HPHS5004: Special Event, eSports and Entertainment Production

eSports Event Coordination and Implementaiton

Here’s what we will discuss in today’s lecture:● Tourney Basics - Product:

● Choosing your game, venue, and equipment setup● Tournament structure● Digital tools ● Prizing

● Promotion Ideas● Licenses Application● Supply of Customers, Product, and Facilities● Onsite Logistics● Event Shutdown● Logistics Techniques: Scheduling and Mapping● Negotiation and Assessment● Control of Event Logistics● Evaluation of Event Logistics● The Logistics Plan● Requirements for the first assignment (Event Implementation)

Contents of Today’s Lecture

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Tourney Basics - Product• Choose Your Game

• What game will be used for the event/tournament? This will affect the implementation planning of time, space , equipment, and competition structure.

• For example, a game like Street Fighter doesn’t require an internet connection or a local area network. However, a game like Player Unknown: Battlegrounds (PUBG) demands that everyone has his or her own computer/equipment.

• What is the typical duration of each game? Some games feature fast-paced matches; others will be slow and drawn out.

• Know Your Game (at least a causal player)

• Know everything about the rules or the metagame; the gamers expect you to know your stuff!

• Serving the Competition

• A tourney/An event is complex and dynamic, it needs you to keep it up and running. You and your staff need to act as referees, technical crew, human calculator, and whatever else comes up! 3

Choosing a venue• Gaming establishments/Game Center/Game Arena

• What game will be used for the event/tournament (e.g., Cyber Café)? This may affect the implementation planning of time, space , equipment, & competition structure.

• Official Event Spaces

• Bigger events tourneys require a space like: a convention center, hotel, indoor arena (e.g., CGA eSports Stadium, Cyperport). These venues come with staff members to assist your event/tournament or electronic equipment you can use. Nevertheless, it is the most expensive option!

• Cyperspace

• If a game has an active online community, or there are no shared screens, this might be the best option. Many normal preparation works are no longer needed, but you may lose certain conveniences. For example, additional contacts are needed to ensure the players know their turns to compete in the event.

• The selection of the venue or site has to take into account the availability (convenience of getting) and cost of transports to and from the site (e.g., Cyberport).

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Equipment Setup• For in-person competitions and huge gaming tournament, people

might expect the organizer to provide the necessary equipment.

• For small scale events, asking your guests to BYOB is acceptable. This saves your time, and the players get to use the equipment they know & love.

• All gaming equipment must operate at the quality level of the least capable unit, or else it creates an unfair competitive environment.

• Be sure to label every bit of equipment used. You don’t want players losing valuable personal items like gaming controllers and nice monitors.

• A rehearsal is important to ensure all equipment and system working seamlessly on the intended platform.

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Tournament Structure• Check for the acceptable competitive format

• If a game is good enough for a tournament to organize around it, there is probablly an accepted (well recognized) competitive format.

• Research the widely used or acceptable format and use it.

• This would include things like time limits, damage values, hit points, and so on. The idea is to uphold the generally acceptable standards.

• Reaching out the community to get to know their preferences

• Using the single or double elimination format is ideal, especially this is your first time to organize it. Including the ideas from the community, if you want to make changes to the competition structure. 6

Digital Tools• There are many tools in the market that can be used for organizing an event or a tournament:

• Battlefy has an easy-to-sue interface for viewers who want to keep track of the event organizing process.

• How to create a tournament on Battlefy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BImY3A6sEE&list=PLk-t7dWSPTIjss0_da-myxCcEG6TRz3ll&index=9&t=49s (Battlefy, 2018)

• Toornament is a popular esports platform with a special option of using its tournament engine to custom-create your own esports platform.

• Toornament – The esports technology https://www.toornament.com/en_US/Toornament. (n.d.).

• ALJ Tournament Maker records rankings, monitors entry fees, and help with prize management.

• Challonge is a commonly used organizer with mobile access and public streaming options.

• How to use Challonge.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqKlNYhaoDE (Todd Kisicki, 2018)

• Consider using other online ticketing platforms (e.g., ETICKETS.HK, Eventbrite), which provide a one-stop registration, ticketing, and payment services solution. 7

Resources & PrizingWell-known tournament organizers don’t need to invest a huge sum into marketing when it comes to their events, as they are iconic and indispensable within the annual tournament calendar.

Generating a buzz around your new tournament, and you should/may:● Find the most important news sites and forums for your specific esports title (e.g.,

CS: GO subreddit for hosting a CS:GO event). Here your target audience is concentrated, so you can post announcements and genral information on your tournament.

● Provide a landing page with an easy-to-understand and accessible sign-up interface, where users can swiftly register themselves for your event and deposit the entrance fee.

● Make sure players know how much the prize pool is growing as registration goes higher and higher, which may get a lot of last-minute signup

● Emphasize in your promotion when there is a high performing player coming into your tournament as the top seed, which definitely will attract a strong viewership on twitch and with spectator onsite.

