Brazilian esports organisation FURIA will expand its presence in the US by launching a new venue in Miami, Florida.
The 5200 square feet venue, which is planned to open around October or November, will feature a LAN house, FURIA clothing shop, an area for events and a stage for esports fans to watch FURIA games live.
The project is part of FURIA’s global expansion plans. Speaking to Esports Insider, the organisation’s Co-founder André Akkari has defined the overall initiative as the “FURIA Experience.”
“We don’t want to connect with fans and people who engage with FURIA only through digital means or through opportunities in big events. We want to have physical contact with them somehow, we want them to visit us, interact with the team and talk with influencers, athletes, and even the staff. It creates a different heat around the brand,” he said.
According to Akkari, the business model consists in getting revenue from the shop, the LAN house, and special events with activating sponsors. The entrance to the venue, though, will be free to the public.
The venue is set to be located in the Wynwood neighbourhood, in the northern part of Miami. The area is primarily known for being a global hub for street art, something that was considered to be in tune with FURIA’s plan of becoming a cultural trend.
As an originally Brazilian organisation, FURIA’s choice of opening its first venue of this kind in the US, according to Akkari, is due to a real estate opportunity found in Wynwood which allied with the validation of its business model. The next target for the ‘FURIA Experience’ is indeed Brazil — potentially São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro — which shall receive an even bigger venue in 2023.
Following its Brazilian plans, if the business model succeeds FURIA aims to also open similar venues in Europe. “Our objective is to have one of those [facilities] in each of the biggest cities in the world,” said Akkari.
Akkari estimates the investment in the Wynwood venue at around $700,000 and $850,000 (~£557,520 and £701,270), however, a $1m (~£830,000) total was allocated for the project. In the U.S, the organisation also holds an operations office in Boca Raton, also in Florida.
The investment is being made solely by FURIA, but sponsors of the organisation like FTX, monitor brand AOC, and PokerStars are also involved in making the project. AOC, for example, will provide monitors for the venue.
