For years, we’ve been organizing esports tournaments at Heroes Dutch Comic Con, but what actually goes into making them happen? Behind the scenes, a dedicated team spends months preparing everything.
It all starts with a plan
Long before the first match is played, dozens of decisions have already been made. Which games will be featured this year? How much space is available, and how many teams can realistically compete in a single day? Which partners can help elevate the tournament? And what prizes will be awarded to the winners?
Once these choices are finalized, marketing kicks off. A content plan is created, a registration form is built, and sign-ups are actively monitored. Participants are contacted with practical information about schedules, match formats, and tournament rules. At the same time, logistical planning is underway: staffing schedules for setup, execution, and breakdown, as well as coordination with partners supplying equipment and materials.
The Wednesday before the event: time to roll up your sleeves!
The physical work begins on the Wednesday before HDCC. Trucks are loaded and head toward Jaarbeurs Utrecht. Suppliers are welcomed, their trucks unloaded, and then the setup begins. Dozens of PCs and monitors are unpacked, installed, and configured. Games are installed and updated, drivers and programs like Discord are prepared. This is followed by an extensive testing phase, because no matter how well you prepare, technology can always surprise you.
In just two to three days, everything is built, tested, and ready for participants.
Saturday & Sunday: tournament time
On both days, the team arrives early for a final test run before participants enter. Once the tournament is underway, referees oversee the schedule and ensure rules are followed. Every match must finish on time, especially since finals often take place on stage at a fixed time. This requires precise, minute-by-minute coordination.
Sunday: breakdown
What takes two to three days to build is dismantled in just two to three hours. Tired after an intense weekend – but still precise – cables are carefully rolled up, equipment is packed into the correct boxes, and trucks are loaded. Then everything heads back.
After the weekend: wrapping up
But it doesn’t end there. Back at the office, all equipment is checked, reorganized, and prepared for the next event. Sponsors are properly thanked, winners are highlighted on social media, and photos and videos are edited and published. Sponsor reports are created, and financials are finalized.
Collaboration with Breda University of Applied Sciences
This entire process – from the first planning session to the final invoice – is partly carried out by students from the Minor Esports Event & Media Management at Breda University of Applied Sciences. This isn’t a simulation; it’s real responsibility at the largest pop culture event in the Netherlands.
For these students, it’s exactly the hands-on experience the program is designed for. Esports is a rapidly evolving industry, with new games, platforms, and business models emerging constantly. By working within a professional production, students learn not only how a tournament operates, but also how to navigate the dynamics and unpredictability of a young, innovative industry. That’s knowledge you won’t find in a textbook.
Would you like to organize an esports tournament too?
Then the Minor Esports Event & Media Management might be for you. You’ll learn everything about event organization, media production, strategy, and marketing. No prior experience required, just a willingness to learn. Anyone with a propaedeutic diploma can apply.
