How to Organize a Successful Esports Tournament
Professional gaming became mainstream and there are tons of big events all across the world. It’s not uncommon that prize pools are reaching millions of dollars and well-organized tournaments are attracting thousands of visitors. Besides great players and attractive prizes, many of these events encounter a lot of organizational shortcomings. If you’re interested in organizing a successful Esports tournament, keep reading and learn about some good practices.
Make contact with the community
In case you want to organize a multiple games event, it would be great to contact and meet up with experts in every major game. These people know what are the expectations of each community, so go ahead and follow their cues. You can reach community influencers by contacting them via social media, or directly via some gaming platforms such as Steam. They will let you know which games are hot at the moment, and community feedback will help you choose the ones that will attract a lot of people.
Choose the right place for the event
Finding the right venue shouldn’t be that hard if you keep within the budget, and already know the correct date. Keep in mind that most of players and attendees are younger people who have school responsibilities, so make sure to choose dates that are not packed with exams. In addition, think about the space your players are going to need in order to present their A game. After you’re done with competitors, you should take care of the spectators. You’ll need a designated area for this, and one big screen will take care of that. In the end, make sure you understand the amount of time these tournaments are going to take, so go ahead and make a tight schedule.
Taking care of security
Esports tournaments are peaceful by its nature, but you shouldn’t count on that, so make sure to hire a security agency that will take care of potential incidents. Besides physical security, you should also take precautions when it comes to substance abuse during the event. Some of the players may feel free to use some stimulants, or perhaps, smoke cannabis during the tournament and therefore an unfair advantage. While cannabis probably won’t affect their performance, you should keep in mind that it’s listed as banned by The Electronic Sports League that performs regular drug tests on all of its professional gamers. That’s the reason why you should ask them for guidance when it comes to testing the players prior to and during the event.
Setting up the systems
Plugging in the computers and setting up the wi-fi is just one step toward the successful Esports event. Plenty of tournaments have ended up inglorious because their organizers have missed taking enough prep time, and thoroughly testing hardware and software. Make sure to stick with a list of specifications while preparing PCs, since that’s the only way games will run smoothly. Before you start the tournament, make sure all games are working perfectly on all computers. In order to get the best results, test computers at least for one hour, and perhaps more than that. Once you’re done, make a report and inform everyone on what to expect.
Final thoughts
Once all above is taken care of, it is time to think about advertising your Esports event, and social media is a perfect place to do it. As mentioned above, one of the best ways to reach teams and audience is to notify influencers, and let them spread the word. Don’t forget to keep within a budget so your return on investment can be maximized. If you manage to keep up with all mentioned organization aspects, you’ll be able to organize the event that will stick to everyone’s memory, and that’s the secure path toward the next one.