REFORMATTING the games event Industry

Why Liverpool?

It’s immediately apparent from the start of our phone call that Simran is intensely passionate about what he does. As we start our conversation, he’s politely professional, extremely focused, and verbally astute. I can tell he’s talked a lot about FORMATGG before, and with only around twenty minutes to spare, we start by talking about where it all began and why Liverpool.

“We’re a proud Northern company, and we often get asked, ‘When are you taking FORMAT to London?’ My answer is always, never. The Northern Games Industry event space is greatly underrepresented, and London is expensive. During a cost-of-living crisis, I feel it’s highly tone deaf to expect people from outside the city to go to London where most industry events take place; it’s unaffordable and inaccessible for the large majority of the country, the UK games industry is not just London!”

FORMATGG has always been held in Manchester; that’s where it all started, but where did your inspiration to create such an event come from?

“I was your traditional 1st-year student when I started studying in Manchester, partying and enjoying the nightlife as well as studying, but I noticed that there were no games industry events, no gathering of like-minded people who loved video games and partying in equal measure. I used to go to the Warehouse Project quite often. I thought combining video games, people, and the vibe of something like the Warehouse Project in one room would be cool. I suppose you could say I noticed a gap in the market and just because nobody had done it before didn’t mean it couldn’t be done. Back then, I liked to think the games industry was changing a lot; it was quite traditional, and not open to an event like FORMATGG at the time. Suppose someone had suggested an event like FORMATGG within a corporate environment. In that case, they’d have wanted to see evidence it could work, proof and all that. It would never have happened.”

“Manchester is in the centre of the UK, is the nightlife capital of the country, and it’s an amazing games industry hub, that’s why we grew so rapidly. Expanding FORMATGG has always been intentional, and it was either Leeds or Liverpool because both cities have lots of game development studios and big gaming communities. Eventually, it came down to the fact that Liverpool doesn’t have any games industry events, which is quite shocking, seeing as it’s home to Sony, Avalanche studios, Lucid Games, Milky Tea Studios, Skyhook Games… the list is endless. Yet, they don’t have an organised and dedicated games industry event.”

“Manchester and Liverpool are two spiritually, culturally and creatively similar cities, so not only was it driven by logistics (it’s just down the road from Manchester), there were also cultural and business reasons for choosing Liverpool for FORMATGG’s second home. We’ve had some great support from businesses there, we’ve worked with the Mayor of Liverpool and the combined authority, and it just made sense to go to a city that did not have a dedicated games industry hub and support the region and its economy.”

What should people expect when they attend FORMATGG Liverpool?

“Firstly, people should expect the world’s biggest industry nightlife movement. I’m proud to say we are not just the UK. We are the world’s only dedicated games industry nightlife event. Expect to walk in and play many of the latest AAA, AA, Indie games from some of your favourite developers. There are live entertainment acts, e-sports and music artists; for example, we’ve got the creators of the Diddy Kong Racing Soundtrack performing live; it’s effectively a rave for nerds. You can meet your favourite game developers, creatives and content creators. And, if you’re a content creator, there’s loads to live-stream – e-sports, entertainment, new games, never seen before games, games in development, retro games, and the vibe of the entire event.”

Mentioning my fondness for retro games. I grew up in the early eighties with a ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 and was an avid arcade dweller in my teens. I was hoping that FORMATGG would feature a retro representation.

“Arcade Club are bringing a bunch of retro cabinets, and Antstream Arcade will set up an enormous machine that plays all the retro arcade games you can imagine. Quite frankly, we’ve got all kinds of games; we’ve got modern-day shooters, story-based, casual, retro, you name it, we’ll probably have it there; even Bandai Namco, creators of Street Fighter, are coming along with the original Pacman and Wincha! I take great pride in our eclectic line-up because like any festival a great line-up represents a great company.”

What about people who want to get into the games industry? 

Simran: “It’s a great opportunity to meet with people from the games industry, not just the movers and shakers but also the creatives and the people who make the games. It’s becoming harder and harder to break into the games industry and FORMATGG is a key opportunity for people to take advantage and network.”

“We get all these businesses and brands together, in the same room, all co-operating. You’ve got the major players next to AAA and AA Indie Games studios showcasing games that have yet to be released or games they’ve just released. It’s one of the major draws to the event – gamers get to try newly released games or games that are not out yet. It’s a valuable event for businesses and gamers alike; it works both ways. We call it community-driven development, and that’s the official term we’ve coined. You’ve got the physical audience at the event, content creators live-streaming the games to a global audience watching their streams and the games played by people at the event. The gamers, the consumers, get that one-to-one interaction with their favourite developers who, in turn, benefit from first-hand experience of their games being play-tested. It’s invaluable, unique, and insightful for developers and gamers alike, and something you don’t get inside many traditional games industry events.” 

And what about the gamers?  

“If you’re a gamer, it’s an excellent opportunity for us all to come together, bring friends, meet online friends in the flesh, make new friends, and celebrate video games. Most importantly, you can expect to experience something that gets lost at other mainstream game industry events, which is the chance to meet and have a great time with grassroots game enthusiasts partying together for a night of gaming fun.

What does Simran get out of the event?

Laughing Simran says, “I get asked this question often because I’ve been told I run around like an absolute madman, and people ask me if I enjoy my own event, and I get my moments.

Events are the most magical thing on the planet. The reason we go to events is that they unite us. Whether you go to Glastonbury, Coachella or any other con, expo or gaming event – you’re there because you want that sense of community. As human beings, we’re community-driven animals, and throughout history, we’ve made some incredible achievements together. I think that video games are one of the most outstanding achievements ever created; they transport you to worlds you’ve never been to, push the boundaries of innovation, and bring people together into a shared experience. I was disheartened that nobody had brought people and games together in a nightlife movement for gamers, so watching people have a good time and come together as a community is my immense reward; that’s what I get out of it. 

When I see my attendees having a good time, that’s what drives me on, and it’s the fact that we’re making a difference. I know that our work is making a dramatic impact on gamers and game developers and creating change in the industry.”

 You’ve recently received some industry accolades how does that make you feel?

“There are no words to describe how proud I am of the FORMAT Group right now. To not only win Gaming Event of the Year at the Corporate LiveWire Innovation and Excellence Awards 2024 but to also be nominated for Creative Entrepreneur North West at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, the grammys of entrepreneurship alongside some of the greatest business leaders in the United Kingdom is both a priverledge and quite surreal (plus getting to represent Manchester is always a dream come true). Most importantly, however, it serves as a testament to the incredible work our team is doing for the UK creative and digital sector, and I could not be more proud of them.

I’d like to thank our community, event attendees, industry partners, and friends and family for all their continuous support of FORMAT Group’s mission to continue to bring positive change, events, client projects, and top-tier marketing services for the greatest sector on the planet.”

Finally, Simran, what’s next?

“Well, we’re growing the brand. We’ve our own clothing line and new energy drinks, and we’ve even licensed our IP and are currently making a FORMATGG event simulator game; expect on-the-nose satire! There’ll be more expansion, which can’t stop and won’t stop. As to where those places will be, let’s say we’re having conversations with lots of locations up north, of course, that will benefit from FORMATGG being held in their city.”

Thank you, Simran Whitham, Founder and CEO of FORMATGG.

 

FORMAT is expanding its entertainment empire, and on September 26th, FORMAT Liverpool will launch at the Camp and Furnace on Greenland Street. To celebrate our Futureworks sponsorship, we’re offering all readers a special discount code. Tickets can be purchased via Skiddle. Just add the code frm_lvp25 into the Passworded Tickets section to receive 25% off the General Admission price.

To discover more, visit the FORMAT website.