A student from the University of Nottingham looks back on her visit to Bett and how it proved to be a stepping-stone to a career in esports.

Never in a million years did I, a university student, think I would ever be interviewing the global head of esports from a leading tech company. I had the opportunity to attend Bett 2024 to review and assess the esports offering for an upcoming report, but my experience ended up being far greater than I imagined. Bett allowed me to make amazing connections, speak to industry experts and gain insight as to how I can get more involved in esports.

I have been passionate about gaming since I was very young, but only for the past two years had I been getting involved in my university esports tournaments. More specifically, I am the captain of the Women and Non-Binary Valorant team at my university. Only recently have I also been appointed as an esports officer for my university where I will be overseeing the competitive aspect of gaming and working with companies and other universities to improve collegiate esports at my university. Getting a taste of esports through university, and through Bett,  now means that I would love to pursue a career that combines the psychology degree I am working towards and esports. For the moment, I can see myself doing a masters in HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) to become a user experience (UX) researcher somewhere in the esports industry.

It came as a surprise to me to hear that a major event being held in London, would have a giant section on esports in education. This was perfect for me because I got to see how esports can grow in the UK at a university level. I spent most of the event attending talks and keynotes, educating myself on the current state of esports. I also attended the riveting Rocket League tournament where it was very refreshing to see mixed teams of male and female students. By chance I bumped into Jeff Palumbo, an esports expert, who was more than happy to allow me to interview him. After interviewing Jeff, and being given valuable advice on how to improve esports at my university, he managed to get me in contact with the CEO of the*gamehers, a community that promotes inclusivity in gaming, and provides women with an online safe space to connect and play games. I was then accepted to be the first the*gamehers Collegiate Ambassador in the UK. Without attending Bett, I would never have been given this opportunity, nor would I have known it even existed.

Therefore, it goes without saying, the opportunities presented to me at Bett only reinforced my passion for esports and has paved opportunities that will be crucial for me in securing a career after university. As a student I am grateful to have made the connections I have at my age, as they not only have led me to new experiences but meant that I have people to talk to with endless advice and support. For those interested in attending Bett, I encourage you to tell the students you know to come along. Even just being able to talk to those working in the industry has set me ahead of many people wanting to learn about and get involved in esports. I originally thought that industry experts would not bat an eye for a student like me, but I am the audience that they want to inspire.