I have 7 hours to set up a 250 player gaming party

Organizers transform a badminton club into a 250-player LAN gaming event in just seven hours, managing complex power, networking, and setup challenges to create an immersive experience.

• A badminton club transformed into a 250-player LAN party in seven hours.

• High-end infrastructure included 10Gb uplinks, Steam cache, and custom Starforge PCs.

• ThreatLocker and power monitoring ensured network security and stable power delivery.

A team races against a seven-hour deadline to convert a badminton club into a large-scale LAN gaming event for 250 players. The ambitious setup involves intricate power distribution, high-speed networking, a massive LED stage, and specialized VIP and gaming areas. Despite numerous logistical hurdles and last-minute adjustments, the event successfully comes together, featuring high-end gaming rigs and unique experiences.

Event Setup Challenges

• 00:00:00 The team faces an intense seven-hour deadline to convert a badminton club into a 250-seat LAN gaming event. Initial tasks include rolling out floor protectors, setting up the stage, an LED screen, a VIP area, and managing the extensive networking and power infrastructure. Despite the tight schedule, a significant amount of work, including loading power and networking boxes, remains to be completed.

Advanced Gaming Infrastructure

• 00:01:30 Each seat receives a 10 gigabit uplink via Ubiquiti's USW Pro XG switch, supported by an on-site Steam caching server to handle game downloads efficiently, though a 10 gigabit uplink to the server room is established due to a delay in 25 gig SFPs. The event also features a new, more manageable Steam cache with two bonded 100 gigabit links, limited to 120 gigabit per second total due to an 8X PCIe slot connection.

VIP and Specialized Gaming Zones

• 00:05:51 The event includes an exclusive 'Whale VIP' area featuring high-end Starforge PCs, valued at $5,200 USD each, equipped with top-tier components like AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D processors and Aorus RTX 5090 GPUs, along with Logitech G X Herman Miller chairs. Specialized gaming zones include an 8v8 gaming setup and a VR multiplayer area provided by Evolve Events, using MetaQuest 3 headsets with BOGO VR S3 Pro enhancements for comfort and extended play.

Power Management and Security

• 00:02:29 Power monitoring is installed on all 50-amp circuits, providing real-time data on individual circuit and main feed draw via an app, which helps to identify potential overloads. Network security is bolstered by ThreatLocker, which offers a 'Defense Against Configurations' dashboard for compliance with security standards and allows for application allow-listing and ring-fencing to prevent unauthorized software activity, enhancing overall event security.