What we do
Through collaboration, participation and support we provide advocacy, governance, promotion and representation of the Australian esports industry.
The AESA is committed to working with the gaming and esports community to ensure a safe, fair and inclusive esports environment for all.
Committees are enacted to enhance avenues for the Australian community to participate in the AESA and support the development of the industry.
The AESA has launched a series of committees that provide an independent, not-for profit forum for the fair and equal representation of key stakeholders in the Australian esports community. Encouraging a collaborative environment for the Australian esports community to work together, represent their interests and voice their rights to foster a sustainable, well governed esports environment for all.
The committees provide specialist skills and knowledge to the AESA enhancing our capability to benefit the Australian esports community. Each committee elects its members and a chairperson annually.
Vision / Objectives
Our vision is for esports to be formally recognised as an activity or sport in Australia; a key milestone in formal accreditation, credibility and respect for esports in Australia. The AESA is working closely with key stakeholders and advisory groups towards achieving this.
The aim of the AESA is to lead a collaborative industry wide movement for the growth of esports through advocacy, representation, promotion, regulation and engagement of esports in Australia.
The AESA supports the high performance level of Australian esports athletes and community participation in esports at all skill levels, cultivating social and elite pathways for athletes, coaches, officials and administrators.
- Advancement of esports in Australia;
- Promotion of industry best practice;
- Unite all esports stakeholders.
- Grow participation;
- Support national selection of players representing Australia;
- Promote Code of Conduct and Anti-Discrimination policies;
- Develop and update recommended industry best practices;
- Foster industry representation;
- Collaborate with regional and international esports bodies.
Strategic Plan
Mission
A national body working to grow, enhance and enable participation in Australian esports through promotion of best practice policies and ensuring access to minimum standards for all participants.
Vision
“Our vision is to be the driving force behind the growth, inclusivity, and excellence of esports in Australia.”
To develop an environment that enables both inclusiive participation and high-performance athlete development.
Purpose
The aims of the AESA are:
- Establish pathways for grassroot development as well as towards international representation for Team Australia
- To advocate for the recognition of esports and support the Australian esports industry through creation of a recognised Australian NSO
- Promotion and education of the benefits of esports and strive for systemic acceptance of esports as a legitimate athletic / sporting endeavour
- Safeguard the integrity of esports through promotion of good governance, regulations, and standards
History
The Esports Australia (AESA) was incorporated and formally established as a non-profit association in April 2013. It is a national body that is actively involved in the development of policy, planning, infrastructure and initiatives for esports in Australia.
Currently the AESA board comprises of six persons under the current presidency of Darren Kwan. All members of the board work on a voluntary basis with core services contracted out.
The AESA is a member of the International Esports Federation (IeSF) as a national member representing Australia. Currently the IeSF comprises of over 88 nations and is signatory to the World Anti-Doping Agency and actively working towards SportAccord membership.
National Team
Esports Australia is a purely volunteer based organisation with very limited funding. To support a lean model of operation, Esports Australia presently elects to make membership automatic upon registering for an associated Esports Australia event, with consent required by participants on event registration. Esports Australia does not presently have a membership renewal process, so membership is based on 2022-23 data.
Esports Australia and its athlete community are supported by a significant body of participants who themselves do not compete in registered esports events. Esports Australia estimates unregistered program participation to exceed 20,000 based on yearly event attendance at large scale industry associated events. Including social media, Esports Australia’s reach exceeded 140,000 impressions for the Esports Australia 2022 Tekken 7 Nationals
Darren is the founding president of the Esports Australia being a passionate advocate for esports, driving for the recognition and respect of esports he saw the need to support the growth of esports and introduce good governance. He has been a passionate gamer since his youth, competing in his first competition at 13 years of age. He leads the AESA with over 16 years of esports experience that includes competing, advocating (including presenting the emergence of esports at a TedX event in 2010), leadership, development, planning, execution and event experience. Having been involved with Team Immunity, CyberGamer, GotGames, World Cyber Games and a number of other esports organisations over the course of his history.
Darren was the driving force for Australian membership to the International Esports Federation, Global Esports Federation and Australian participation in the Commonwealth Esports Championships. He holds broad connections in the esports community with relationships spanning the globe.
Emma Witkowski is a Senior Lecturer in the Game Design program at RMIT University. She is a qualitative sociological scholar of games and media cultures, focused on the professionalisation of esports, networked team practice, gender, star-power, and mega-events. She has published widely on networked careers, a practice of serious digital gaming leisure and professional form of practice in esports. Her public esports scholarship includes research projects with Essendon Football Club (esports professionalisation), the South Australian Commissioner for Children and Young People (esports in secondary education), IBM (young women and game cultures), and the City of Port Phillip (action plan for sustainable game development practices in the region). Dr. Witkowski’s research practice within game cultures began in 2005 with The LetzPlay Initiative, a Danish government and industry funded project using computer game play to empower young women to tinker their way towards STEM subject familiarity and broader digital leisure opportunities. Her most recent keynotes include Esports & the Olympic Movement (Chinese Digital Games Research Association conference, Shenzhen 2017); Establishing Esports Value (Essendon Football Club Esports Summit, Melbourne 2018), Esports & Interdependent Institutional Involvement (Perfect World Esports Seminar, Shanghai 2019), and Esports and Well-being (University of Leicester, 2020). Her popular press engagements include featuring on ABC Overnights, GQ, ABC Sporty, and Futurism.
Wei-Shen is a highly experienced lawyer and business professional with over 15 years expertise in providing strategic advice, media rights management, licensing/distribution and commercialisation of sports media content/assets (including via FTA, Pay TV, OTT and digital platforms).
Wei-Shen is presently operating his own consultancy while also employed as a corporate counsel with an international sports broadcaster. In addition to being a co-founder/director of medical device start-up SWADE Medtech, Wei-Shen holds a keen interest in both establishing the governance, development and commercialisation of esports.
He holds a LLB and BCom from the University of Melbourne, and has also completed the Company Directors Course (GAICD) with the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an MBA at Melbourne Business School.
Garth Midgley is the Managing Director at GOATi Entertainment; Developers of a Esports focused RTS-Racing game titled ’22 Racing Series’, along with building their own proprietary engine ‘RevGen’ which is also used on VR driver training and traffic microsimulation projects.
He has been working in the games industry for over 20 years and has more than 20 shipped titles in his credits, previously working on IPs including; Star Wars, Transformers, LA Noire, Darksiders, Far Cry, Test Drive Unlimited and Zelda.
Darren is the founding president of the Esports Australia being a passionate advocate for esports, driving for the recognition and respect of esports he saw the need to support the growth of esports and introduce good governance. He has been a passionate gamer since his youth, competing in his first competition at 13 years of age. He leads the AESA with over 16 years of esports experience that includes competing, advocating (including presenting the emergence of esports at a TedX event in 2010), leadership, development, planning, execution and event experience. Having been involved with Team Immunity, CyberGamer, GotGames, World Cyber Games and a number of other esports organisations over the course of his history.
Darren was the driving force for Australian membership to the International Esports Federation, Global Esports Federation and Australian participation in the Commonwealth Esports Championships. He holds broad connections in the esports community with relationships spanning the globe.
