US. Woman-owned gaming company Gameway has teamed up with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and concessions partner Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) to open a premium video game lounge at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
The Gameway lounge offers hi-tech gaming stations, leather lounge and gaming chairs and premium Razer gaming headphones.
URW General Manager LAX Maral Matossian commented, “As consumer trends continue to shift towards experiences, we know the value of providing our customers with new ways to enjoy their LAX journey. We are thrilled to welcome Gameway, an innovative woman-owned small business, to our LAX line-up.”
Each station is equipped with the latest console with a selection that includes an Xbox, PlayStation or a Razer gaming PC with over 30 preloaded games. Some of the titles featured include Fortnite, FIFA, NBA2K, Madden, Call of Duty, Minecraft and Rocket League.
Gameway was founded by Emma and Jordan Walbridge. Emma began her career in hospitality, previously running a bed and breakfast in the UK. Emma and Jordan got the idea for Gameway after seeing a gaming arcade in a mall. The first two Gameway lounges opened at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in 2018. Two new Gameway locations are scheduled to open in Charlotte Douglas and Houston Hobby Airports this year.
“We want to revolutionise customer experience at airports,” Emma said. “Airports can be a boring place, so we wanted something fun and entertaining to offer travellers. They can come and play video games while they wait for their flight to make the time go by quickly.
“We have something for everyone and continue to be surprised by the demographics of our guests,” she added. “We have business travellers, families, millennials, you name it. It really shows that travellers are hungry for new experiences like ours.”
Emma is an Airports Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ABCDE) business owner. She said, “Being an ACDBE really helps you get your foot in the door. The resources available are key to helping businesses succeed.”
