Retail activation company Kounter has partnered with travel retail company Graeme Stewart in a joint-venture to unveil what they state to be the UK’s first ever airport gaming concession in Manchester Airport Terminal 1.
Gaming Point
Kounter was responsible for the full design and build of Gaming Point, plus digital infrastructure work for the 120m2 space. The concession – which will operate for 16 hours a day – is staffed by a gaming expert, known as the game master. They assist users with set-up and offer guidance and, where needed, hints and tips throughout the gaming experiences.
The Gaming Point concession features five gaming PCs, a Formula 1 racing simulator, a Nintendo Switch and an immersive virtual reality (VR) Escape/Arcade room. The VR room offers an array of experiences from VR arcade games to immersive VR escape room challenges, featuring genres such as Zombies, Orcs, Dragons, Spaceships and Robots. A range of PC/console games is also available, including Fortnite and Mario Kart, with prices starting from £5 (US$6.30).
Passenger dwell times
The offering is being promoted by externally facing promotional screens at its entrance, with digital messaging to tempt passengers inside. In addition, extensive social media campaigns are planned which will primarily target young passenger demographics. The aim of the initiative is to increase passenger dwell times by introducing gaming and experiential food and beverage (F&B) elements.
The project was led by Ollie Potter, technical director at Kounter’s parent company, The Bluedog Group. Nick King, CEO and founder of The Bluedog Group, 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 travelers, blending innovation and entertainment seamlessly.
“It’s a truly pioneering project that sets a precedent for other airports worldwide, showcasing the potential to revolutionize 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 travelers 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.”
Graeme Stewart, who has senior roles with other airport businesses including Luggage-Point and Enviro-Point, said, “It is with immense pride that we open our first Gaming Point in the UK at Manchester Airport. In terms of what we provide, this is also a world first gaming concession in airports, as we offer a unique combination of VR escape and arcade room, F1 racing simulator and a PC gaming lounge.
“We are delighted to partner with Kounter to introduce this new experiential concession to the airport world, where new ideas to engage with passengers are needed, especially to entertain the younger generations. Gaming Point delivers that.
“We are also excited at the potential for collaborations with other airport concessionaires, to integrate Gaming Point spaces. For example, we have already entered discussions with two duty-free operators to introduce ‘Pause Zones’ featuring elements of our offer, together with numerous other ideas we have.
“We would also like to give a shout out to Manchester Airport and its visionary commercial team, including retail director Richard Jackson and category manager Catherine Holmes, for its support in getting the concession up and running and helping to create a unique partnership between retailer and airport. Collaborations of this nature will play a key part in our future success.”
In related news, Changi Airport recently transformed its Terminal 3 (T3) departure hall into a hall of games, in collaboration with Hasbro Gaming. Click here to read the full story.