Fusion Fest takes University of Warwick Esports to the next level

It’s the start of a new era for games and esports at the University of Warwick as Warwick Esports celebrates its move to central campus.

The centre’s new location at Fusion in the Rootes Building includes state-of-the-art esports equipment and games, and a bar offering food and drink. The centre is open to students and staff as well as members of the public and community groups.

Amber Hassan, Equal Opportunities Officer at Warwick Esports said: “The Esports

Centre’s new location at Fusion represents the perfect blend between innovation, cutting edge technology and passion. Now in the heart of our campus, the centre is the beat of our community, creating an unparalleled gaming space that redefines the esports experience for everyone.”

The University of Warwick is committed to developing esports and other creative industries including content creation, immersive technology, and broadcasting, and kicked off its official launch with an actionpacked programme of activity.

The Fusion Fest programme included free play on PCs, consoles and racing sims. It also featured a demonstration showcasing HADO, a team sport played with up to three people using head-mounted displays and armband sensors, racing tournaments, society tournament takeovers and casual consoles and board games.

Through a dynamic blend of tournaments, workshops, and keynote speeches, attendees delved into the fascinating world of games and esports, exploring its impact on education, technology, and business.

Mick McLaughlin, Business Development Manager (CreaTech) said: "Fusion Fest represents a pivotal moment in our journey towards innovation, excellence, and CreaTech. With the relocation of our new Esports Centre to a more prominent location, we are not only creating a destination, but we’re also embracing emerging technologies and fostering a vibrant community where creativity thrives, and boundaries are pushed."

The centre is open Monday-Friday 11am11pm and Saturday-Sunday 2pm-11pm and bookings are open for pay to play sessions, social events, business events, skills programmes, and school experiences. Enquiries can be made through warwick.ac.uk/esports/fusionfest.

Steve Harcourt

President of Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce

The start of May saw local elections take place across Coventry & Warwickshire, along with the elections for the Mayor of the West Midlands and the West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner.

Whilst the Chamber of Commerce is apolitical, we work closely with colleagues across the political spectrum to ensure our members’ voices are heard on a local, regional and national level and that our region remains a great place to locate and trade a business.

We welcome a new Metro Mayor for the West Midlands, Richard Parker, who will take up the mantle from Andy Street CBE, who has served as the first Mayor of the West Midlands since 2017. Our congratulations go to Richard, who we look forward to working with, and our thanks to Andy for his public service and dedication to the West Midlands.

We will await the announcement of a General Election…!

On an economic front, as Director of Prime Accountants Group we’re pleased to continue our support for the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES). It was promising to see that the latest QES results, from Q1 2024, showed the economic outlook for Coventry and Warwickshire has improved after the first three months of the year.

The overall economic outlook now has a score of 60.1, based on the survey results, compared to 55.2 at the end of 2023. This reflects a level of continued optimism for businesses in our region, however we will continue to highlight some of the barriers to growth that are preventing companies from expanding and growing.

Looking ahead to the summer, I am excited to be hosting my first President’s Golf Day, on 21st June at Draycote Hotel & Whitefields Golf Club in Rugby and look forward to welcoming a range of members to the event.

We will be raising funds for The Myton Hospices and supporting the fantastic work they do across Coventry & Warwickshire. If you haven’t booked your place yet, head to the Chamber’s website for more information. Finally, I would recommend all businesses based in our region check out the range of fully funded Business Support programmes available through the Chamber of Commerce. The programmes are designed to help your business succeed and give you free access to an experienced business advisor, as well as offering a range of workshops and events.

I hope to see many of you at the Golf Day!

Steve