The IOC’s Inaugural Virtual Sports Festival
Where physical meets digital
The Olympic Movement gathered at Suntec Singapore on 22 June to launch the inaugural Olympic Esports Week. The IOC, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Sport Singapore, and the Singapore National Olympic Council partnered to create the IOC’s first-ever festival and global competition dedicated to virtual and simulated sports.
KIN worked tirelessly with the IOC as part of the Local Organising Committee. Being an inaugural multi-sport event, the team focused on adapting and acquiring knowledge during the planning process — collaborating with stakeholders to develop schedules that accommodated both rehearsal and competition timings across 15 sports and games over three days.
To accommodate 15 sports and games over three days, two stages were utilised. With limited time allocated for each reset between events, close collaboration with tournament operations, broadcast teams, and sports presentation teams was critical to keeping everything on schedule.
A Free-to-Play zone was conceptualised as a vast arcade, creating an open and inviting atmosphere within the venue. The welcoming ambiance ensured all attendees felt included, regardless of their familiarity with esports.
The Forum served as a platform for open dialogue and knowledge sharing among industry leaders in sports and esports. Topics included the future of esports technology, Singapore as a global esports hub, diversity and inclusivity in the ecosystem, player welfare, and standards for fair play and integrity.
A dazzling opening ceremony celebrated inclusivity and diversity, leveraging innovative technologies including holographic projection, laser projection mapping, and automation to create a show that blurred the lines between the physical and digital worlds.
