Left to right: Global Esports Federation CEO Paul J. Foster, Confetti founder Craig Chettle MBE and British Esports CEO/Global Esports VP Chester King
The Global Esports Federation (GEF) has announced a long-term partnership with the UK’s Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, which is part of Nottingham Trent University.
The deal will initially see competing Dota 2, Rocket League and eFootball teams in the Commonwealth Esports Championships (CEC2022) train and take part in qualifying tournaments from August 1st to 5th 2022 at Confetti’s facilities.
The Commonwealth Esports Championships proper will then take place from August 6th to 7th in Birmingham’s International Convention Centre (ICC).
With support from UPP, a UK on-campus accommodation provider, Confetti will serve as ‘GEF_house’, offering accommodation for athletes and creating a community space.
GEF’s executive director of community and administration, Mark Chay, has been named as the head of GEF_house.
Confetti’s technical and crew support will also assist GEF’s esports partner Faceit in providing broadcasting and livestreams.
The news comes two weeks after the Global Esports Federation announced a 10-year agreement with the West Midlands to boost UK esports.
“Esports is built around communities and our long-term partnership with GEF will enhance our global network, which will bring many wider economic and cultural benefits to Nottingham and the UK,” added Craig Chettle MBE, founder and chief executive of Confetti.”
Craig Chettle, Confetti Institute
Global Esports launched in late 2019 as the self-proclaimed ‘convening body for the esports ecosystem, which aims to promote the credibility, legitimacy and prestige of esports’.
Confetti launched into the esports market in 2020 and offers esports production qualifications at both college and degree level. Later this year it will open Confetti X – a new £5m dedicated esports production facility. Confetti has also this week hosted the 2022 Esports in Education Summit and will host the 2022 British Esports Student Champs finals this weekend.
“We are delighted to partner with the world-class Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies to create a home this August – our GEF_house for the CEC2022. It’s a place for our world connected community to thrive, be together, make friends for life, have fun and importantly, GEF_house is a place to belong,” said Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF.
“Esports is built around communities and our long-term partnership with GEF will enhance our global network, which will bring many wider economic and cultural benefits to Nottingham and the UK,” added Craig Chettle MBE, founder and chief executive of Confetti.”
GEF is billed as a not-for-profit and is backed by Riot Games’ Chinese parent company Tencent. It is also partnered with Faceit (owned by Savvy Gaming Group backed by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund), Prince Harry’s Invictus Games, which featured an esports side event this year, IMG, the Arab Esports Federation and more.
Esports News UK will be back with an interview with GEF CEO Paul J. Foster on these recent developments soon.
Related content: Watch Esports News UK’s interview with Confetti on its esports paint-drying stream here.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
