Entrepreneur continues to help businesses capitalise on gaming industry
AN East Yorkshire entrepreneur is helping new businesses capitalise on the multi-billion pound gaming industry, as he taps into new growth at his own company.
Lindsay West, joint managing director of Hull-based global packaging firm Garthwest, is also the founder of Platform Expos – the digital gaming events that combine entertainment with education and business with the intention of establishing a new hub of independent game developers and digital creative businesses in the Humber region.
The most recent Platform Expos event, The Global Game Jam, held last month in Hull, attracted 200 participants with aim of creating a game in 48 hours and the fifth annual Expo, Platform 2014, will be held in November, with speakers including the likes of Sony Computer Entertainment and Microsoft.
Last year, the Platform Initiative launched a dedicated workspace – Platform Studios – to help nurture gaming start-ups and now, less than 12 months later, there are 50 people using the space to create new businesses in an industry that is seeing massive growth due to the rise of the mobile device and smart phone and in the increasing use of ‘gamification’ in many other industry sectors.
In the Platform Studios games creators, Gateway Interactive, have won a three-month secondment with Microsoft Central Studios in London and also have investment from Microsoft and Nokia. The Beard Bandits, Gnome Factory and Yes, Yes have also generated significant interest from potential investors.
“Digital gaming is a £76bn global industry. There is great opportunity for the region’s young people in gaming,” Mr West, who is also a director at World Trade Centre Hull and Humber and board member and chair of the SME support committee at Humber LEP, said.
“The Platform Annual Expos have grown ten-fold in four years and I think they will continue to become more popular and attract even bigger audiences.”
The UK has one of the largest and most diverse creative industry sectors in the world accounting for 6% of GDP and employing 2.3m people.
The government’s Britain is Great campaign showcases the very best of what Britain has to offer. Within the campaign, to attract the world to do business here, the UKTI has highlighted the creative industry. According to UKTI, the UK has the highest number of game development companies and publishers in Europe employing 28,000 people. From Tomb Raider to Harry Potter to Grand Theft Auto, UK-made games are some of the biggest box office sensations in the world, accounting for £1.34bn in sales.
In his own business, Garthwest, Mr West is working to expand the creative division, after huge success with major customers, including Universal Studios.
The business, which manufactures more than 1.5m cardboard boxes each week at its 200,000 sq ft manufacturing site, has recently created cardboard products for 3D computer-animated comedy hit Despicable Me 2, sports drama movie Rush and boy band One Direction.
It is now set to expand this creative division, which is focused on brand and product design, in order to “keep up with customer demand”.
Mr West said: “There are good things coming for Garthwest. As we grow this side of the business, we also hope to create more jobs.”
Garthwest, which had a £2m investment last year, will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. It designs, manufactures and ships all of its products from Hull.
