One of the country’s leading esports events organisers is moving to Nottingham as part of a plan to make the city a leading centre for the online gaming industry.
NUEL, a leading host of university esports tournaments across Europe, is relocating its head office to the Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies campus on Convent Street.
Confetti launched the UK’s first BSc Esports Production university degree in 2021 and the institute now runs three esports production courses at college, undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
The news comes as the institute prepares to officially open Confetti X – a new £5m, 14,000 sq ft dedicated esports production complex.
Confetti X will become the main UK venue for NUEL and computer company GGTech, where they will host major university esports tournaments.
The partnership allows students to run the production of events, with the overall aim being to increase awareness of careers in the booming esports industry.
Forecasts have suggested the value of the global games market will reach £195 billion in 2025, and its worldwide audience is also expected to pass half a billion this year.
Craig Chettle MBE, founder and Chief Executive of Confetti Media Group, said: “Alongside our longstanding partnership with the British Esports Federation, this exciting initiative with GGTech and NUEL will further support our mission to shape the future of esports education.
“We are excited by the opportunities set to be created and are thrilled that NUEL has chosen our campus and Nottingham as its UK base.
“Our partnership highlights shared ambitions to help advance esports as an inclusive and innovative industry, and I am certain that, together with our new esports production complex Confetti X this is another step towards making Nottingham a hub of the UK’s esports industry.”
As part of the plan, Confetti, which is part of Nottingham Trent University, will also get support with new course development and access to esports specialist guest lecturers.
David Jackson, NUEL Managing Director, said: “After the success of our Amazon University Esports tournament in April, we are delighted to continue our collaboration with Confetti who are helping lead the way with their university education and their facilities.
“It is great that we can continue to help the next generation of students lead a career in esports whether it be in events production, game design, or casting.”
NUEL said it would also be providing students with regular paid opportunities to work on many event broadcasts for tournaments nationwide, while GGTech will do likewise internationally.
This will include collaborations on the broadcast of the European Amazon University Esports Masters competition, held in Alicante, Spain.
Tao Martinez, Head of University Esports Development at GGTech added: “It is an exciting time for the esports industry which is growing by the day, and with that creates a plethora of opportunities in this field for university students to thrive in.
“Confetti’s work supplying university courses has been excellent for encouraging people to pursue a career in esports, and with their upcoming Confetti X complex, students will be able to gain valuable work experience using industry-grade facilities.”
“Our shared goal is to continue improving the grassroots esports scene and levelling up services across the country for the latest wave of students who are poised to shape the esports industry.”
