\n Workshop Organised with APRU Teaches How to Win Heavyweight Brand Sponsorships for Esports Development <\/p>\n
HONG KONG SAR –\u00a0Media OutReach<\/a>\u00a0– 30 April 2021 –\u00a0<\/b>Hong Kong Cyberport<\/a> and the Association of Pacific Rim
Eric
Industry
According
As a Cyberport incubatee, Talon
Sponsor Pitch Simulations<\/u><\/b>
Each participating university,
Organising
Dr Christopher
APRU is a premier alliance of
Organised by Cyberport in
\nUniversities<\/b> (APRU)<\/b><\/a>,
\na\u00a0consortium\u00a0of 58 leading\u00a0universities in the\u00a0Pacific Rim region,
\ntoday held the APRU Esports Fellowship Workshop on the Cyberport campus and
\nonline. Talon Esports<\/b>, a Cyberport incubatee and well-known organiser of
\nesports leagues, shared its perspective on the esports business ecosystem and
\nhow marketing and business sponsorship can benefit the industry’s development. 30
\nstudents from universities in Hong Kong and the Pacific Rim, including the Hong
\nKong University of Science and Technology, the School of Professional and
\nContinuing Education of the University of Hong Kong (HKU SPACE) and the Open
\nUniversity of Hong Kong, joined the workshop and exchanged views with fellow
\nstudents who share their passion for esports.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/release.media-outreach.com\/release.php\/Images\/Thumb\/500x0\/147385\/Students-pitching-.jpg#image-147385\")
<\/p>\nParticipating students conducted a mock sponsor pitch to enhance their knowledge of the esports ecosystem.<\/span><\/h5>\n
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\nChan, Chief Public Mission Officer of Cyberport<\/b>, said, “Cyberport is committed
\nto cultivating local young talent and providing them with diversified
\nentrepreneurship and career opportunities. As a high-growth emerging industry,
\nesports and digital entertainment present younger generations with a rich array
\nof opportunities, from content development to team management and training, and
\nfrom event planning to brand marketing. Through this workshop, participants learned
\nabout the esports industry’s business models and the unique advantages of Hong
\nKong’s esports companies. Those aspiring to a career in esports could also
\nbroaden their horizons and enjoy fruitful exchanges via the APRU network with
\ntheir counterparts from other universities in the Pacific Rim.”<\/p>\n
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\nLeader Shares Tips on Winning Sponsorships<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n
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\nto the latest forecast from industry research institute Newzoo, the global
\nesports market’s value will reach USD1.084 billion
\nin 2021, representing year-on-year growth of 14.5%. Business sponsorship will
\naccount for USD641 million, close to 60% of the total value. This demonstrates
\nthat business sponsorship is the esports industry’s bread and butter. <\/p>\n
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\nEsports is well-known for its League of Legends<\/i><\/a>\u00a0team,
\nPSG Talon, as well as for the successful esports events it has staged, such as
\nthe VALORANT competitions in Hong Kong and Taiwan which have attracted lucrative
\nsponsorships from a wide variety of businesses including sportswear company Nike,
\nKFC Thailand, Hong Kong virtual bank Mox and gaming seat developer Recaro. Today’s
\nworkshop tutor, Sean Zhang, CEO and Co-founder of Talon Esports<\/b>, noted: “Everything
\nbegins with the fans. Esports fans typically represent a very valuable consumer
\nsegment for many brands, but they are also notoriously difficult to reach
\nthrough traditional channels. So the most important thing for us to understand
\nfrom a partnership perspective is what our partners are looking to achieve,
\nfrom both a business and a branding standpoint, and then our job is to work out
\nhow we can best help them bridge that gap between them and the gaming community
\nin a way that is authentic and adds value for our fans too.”<\/p>\n
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\nincluding the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, HKU SPACE, the
\nOpen University of Hong Kong, the Far Eastern Federal\u00a0University, the National
\nTaiwan University, the National University of\u00a0Singapore,
\nthe\u00a0Monterrey\u00a0Institute of Technology and Higher Education, the University
\nof British Columbia, the University of California, Los Angeles and the University
\nof Washington, arranged for two to three representatives to join the
\nworkshop.\u00a0 Grouped into five teams, the
\nstudents were required to conduct a sponsor pitch for a popular esports league.
\nTo enhance their knowledge of the esports ecosystem, feedback and suggestions were
\nprovided by the tutor. <\/p>\n
\n
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\ninter-university tournaments and academic competitions<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n
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\nTremewan, APRU Secretary General<\/b>, said, “Empowering
\nfuture Esports leaders in the Pacific Rim brought APRU and Cyberport together
\nto create the APRU Esports Fellowship Program. Through Cyberport, the new
\ngeneration will have access to the resources they need to develop skills and
\nbuild networks for careers in the thriving Esports industry, including access
\nto over 140 Esports start-ups. A perk of our program is that students will have
\nthe exclusive opportunity to pitch to industry leaders after learning about
\nsponsorship relations and insider tips that cannot be found in textbooks. Going
\nforward, we will forge ahead with this partnership and offer more opportunities
\nfor students to learn through student-led inter-university tournaments,
\nacademic competitions and fellowships.”<\/p>\n
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\nresearch universities, established in Los Angeles in 1997 by the presidents of
\nUCLA, Berkeley, Caltech and the University of Southern California. It aims to
\nfoster collaboration between member universities to promote economic, scientific
\nand cultural advancement in the Pacific Rim. APRU now has a membership of more
\nthan 50 leading research universities.<\/p>\n
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\npartnership with APRU and the\u00a0Monterrey\u00a0Institute of Technology and
\nHigher Education, the APRU
\nEsports Fellowship Program<\/a> is a one-year
\nprogramme dedicated to the esports industry. Cyberport’s session in Hong Kong
\nis the programme’s third workshop, with the first two hosted by the National University
\nof\u00a0Singapore and the University of California, Los Angeles. The next
\nworkshop is planned for May, and will be hosted by the University of British
\nColumbia. In addition to workshops, the programme also includes competitions which
\naim to boost the student’s esports skills and techniques.\u00a0 <\/p>\n