Lazada and MyRepublic among firms backing SG esports student initiative

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The National Youth Council (NYC), Singapore Esports Association (SGEA) and IMG have partnered to offer 100 students from Nanyang Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, the Institute of Technical Education, and other partner organisations to experience the inner workings of the esports ecosystem. The Esports Youth Programme comprises three phases of carefully curated 35 hours of experiential programming.

The first phase is a series of workshops and panel discussions with industry leaders and top content creators, curated by IMG and presented by partners Boom Digital Media, GosuGamers, Global Sports Innovation Center powered by Microsoft (GSIC), Lazada, Mailman Group, MyRepublic, Refract, SGEA, TikTok, World Freestyle Football Association and YouTube.

The workshops will teach gamers and esports athletes ways to create a social profile and grow their fan base as well as attract commercial partners. This includes how to set up accounts, the type of content to post, and how to respond to negative comments. At the same time, TikTok creator Ming Wei will share insights on how he grew 17 million followers.

The second phase features the inaugural Global Esports Games (GEG) taking place from 15 to 19 December in Singapore. GEG is the Global Esports Federation's flagship event which features teams from across the world participating in multi-title esports competitions and active esports. The youths will play an active role in the GEG, including helping with the event management for the GEG Opening Ceremony and the execution of safety measures for participants and players. They will also learn to curate content for GEG’s social platforms and learn how GEG is being promoted through PR, social, partnerships and influencers to create an integrated campaign.

Participants also have the option to sign up for phase three where a select group can further their learning in the corporate world through short-term internships with GosuGamers, GSIC, IMG, Refract and the SGEA. Duncan Pointer, Mailman Group's MD, APEC told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the 35 hours of experiential programming allows brands to establish a direct line of communication with the youths and open their eyes to potential career pathways in the esports industry through social media, content and event management aspects.

Citing statistics from NewZoo, Pointer said 46% of Singapore's online population watches esports and Southeast Asia's esports audience grew 22% year-on-year. "Gaming is going mainstream, and yet many non-endemic brands and agencies don’t understand how to engage with these audiences. EYP will create a group of talented youths that understand the ecosystem which can benefit brands and agencies alike," he added.

NYC's CEO David Chua said it wants to challenge young people to take ownership of their aspirations and is glad to have SGEA and IMG on board as partners to provide youths with the developmental opportunities and hands-on experience in the esports industry.

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Photo courtesy: 123RF

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