With the school holidays in full swing and Westfield Garden City in Brisbane packed to the rafters, The Chiefs are out in force bringing flight and racing simulation to the masses in their first esports activation.
The Chiefs partnered with Westfield in early August, with plans on bringing gaming and esports to the masses in Westfield’s metro shopping centres across Australia and New Zealand over the following months.
Kicking off a fortnight ago and continuing until the end of the Queensland school holidays, The Chiefs’ debut activation has seen hundreds of Garden City shoppers try their hand at “The Chiefs Raceway”.
Fans young and old have tried their hand at setting an Assetto Corsa hot lap of Bathurst on one of two sim racing rigs, or earning the highest score on Microsoft Flight Simulator: Top Gun via a state-of-the-art flight simulator.
The Chiefs partnered up with Next Level Racing and Computer Alliance to bring “The Chiefs Raceway” to life, and reception has been unanimously positive thus far.
“We have always had the vision to build esports into a household entertainment option Australia-wide,” said Josh Harvey, Chief Marketing Officer at The Chiefs.
“Seeing families come together and building connection through esports and gaming is incredibly heart-warming to see.”
“Additionally, not only does this benefit the esports ecosystem, but it gives our sponsors and partners a chance to activate in a truly unique way in front of thousands of people every single day. Westfield centres have some of the highest daily foot traffic in the country — the opportunity is second to none.”
While patrons waited for their shot at Mount Panorama or a fly around in a F-18 Super Hornet, many partook in casual Rocket League by The Chiefs podium, with shoppers of all ages having a blast at the exhibit.
“In the future, we want to be able to activate across multiple centres, and really bring esports to life alongside the strong community vision that Westfield strives for,” said The Chiefs CEO Nick Bobir.
“This is only our first activation and we are already seeing huge success for our brand, community, and partners.”
The Chiefs recorded over 2000 families through “the Raceway” over the first weekend of the school holidays, with plenty more pouring through the gates over the course of the last fortnight.
Not to be forgotten, the activation has provided opportunities for hands-on work experience for those looking to find an entry into the world of esports and gaming employment.
While nothing is certain thus far, The Chiefs say the activation has been a massive success thus far, and plans are already in motion for more throughout the coming months.
The Westfield x Chiefs activation will run through to this Sunday, October 2, and is open every day from 10:30am to 5pm AEST outside the centre food court.
