Suntec will open 24/7 to position itself as the preferred gaming and esports venue

Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre is looking to position itself at the front of the local gaming and esports scene.

A new move will see it become the first exhibition space in Singapore to operate 24/7, which paves the way for it to host things like tournament live streams, competitions, or even LAN parties, all of which could run for long hours.

In particular, live streams of major esports tournaments often start late at night or run into the wee hours of the morning - largely because these are international events held in different time zones - so Suntec could be an attractive venue for organisers looking to host such events for the community.

Esports is a fast-growing area that is on track to see a 27 per cent increase in global revenue from last year to US$1.1 billion (S$1.5 billion), according to esports market research firm Newzoo, so it's no surprise to see various players trying to muscle in on the space.

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Southeast Asia, in particular, has huge economic potential, with over 9.5 million esports enthusiasts in the region. That number is expected to double by this year, and esports will debut as a medal event at the upcoming SEA Games.

A spokesman for Suntec told The Straits Times that its exhibition space has been available for overnight events since 24 July. According to the paper, at least one client has used Suntec for an exclusive late-night party since then.

In October next year, Suntec will also play host to Gamescom Asia 2020, the first-ever regional satellite event of major gaming festival Gamescom, usually held yearly in Cologne, Germany.

Starting today, Suntec will be the venue for the COMEX 2019 tech show and the inaugural Esports Festival Asia (EFA).

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The latter will host tournaments for six games, including Arena of Valor, League of Legends, CS:GO, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, PUBG Mobile, and Dota Underlords.

Next month, GameStart Asia will take over the venue for a 2-day gaming convention running from 12 to 13 October.

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.