City College Plymouth will be hosting one of the heats for the region’s biggest esports event in early 2023.
Esports, or competitive gaming, is one of the fastest growing industries in the world, with a global revenue of over $1bn and an audience of 474 million in 2021. The first South West Esports Festival took place in February this year, hosted by Exeter College and Tech South West.
Sixteen teams took part, from organisations including the Exeter Chiefs, the Met Office, Jurassic Fibre, Ashfords LLP, Devon County Council, Ghyston and Singer Instruments, with Bath-based software firm Rocketmakers taking home the trophy.
Now, Tech South West and five major colleges from across the region – including City College Plymouth – are joining forces to showcase the leading role the South West can play in this booming sector. Each will host a regional heat for the tournament in which corporate teams from across the South West will take part.
The top three teams from each heat will go through to the final, hosted by Exeter College at their flagship Digital and Data Centre during May half term.
The festival will showcase the careers available in the sector, and provide an opportunity for students at the colleges to assist with the delivery of the festival and use their marketing, event management and organisational skills in a real-world environment. The event will also shine a spotlight on the cutting edge facilities available in the South West.
Sam Pomeroy, programme lead at City College Plymouth, said:
“The college is excited to be part of this event which we hope will be mutually beneficial for students and employers and offer great networking opportunities for all concerned. There will be a cross-college effort to arrange this high-profile event, with students from a variety of departments able to put their developing skills into practice.”
Tech is already the fastest growing part of the South West economy, with esports expected to play an increasingly significant role in the sector in the coming decade.
Dan Pritchard, co-founder and director of Tech South West, said:
“The South West is home to some fantastic digital facilities and is a powerhouse of createch innovation. These factors, combined with a disproportionately high number of technical students and a highly collaborative community, put the region in pole position as the UK’s natural home of esports innovation.
“We are delighted to be working with colleges from across the South West to showcase the region’s strengths and promote the opportunities associated with the rise of esports.”
To register a team or learn about sponsorship opportunities, go to www.techsouthwest.co.uk/esports-2023/
