eSports on the Gold Coast… The Fuse Cup

Recently, I had the honour of presiding over the Official Opening of the Fuse Cup National eSports Finals and eSports in Education Conference, held at Emmanuel College. The City of Gold Coast was a sponsor, but with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor unable to attend, and the Chair of the Economy Tourism and Events Committee committed at other activities, I got the opportunity to say a few words.

Here’s my speech;

 I’m here on behalf of Mayor Tom Tate, Deputy Mayor Donna Gates and the Chair of Economy Tourism & Events Committee, Bob La Castra, to officially open the Fuse eSports Festival which includes the FUSE Cup National Finals and eSports in Education Conference.  

Before I begin, I want to acknowledge the Kombumerri people, who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet. They have a rich hstory, speaking Ngarang-Wal and Yugambeh languages, depending on which family you speak to, but I want to pay my deep respect to their elders past, present and emerging.

There is little doubt that the way young people, and older people like me, engage in gaming is changing the ways customers engage, businesses solve problems, and teachers educate. The digital gamification of life, as it were, is shaping society. I collect digital points when I shop, I’m provided digitally recorded incentives when I use the internet and applications in particular, and in my rare down time I’m even letting my sons thrash me at Rocket League in the hope that I’ll learn to be a better teammate and eventually win a tournament with them. Gaming is even changing the way I parent and raise my kids.  

The Council of the City of Gold Coast is proud to be a sponsor of Fuse Cup because we want our city, already known as an epic place to host a major event, also to be known as a place where the technology sector is celebrated and the next generation of problem solvers and entrepreneurs, gamers and game developers, are encouraged and enabled, and can flourish and thrive. We think some of these young people competing here today are that generation.

I want to thank Dan Martinez for his vision, persistence and resilience with developing Fuse Cup and the programs that are delivered in schools across Australia and the world. We are proud of you Dan. If you see him over the weekend tell him thanks, pay him on the back or buy him a coffee.

My message for today… Play hard and play clever, look after your teammates and opponents, and make connections that shape your future and this city’s future, whether you’re a student, and educator, a business or a technology developer.

Enough of my rambling, it is without further ado I officially open the 2023 Fuse Cup eSports Festival.