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Licenses for organizing esports eventsIn 2018, an owner of an esports training facility within an industrial building (car racing simulation) was charged by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) on using special seats (D-Box) without obtaining an appropriate permit/license, and the owner was arrested by police for operating an amusement game centre without a license (梁延宇, 2018).

There are still a lot of grey areas on organizing esports event/tournament and venue in Hong Kong, and many esports event organizers and venue owners have complained that the relevant legal structure is not well developed to promote the esports industry as well as protect the advocators (e.g., esports venue owners, esports training facilities).

Depending on the characteristics/details of an esports event and its venue, an esports organizer may need to apply for the following license(s) and/or exemptions for organizing esports tournament (just to name a few):● Exemption of Electronic Sports Venues form Licence Requirement under the Amusement

Game Centres Ordinance (Cap. 435) from Office of the Licensing Authority;

● Amusement Game Centre License from Office of the Licensing Authority;

● Trade Promotion Competition License (if prizing is provided in the event) from Office of the Licensing Authority;

● Application for Places of Public Entertainment License/Temporary Places of Public Entertainment License (if it is operated in a public place) from FEHD; 9

Registration & Ticketing – Supply of Customers● The registration staff and ticket collectors (e.g., e-tickets, complimentary

tickets, passout) need training to deal with the public, and the honesty of the staff may be a security concern.

● Innovation and new technology affecting the method of registration and ticketing for events and festivals:○ RFID wrist bands – indicate the level of the ticket (e.g., seat, day or

multiple-days, food & beverage)○ E-tickets (e.g., sending quick access code to the event-goers’ mobile

phone or mobile application of the event)● Queuing Factors to be considered:

○ Number of queues and bottlenecks○ Number of personnel greeters, crowd controllers, registration

staff/ticket collectors and security have been allocated?○ Is signage in place?○ Any e-solutions to speed up the process of registration?

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Supply of Product● A Product Portfolio – a variety of products & services helping to

create the event experience for the customer● Transport:

○ Product portfolio includes products coming from overseas, the logistics problems can include issues such as customs clearance

○ Savings, discounts, free seats or free excess charges○ Detailed information of event and festival kit

● Accommodation○ Substandard accommodation and long trips to the site affect

the value & overall experiences of the event● Artists’/Participants’ Needs on site

○ As an event manager, s/he needs to be sensitive to requirement that are culturally based, such as food, dressing room and appropriate staff to assist the performer. 11

Supply of facilities● The supply of the infrastructure to an event site:

○ The storage of consumables (food & drink) and equipment, and the maintenance equipment (e.g., Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo)

○ For a small event, most of the facilities will be supplied by the venue – (e.g. catering, toilets, power, sound system)

○ Large & Innovative event will require a long lead-time to source the facilities and related equipment (e.g. outdoor event needs toilets, generators, fencing, construction contractor for building stages, security) 12

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On-site Logistics● With larger festivals & events (e.g. multi-venued event), the mvmt. of

audience, volunteers, artists & equipment can take a larger part of the time and effort of the logistics manager than the lead-up to the event.

● Event manager needs to make sure the flow – positioning, mvmt., & operation, of different elements of the event:● Stall set up, continual supply and removal● Staging equipment set up, maintenance, and removal● Security● Emergency procedure (e.g., fire access & first aid arrangement)● Artist & equipment transport● VIP & media requirements and arrangement● Food & drink supplies and services (e.g., liquor license)● Amenities, solid waste mgmt., and garbage removal● Site communication

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Event Shutdown● The breakdown and removal of site structures, the collection of

equipment & the exits of the various traders should all be part of the schedules contained in the logistics plan○ The plan for the breakdown of the event is part of the initial

meeting & negotiation with contractors. ● The shutdown of an event is the prime security tie. The mix of

vehicles, mvmt. of equipment & general feeling of relaxation provides a cover for theft

● Towing services and the police may need to be contacted for smooth flow of traffic

● Very large event may require the sale of facilities and equipment at the post-event auction.

● It is often left to the person in charge of logistics to organize the final thank-you party for the volunteers & staff. 14

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● Scheduling and mapping are useful tools for event logistics.

● Scheduling: Gantt charts are bar charts that are used in project management as a visual representation on the schedule. Followings are the steps in creating a Gantt chart:

○ Tasks: break down the logistics of the event into manageable tasks of activities

○ Time lines: set the time scale for each task.

○ Priority: set the priority of the task.

○ Grid: draw a grid with the days leading up to the event across the top, and a horizontal bar that corresponds to each task is drawn across the grid

○ Milestones: as the chart is used for monitoring the progress of the event, tasks that are of particular importance are designated as milestones & marked on the chart

Logistics Techniques: Scheduling & Mapping

Logistics Techniques: Gantt Chart (cont’)Tasks F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S

Clear & prepare site

Generators arrive

Lighting on site

Tents arrive

Stages arrive & set up

Site security

Sound system arrives

Milestone: start of festival

Opening

night

The advantages of a Gantt chart are it:

Visually summarizes the event schedule

Is an effective communication & control tool (esp. with volunteers)

Can point out problem areas or clashes of scheduling

Is readily adaptable to all event areas

Provides a summary of the history of the event

Underestimation of the time needed can give rise to cost blow out and render any scheduling ineffective

Logistics Techniques: Critical Path Analysis

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Site Map● What is the map for?● Who will be reading it?● The three basic features of

maps – scales, projection, and the key (showing the symbols used)

● The communication value of the site map depends on where it is displayed.

