How eSports tournaments are organised: an inside look

Cyber sports has long been a multi-billion dollar industry with millions of viewers. Broadcasting is a big draw for sponsors, but in order to ensure everything runs at a high level, the primary responsibility for the event is taken on by the tournament organiser. Everything from refreshments for the players to safe transportation of game equipment, which divinetrans.com/ can provide.

What kind of experts are needed to organise an eѕcourt tournament?

Organising an eSports event does not require a company to have 50 employees. Purely theoretically, one or two people can do everything. It all depends on the scale of the tournament. There are three factors that affect it: the format (online or offline), broadcasting on one of the streaming services, and the planned attendance of spectators at the tournament site. It is worth noting that the organisation of high-level championships requires dozens of staff and this number will grow in the future. In most cases the organisation of the championships starts with securing the prize pool. Next, the sales department is involved in conjunction with marketing. After the partners are found and the list of participants is agreed upon, the sports department gets involved. The sports department defines the structure of the tournament and invites teams. When the structure of the tournament is ready, marketing comes back into play and puts working tools on it.

Parallel to this, the lighting studio which will stream the tournament in all necessary languages needs to be taken care of.

The sales department works together with the sports department to cooperate with the marketing department and the studio which is responsible for commentary. Of course, there are a myriad of details without which the tournament would fail. The business process for organising a tournament in our company involves 30 A4 pages. We will talk more about that when we are invited to teach.

What is the fundamental difference between organising an event at a regional and world level?

First of all, the level of teams that play in the championship differs. If we make a regional tournament with teams of a low level, the requirements for the organisation are also quite low - for example, it is not very important what kind of broadcasting it will be. But if we are talking about a big international tournament, teams have already certain conditions and riders. The schedule is agreed and it is quite complicated.

Do force majeure situations often occur and how do you deal with them? The most common and most unpleasant situation is when teams are withdrawn from tournaments. For example, a player has fallen ill and urgently needs to be hospitalized and the team has withdrawn from the tournament. There are already some obligations to partners, the tournament is announced, and the line-up of participants is advertised on all news portals. We have to make urgent arrangements with partners to find a replacement team. When a high level tournament, the number of teams is limited and it's not easy to find a replacement.

Who generates the prize fund? Do tournaments always pay off? In eSports tournaments are organised according to a scheme similar to the one in classic sports. First the prize fund is announced and then the teams are invited. The prize pool is paid, as you know, after the tournament. What does this mean? It means that it is not necessary to have the prize pool at the end of the tournament. This gives rise to opportunities for fraud. Therefore cases of non-payment of prize money are unfortunately not uncommon. It is important to make a commitment and estimate the amount of prize money sensibly. There are cases where companies initially declare a prize pool and expect to earn the money over time, but fail to do so. Such cases arise from time to time all over the world.

How long does it take to prepare for a tournament?

Again it depends on the size of the event. An online tournament can be organised in two hours, whereas it can take 8-10 months to prepare for a CS:GO major event. The trend is simple: the bigger the tournament will host, the more time is needed. An average-sized championship is comparable in organisational terms to preparing a concert.

How much does it cost to run a tournament?

It costs almost nothing to organize an ordinary online tournament. While the budget for a final for 2 days and 4 teams is much more impressive. In percentages, 7.5% of the budget goes straight to the prize fund. The same amount is spent to rent a venue for 1,000 people (two days turnkey with service). Roadside broadcasting (equipment, staff salaries) will take 25%. Logistics for 4 teams and staff - 10%.

Final season costs will account for 50% of the total tournament budget.

Are there any technical problems to be solved in preparation?

With online competitions it is easy. In the case of LAN-tournaments (where all participants get together in one place, each with his own computer) the biggest priority and the most important technical component is to have The International on a platform with a 100/100 Mbit channel. You should also take care beforehand about a "reserve" of electricity for a specific number of watts, which is calculated on the basis of the power consumption of all equipment and lights. Without this, nothing will work.

Next on the list of obligatory technical tasks for any organiser of an offline tournament are the size and facilities of the venue, the degree of remoteness of the venue from urban public transport lines, catering and other services.

What difficulties do the organisers have?

In this matter, experts highlight logistics and finding the right venue. In many countries the infrastructure may not be well developed. It is not so easy to find a hall that meets all the requirements and, moreover, is beautifully decorated and in good condition.

And, of course, logistics. It is always difficult and usually even expensive. Most of the International tournaments are international, so there are a lot of things to think about, including visas and passports for all participants and players.

Who usually takes care of the logistics?

Depending on the amount of logistics there is a dedicated manager, or a manager who hires a logistics company. The latter organises the transport of players and staff.

Advice for the tournament organiser

1. It's better to run a good tournament online than a bad offline.
2. Competitors want fair rules and comfortable conditions. Spectators need a show and an exciting fight on a stage.
3. Choose the contestants wisely. They determine 90% of The International heres spectator.
4. Renowned teams are the main value of any successful tournament.