UK. Gaming Point, the first gaming concession in a UK airport, has been unveiled at Manchester Airport Terminal 1.
The enterprise is a joint venture between travel retail entrepreneur Graeme Stewart and Bluedog Group company Kounter.
The Moodie Davitt Report was the exclusive travel retail media in attendance for the launch this week. We met with stakeholders to discuss the concept, their aims to build a worldwide airport footprint, and plans to develop gaming space partnerships with airport lounge concessionaires, travel retailers and brands.
“We are already in discussions with two separate duty-free operators to create ‘pause zones’, utilising our gaming and experiential food & beverage products we have identified, such as robot coffee and cocktail makers and artisan pizza-making vending machines. This will allow the operator to maximise spend per pax, especially for the Gen Z demographic.” – Graeme Stewart
This initial 120sq m offering at Manchester Airport features five gaming PCs, a Formula One racing simulator, a Nintendo Switch and an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) Escape/Arcade room, all promoted by externally facing promotional screens and strong social media campaign support.
The concession is staffed by a gaming expert who assists users with set-up and guidance throughout the experiences.
Manchester Airport Retail Director Richard Jackson told The Moodie Davitt Report: “This is the icing on the cake for the great retail experience we have here at Manchester Airport. Gaming Point is delivering something that’s different, something that will appeal to our diverse passenger base; it’s a point of difference.
“We are proud that this is a UK airport first. Our first impression is that we love it, it’s really vibrant and it’s already attracting lots of interest from our passengers.
“Our customers are telling us that they’re looking for something a little bit different. And that’s what we’re trying to do here at Manchester Airport, not just in Terminal 2 [where there has been much recent development -Ed] but also here in Terminal 1. Gaming Point is a really good fit for that.”
We sat down with Founder and Director Stewart, whose other airport-focused businesses include Luggage-Point and Enviro-Point, to get the inside story on the ambitions for a concept which he first discussed with The Moodie Davitt Report in 2022.
“The retail team here, led by Richard Jackson, bought into our belief that commercial terms for an unproven new experiential concept like Gaming Point should differ from the typical retail or F&B concession MAG fee structure” – Graeme Stewart
That story and the social media posts surrounding it sparked attention from many airport commercial teams across the world, Stewart says. Building on that reaction, he entered numerous discussions to introduce the concept, which was finally piloted landside at Australia’s Perth Airport last year.
Stewart said: “What Gaming Point has introduced at Manchester is not just a first for a UK airport but also a first in the world. Some airport gaming concessions have sprung up predominantly in the US, and a few elsewhere, but nobody else offers the combination of VR escape and arcade room, F1 racing simulator and a PC gaming lounge in an airport worldwide.”
Click on the play button below to access our Podcast with Manchester Airport Retail Director Richard Jackson about the launch of Gaming Point
Stewart explained that bringing Kounter onboard as Gaming Point space designer and as a 50/50 JV partner proved vital in making his long-held vision a reality. “They’ve been very switched on with the background systems we need, came up with the cost-effective and very attractive design and build of the space and also provided great input into the commercial side of how we operate,” he said.
Stewart praised the airport commercial team for showing the flexibility to agree contract terms which befitted introducing a new, experiential concession to an airside space.
“Manchester is a great fit for us with its size, location and passenger demographic,” he said. “The retail team here, led by Richard Jackson, bought into our belief that commercial terms for an unproven new experiential concept like Gaming Point should differ from the typical retail or F&B concession MAG [Minimum Annual Guarantee] fee structure.
“We agreed a deal that makes this a unique partnership between retailer and airport which in some ways shares financial risk and reward. The airport understood that we need to get a return on our investment and not approach the commercials in the same historic mindset of an airport concession.
“Our contractual arrangement allows them to try something groundbreaking and experiential for passengers with significant capex, an excellent shop fit and flexibility behind it and see if they can partner to facilitate a strong new revenue stream for the airport.”
Stewart said Gaming Point is initially being promoted via social media with an Instagram page called Manchester’s Finest, which has more than 300,000 followers. The team behind the page is coming into the airport soon to film content for an advertising campaign which will see film clips about the concession appear on Instagram, targeted at Gaming Point’s desired passenger demographic.
He revealed Manchester Airport has underlined the strong spirit of partnership by working on its own social media initiative to promote Gaming Point. “They have been incredibly proactive and undertaken a social media advertising campaign with an Instagram page called The Manc, which has about 260,000 followers. They have organised that themselves, at their own expense, as part of their determination to help the Gaming Point concept work.”
Other promotional initiatives planned include a passenger competition to record the fastest lap time on the F1 simulator, with a major prize on offer and also to be amplified via social media, and a team-building competition in the VR Escape Room for other airport concessions.
Stewart said he sees a major opportunity for integrating Gaming Point into duty-free zones – the largest non-aeronautical revenue driver for airports.
“We are already in discussions with two separate duty-free operators to create ‘pause zones’, utilising our gaming and experiential food & beverage products we have identified, such as robot coffee and cocktail makers and artisan pizza-making vending machines. This will allow the operator to maximise spend per pax, especially for the Gen Z demographic.
“By providing this product, they could create new personalised, or indeed digital shopping experiences by encouraging a far greater dwell time.”
Stewart and his Bluedog Group partners welcome discussions with other airport concessionaires. The focus now, though, is making the Manchester operation successful to build confidence for other standalone bidding opportunities in the UK and overseas.
“If there’s a luggage services tender that comes out for Luggage-Point, I can forecast accurately the revenues we will generate for that airport,” Stewart commented. “With Gaming Point, until we have the revenues and footfall data we do not yet have a reliable way of knowing our numbers – it would not be sensible to make bids in standard retail tenders at the present time.
“Nevertheless, I already strongly feel we can make a big success of Gaming Point, both in terms of standalone concepts and with a hybrid approach and synergy with other concessions. It is likely collaborations will be the key to long-term growth.”
Bluedog Group were represented at the Gaming Point launch by CEO and Founder Nick King and Technical Director Ollie Potter, who led the design project for Gaming Point.
King commented: “We were delighted when Graeme Stewart approached us about a year ago with the outline of the project vision. What began as an exploratory conversation evolved into a visionary collaboration; an unprecedented opportunity to merge our expertise and translate ideas into a ground-breaking concept for enhancing airport spaces with interactive entertainment.
“Bluedog Group’s special retail activation agency Kounter has embraced this project whole-heartedly from the initial design concept through to the complete install and finished store. The result unites the creativity of design with the immersive world of gaming and brings a captivating experience to airport travellers, blending innovation and entertainment seamlessly.”
He continued: “It’s a truly pioneering project that sets a precedent for other airports worldwide, showcasing the potential to revolutionise passenger experiences by integrating design and gaming. We are very hopeful that the concept will encourage other airports globally to explore similar innovative partnerships with Gaming Point and Kounter.
“We believe that Gaming Point will enhance the overall airport experience by offering travellers an engaging and immersive environment that complements traditional shopping opportunities. By providing an exciting blend of design and gaming, we aim to captivate passengers and encourage them to explore and enjoy all that the airport has to offer.” ✈
