“This report outlines our vision to transform the Park into a world-class esports cluster that sends a clear message to the global esports community – London has the talent, venues and expertise to become a global capital for esports. We have outlined an ambitious roadmap to realise the potential of esports on the Park in a way that brings significant economic and social benefits to the capital, the emerging British esports industry and local communities. We look forward to working with the London Legacy Development Company and the wider Park community to bring this roadmap to life.”

Gavin Poole
CEO
Here East
  • New report published by Here East outlines roadmap to accelerate the growth of esports cluster
  • Plan aims to harness unique assets of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to create a globally competitive esports cluster
  • esports set to create jobs and attract investment across East London

Here East, the tech and innovation campus, has committed to leading a major new initiative to accelerate the growth of an esports cluster on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. A new report published today by Delancey’s Here East and supported by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) has outlined a roadmap to create a world-class esports cluster that will drive job creation and bring an industry worth $180bn globally to east London.

Through interviews with a wide range of stakeholders, esports leaders and academics, Here East and LLDC have identified the unique characteristics that make Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park the natural home for esports in the UK. These characteristics include state of the art sporting venues, close proximity to international esports teams and close engagement with academic institutions and local initiatives specialising in esports.

The report outlines a series of recommendations that Here East and LLDC believe will consolidate the Park’s position as the UK’s leading esports cluster. A dedicated team, led by Here East and LLDC and including other Park stakeholders and venues, will be established to deliver marketing and communication campaigns, new esports partnerships and collaborations with local initiatives to develop pathways to foster talent.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is already home to global esports competitions at the Copper Box Arena, Staffordshire University London – which offered the UK’s first esports undergraduate course – and esports and gaming businesses such as BT Sport, Sports Interactive and Bidstack.

The plan will build upon the long-term regeneration strategy being delivered by LLDC and stakeholders across Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. This includes realising the Park’s unique potential to establish a globally significant urban testbed focused on end-to-end innovation support. With its mix of world-class tech, creative, culture and higher education, the Park offers an unrivalled environment to support the emerging esports cluster.

The plan will also benefit from use of the existing mechanisms that LLDC, Here East and other Park partners have in place for stakeholder and community engagement. In particular, the existing relationships with youth networks will be a real strength in terms of communication about the games business.

Considering esports generated £60m in revenue across the UK in 2019, creating a worldclass esports cluster on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park would accelerate the growth of the industry in the UK and drive job creation and economic growth in London.

Gavin Poole, CEO of Here East, comments: “Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park already hosts some of the most high profile esports competitions, teams and businesses in the UK and Here East has become the fastest growing community of esports innovation in the country. “This report outlines our vision to transform the Park into a world-class esports cluster that sends a clear message to the global esports community – London has the talent, venues and expertise to become a global capital for esports.” “We have outlined an ambitious roadmap to realise the potential of esports on the Park in a way that brings significant economic and social benefits to the capital, the emerging British esports industry and local communities. We look forward to working with the London Legacy Development Company and the wider Park community to bring this roadmap to life.”

For More Info Contact:

Hannah Aroesti
Seven Hills
Tel: +44 (0)7557 877 051
hannah-aroesti@wearesevenhills.com

Sophie Ingham Clark
Communications Manager Delancey
Tel: +44 (0)20 7448 1961
sophie.ingham-clark@delancey.com

Notes to Editors

About Here East

Here East is a catalyst for growth and London’s fastest growing innovation campus. Located at the heart of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, it is a launchpad for innovation. The former Press and Broadcast Centre for the Olympic Games, has been transformed into a thriving community of over 4,500 creatives.

Here East is home to three of the fastest growing clusters in the capital: esports, cybersecurity and the creative sectors. Tenants include: BT Sports, Plexal (Here East’s innovation centre), Fiit.tv, Sports Interactive, Ford Smart Mobility, Studio Wayne McGregor, MATCHESFASHION and The Trampery on the Gantry who provide 21 studios for local artists and designers. The 1.2 million sq ft campus is home to over 4,500 academics and innovators, and is designed to foster collaboration, allowing tenants to collaborate, scale and grow at pace. Here East is owned by clients of Delancey, a specialist real estate investment advisory company. For Further information visit www.hereeast.com

About London Legacy Development Corporation

Spread across 560 acres of stunning parklands, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is home to beautifully landscaped gardens, historic waterways, famous sporting venues, a vibrant arts and events programme and the ArcelorMittal Orbit visitor attraction.

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park opened in April 2014 following the 18 month transformation programme of the London 2012 Olympic Park. It is now home to six former Olympic and Paralympic venues, the Copper Box Arena, Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, Lee Valley VeloPark, London Aquatics Centre and London Stadium where visitors can take part in sport, enjoy watching world class athletes compete or experience concerts or arts and culture events. Visitors can also enjoy a birds-eye view of the Park from the two viewing platforms of the ArcelorMittal Orbit, the UK’s tallest sculpture, before experiencing an exhilarating ride on The Slide, the world’s tallest and longest tunnel slide.

As the new heart of east London, the Park is still transforming and will soon provide future homes, jobs and an unrivalled education and cultural district housing Sadler’s Wells, BBC, V&A East, UAL’s London College of Fashion and UCL East.

The London Legacy Development Corporation promotes and delivers physical, social, economic and environmental regeneration in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the surrounding area by maximising the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. For more information visit our website (QueenElizabethOlympicPark.co.uk), sign up to our e-newsletter (QueenElizabethOlympicPark.co.uk/subscribe), follow us on Twitter (@noordinarypark) and like us on Facebook (facebook.com/ QueenElizabethOlympicPark)