● Some festivals put the map on the back of the ticket, in the event brochure, and/or in the event’s mobile application!

Checklist for the logistics site Map

Scale & direction (north

arrow)

Food & Market stalls

Symbols used on the

map (key)

Equipment storage

areas

Entrance & exit Maintenance area

Roads & parking Tents & Marquees

Admin. Center Green room

Information booths Pathways

First aid & emergency

rd. access

Off-limit areas &

danger spots

Lost children area Telephones

Electricity & water

outlets

ATMs

toilets Media area18

Site & Venue Map (Example)19

Site & Venue Map (Example)20

Negotiation & Assessment● Logistical considerations need to be covered by the initial negotiations with

subcontractors.

● Decisions & agreements need to be continually reassessed.

● Skull session (Pagonis 1992, p.194)

○ is to identify and talk through all the unknown elements of the situation and try to come up with concrete solutions to those problems.

○ reduces uncertainty, reinforce the interconnection of the different areas of specialization, encourage collaborative problem solving, and raise the level of awareness as to possible problems

● Gap analysis (Goldblatt, 1997)

○ to identify gaps that could lead to a weakening in the implementation of the logistics plan.

○ Is important in the creation of contingency plan

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Control of Event Logistics

● Simple Monitoring device – Gantt Chart

○ Identification of milestones – times when crucial tasks have to be completed.

○ The gantt chart is used to compare projected performance with actual performance by recording actual performance times on the chart as the tasks occur.

● Use of qualified and quality subcontractors with experience in events (Annual event vs. one-off, innovative event)

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Evaluation of Logistics● An evaluation enables the logistics manager to identify problem areas that

enables improvement & adds value to the next event. Techniques used in evaluation are:

○ Quantitative – meeting measurable objectives; sometimes called benchmarking

○ Qualitative – discussion with stakeholders

○ Logistics audit – a systematic & thorough analysis of the event logistics.

● For a large event, the evaluation of the logistics may be contained in the overall evaluation that is put out to tender

● The evaluation report concerns:

○ Business outcomes

○ Some of the Logistics related areas:

■ Travel, communication, accommodation, security measures, and/or toilets smell/dirty

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The Logistics Plan● A large event’s logistics plan may include

○ A general contact list

○ A site map

○ Schedules (rundown), including timelines & bar charts

○ The emergency plan

○ Subcontractor details, including all time constraints

○ On-site contacts, including security & volunteers

○ Evaluation sheets (sample questionnaires)

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Requirements for the first assignment – Event Implementation

● Event Schedule (All activities in the event including set-up and pack-up)

○ The schedule should at least have the following elements (in a table or schedule format): Time, Activity, In-charge person(s) and number of staff required, venue, & equipment.

● Brief descriptions of the activities in the event schedule

● Site Map of the event for staff and/or event-goers.

● Gantt for all the event planning activities (e.g., event planning & designing). This could be also the task of Overall Event Planning Team!

● Possible emergency situations and back up plans

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Reference:- Allen J., O’Toole W., McDonnell I., and Harris R. (2020). Festival and Special Event Management (7th ed.). Milton, Qld: John

Wiley & Sons Australia.

- Battlefy. (2018, Jan 27). How to Create a Tournament on Battlefy [Video File}]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BImY3A6sEE&list=PLk-t7dWSPTIjss0_da-myxCcEG6TRz3ll&index=9&t=49s

- Battlefy. (2018, Jan 12). Battlefy Feature Overview – Free Agents [Video File]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0y9eaCdmHg&list=PLk-t7dWSPTIjss0_da-myxCcEG6TRz3ll&index=8

- Coyle, J. J., Bardi, E. J. and Langley, C. J. (1988). The Management of Business Logistics, 4th edn. St. Paul: West Publishing

Company.

- Goldblatt, J. (1997). Special Events: Best Practices in Modern Event Management, 2nd edn. Van Nostrand Reinhold.

- Graham, S., Goldblatt, J. and Delply, L. (1995). The Ultimate Guide to Sports Event Management and Marketing. Chicago, IL:

Richard Irwin.

- Pagonis, G. W. G. (1992). Moving Mountains: Lessons in Leadership and Logistics from the Gulf War. Boston, MA: Harvard

Business School Press.

- Todd Kisicki. (2018, Mar. 8). How to use Challonge.com [Video File]. YouTUbe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqKlNYhaoDE

- Toornament. (n.d.). Toornament – The esports technology. https://www.toornament.com/en_US/#nogo

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- 梁延宇 (2018年12月3日) ̥ <搞電競中心誤墮法網 模擬賽車老闆：差人扮完客拉人封舖> ̥ <<蘋果早報>> ̥ 取自

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