Esports event at Jem's Cathay Cineplexes proves you can work in gaming without being a gamer

Turning our passion into a career is something that many of us strive to achieve. As a popular saying goes, "Find a job you enjoy doing and you will never have to work a day in your life."

But it's a little tougher for gamers who are seeking to break into a sunrise industry where there's a lack of awareness on the opportunities available.

Identifying this gap, Esports Entertainment Asia and Singapore Cybersports & Online Gaming Association (SCOGA) teamed up to invite educators from polytechnics, Institutes of Technical Education and universities to learn more about esports and, specifically, live production of such esports events.

The three-day event (Dec 2 to 4) was hosted by Cathay Cineplexes at Jem shopping mall, where attendees were treated to masterclasses from global brands who showcased their professional equipment and how it can be used in conjunction with a big esports event. Some of the brands that participated included Belgian technology company Barco, Panasonic, Audio-Technica and Sennheiser.

Speaking to AsiaOne, Dennis Ooi, honorary secretary of SCOGA, said: "The reason why this is done is really to help educators understand that this is a booming industry. There are a lot of opportunities there. [It's about] how we get the youths they're mentoring excited about it. And those that want to be part of it, how do we connect the dots? We're talking a lot about jobs and careers."

As for the focus on the live production aspect of esports, Ooi pointed out that esports has other "auxiliary, supporting positions that are essential" and it is beneficial to cultivate a workforce that is ready, especially when Singapore is starting to host major events.

He explained: "We're hosting the Mobile Legends World Championships in January. We did a lot to bring that world-class event into Singapore. Now that it's here, is our workforce ready?

"There are a lot of underlying challenges as well. You know, most traditional media companies or even event management companies do not have that expertise when it comes to handling games and esports events yet. I use the word 'yet', because I think that's an opportunity for us to ride this wave."

On the one hand, it's to create awareness among employers so they know what opportunities are ripe for the taking. On the other, it's to better equip students with the necessary skills so they're able to secure an internship or traineeship.

When it comes to esports, there are many potential job opportunities apart from the "competitive players" themselves, such as the "media people" or the "event venue people".

Ooi added: "These are opportunities that esports is really creating, you know, and I guess in a way because of the pandemic, this is further amplified because when traditional events cannot run, esports can run because it's inherently a digital medium."

Johnny Ong, the co-founder of event promoter UnUsUaL Entertainment, was involved in the organising of this and also serves as the chairman of the advisory board of SCOGA. It is also his aim to take Singapore to the next level in the esports industry and become a "technology hub" — where new, high-end products are launched and high-tech events are hosted.

"For instance, Panasonic designed a machine for telecasting and Singapore is the first country to announce it. So we try to fight for these types of chances for Singapore," he said.

bryanlim@asiaone.com