1. Room to spare
Gone are the days when two teams of five players gathered in a room to battle each other on the video game frontier. With some of the biggest esports live events recording attendance levels of more than 100,000 people, the venue must be large enough to house a crowd. A venue that’s too small will make the players feel uncomfortable—no one wants a spectator to infiltrate their personal space during tense moments of play.
Common esports venue types that meet varying size needs:
- Dedicated esports venues
- Movie theaters
- Convention centers
2. A centralized location
You know venue location is one of the most important factors when it comes to event turnout. Don’t select a site that’s off the beaten path. After all, a substantial portion of your players and spectators probably don’t have driving licenses and will rely on parental drop-offs or public transportation. Some parents might even be wary of hauling their kids to a far-flung venue, let alone leaving them there for a day-long tournament.
3. The necessary licensing
Video games fall under the same copyright protection as other audiovisual works. Creators and publishers have the right to approve (or disapprove) the use of their games in public tournaments. Because of the rising popularity of these events, however, most publishers sell licenses to esports tournament organizers and third-party leagues—after all, it’s a source of revenue and an opportunity to promote their games.