Meet Iain Earle, Programme Leader for the HND Esports Business Management course here at Salford Business School. From leading the management of some of the UK music and sports industry’s biggest events, to his vast experience in the ethics and integrity of the rapidly growing esports sector, Iain’s career to-date has been incredibly interesting to say the least.
After living opposite the University for over a decade, Iain decided to take the plunge as a mature student and obtain his BSc Business Management degree, leading onto a masters. Iain enjoyed his time at Salford so much, he decided he wanted to join the many Lecturers who inspired him during his studies here.
How did you get into academia as a career path?
In one of my previous roles, I was a training officer for Ticketmaster in the city centre, facilitating learning and teaching, including how to use ticket booking systems and maximise sales opportunities. This experience highlighted my passion for teaching people from diverse backgrounds and abilities.
I enrolled at the University of Salford as a mature student in 2013, having lived opposite the University for over ten years. Following my successful completion of the BSc Business Management degree, I immediately enrolled for my masters, which I completed the following year with a distinction in International Events Management.
During the pandemic, while classes were online, I ran a core first year module, Digital Business Skills, to over 400 students. A different, but interesting start to my academic career journey.
Why did you choose to work at the University of Salford?
I lived in the council flats near the University for over ten years and had been a resident in Salford for over 15 years, so had seen first-hand the great work the University had been doing within my community. I feel a real affinity to the city and the Salford community, having lived here for so long, despite originally moving here from London in 1996. Choosing to work at the University of Salford was really a no brainer for me, as I wanted to give something back to the University after the fantastic experiences I had as a mature student. Working here has enabled me to develop legacies that help support the city and the people who live here.
What’s the best thing about being an academic at Salford?
Personally, one of the best things is working with many of the academics that I learned under as an undergraduate and postgraduate student. Having developed student/teacher relationships with them already, it made my transition to academia much smoother. There is a real sense of community amongst the faculty, which was important to me in seeking an opportunity to teach at higher education level within a supportive environment.
The opportunity to help Salford Business School develop innovative and creative programmes for students was something I wanted to be involved in. The students make this role very worthwhile in developing their knowledge, understanding and enhancing their career opportunities.
Can you tell us about any of your career highlights to date?
The launch of the HND Esports Business Management programme was a particular highlight, specifically the opening of our state-of-the-art Esports Lab last August. This is probably my greatest achievement at the University to date, as it provides our students with an immersive environment, equipped with industry grade equipment to set our students up for a successful career in the industry.
Having spent much of my early life in the creative music industry as a performer and producer, I understand the passion, creative mindsets and activities of esports learners in developing their content and work portfolios. One key aspect from my career experiences was creating the conducive environments learners would expect from working in the industry. I firmly believe our lab inspires students to pursue higher levels of practical and academic achievement within a physical environment that will become very familiar to them as they enter their careers in the sector. The design and format of the lab provides excellence which we hope will transfer to the learners through the content.
Furthermore, through the creation of the programme, we have had the opportunity to engage with the BBC in supporting its Children in Need charity campaign, ‘Game On,’ with a live esports tournament stream broadcast live on BBC3 and iPlayer. This was a tremendous moment for our programme in legitimising our activities in the esports landscape, while also providing our students with opportunities they otherwise may not have had on national television.
What’s your current research focused on?
I’m currently in the midst of exploring a number of research areas that would help enhance knowledge and understanding of the esports phenomena. These include:
- Perspectives of UK parents and guardians in supporting young people’s passion to study esports related programmes at higher education
- The esports landscape: similarities with music industry structures, self-employability and sustainable creative opportunities
- The cultural phenomena of esports and its generational importance in the early 21st century
Do you have any published papers we can read?
My MSc Dissertation titled ‘the keys to the gate; an exploratory study into improving ingress experiences at festivals using mobile applications’ is available to read in our online dissertation repository.
Another paper entitled ‘the FIFA World Cup 2022 – ticketing – an explorative case study’was produced and published for the Jossur Institute in Qatar, prior to the 2022 world cup tournamentand is available via its online repository.
And finally, the all important question, where in Manchester or Salford is best to grab a coffee?
The Salford Museum and Art Gallery, next to the Maxwell building, makes a delightful coffee and is an extraordinary place to visit.