There’s no place like home: creating the perfect esports venue – #ESINYC

Start / Ben Nichol / There’s no place like home: creating the perfect esports venue – #ESINYC

April 16, 2019

In recent years we’ve seen the emergence of dedicated esports arenas. There’s several examples, such as the Luxor Arena in Las Vegas through to new developments in Arlington and plenty more. With architecture firms aplenty looking at innovating and transforming the spectator experience, the space will continue to develop and change as time goes on.

We’ve already seen the likes of Overwatch League side, Philadelphia Fusion, announce their $50 million arena in partnership with Comcast Spector for the 2021 season. Currently, the league works from the Blizzard Arena in Burbank California, but Blizzard recently announced teams will play in their home cities for the first time starting in the 2020 season. Organisers, teams and publishers are looking for ways to increase viewer engagement at events while also maximising their sponsors’ exposure.

New stadiums being developed for sports purposes are also looking at integrating high speed internet and potentially even small arenas fit for esports purpose. There were rumours of Tottenham Hotspur partnering with the London Spitfire a while back, and with the amount of sports owners involved in esports, the development wouldn’t be surprising.

However, the question remains – how will these arenas monetise all year round, and is there really any need for them? With the likes of the Barclaycard Arena still hosting fabulous esports events, as well as top class music acts, comedy and plenty more, is there really any need for a dedicated esports venue?

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Which is precisely where our ‘There’s No Place Like Home: Creating The Perfect Esports Venue‘ panel at #ESINYC comes in. During the 35-minute panel, our speakers will be discussing what goes into creating the perfect esports arena, how it differs from a traditional sporting venue and the challenges with revenue generation all-year round. Tickets for #ESINYC are now extremely limited, so make sure you purchase yours now.

“We’re here to contribute to making esports an even better, more entertaining experience for all”

Joining us are three notable figures from the industry, Dustin Sweeney, Senior Designer, Esports, HKS Inc, Keith Sheldon, EVP of Programming, BSE Global and Ben Nichol, Head of Events and Biz Dev, NYXL. Moderating the panel is Arda Ocal Co-Host, The Business of Esports.

Dustin Sweeney, Senior Designer, Esports, HKS Inc commented: “Our goal is to create places that deliver unparalleled experiences for visitors and unmatched performance for ownership. We’re not here to make esports bigger. We’re here to contribute to making esports an even better, more entertaining experience for all.”