 3 x 16-person Fifa 16 tournaments on XBox 1, with small prizes for the winners.
I know there'll be a bit of waiting time for the players when it's not their matches, but that's the beauty of holding the events in this particular bar. They'll be able to get a beer, have a game of darts or play pool. (Entry will be 18+ only.)
I've only given a very brief summary of what my plan is so I don't go on for pages and pages but I'll reply to each comment in more depth.
I'm hoping to hear from anybody currently in, or with experience in, the esports industry, who would like to chat, or throw some advice my way.
Thanks
No comments:
Write comments