The event kicked off on Monday 31 March with the International Day. UNIC CEO Laura Houlgatte moderated the International Day Breakfast which featured keynote speakers Valmir Fernandes, President, Cinemark International and Stephen Basil-Jones, EVP, Head of International Marketing, Sony Pictures Releasing International who delivered keynotes on exhibition and distribution. Tim Richard, Co-Founder and CEO of VUE, was awarded the Global Achievement in Exhibition Award while Joe Chang, CEO and President of Ambassador Theatres received the CinemaCon Award of Excellence in Cinema. The Comscore International Boxoffice Achievement Award went to Walt Disney Studios.
A series of seminars followed, first with a panel on “Globally Speaking: Different Perspectives, One Common Goal.” Moderated by Michael O’Leary, CEO of Cinema United, it featured Jeff Goldstein, President, Global Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures, Alejandro Ramírez Magaña, CEO, Cinépolis, Tim Richards, Founder & CEO, Vue, Mark Viane, President, International Distribution, Paramount Pictures. It was then followed by “The Cinema Experience: Shifting Generational Preferences and Opportunities to Leverage Design to Optimize The Guest Experience”, moderated by Cameron Mitchell, Executive Director, Cinema Association Australasia. Panelists included Allan Baillie, Director, Unick Consulting, Damian Keogh, President & CEO, The HOYTS Group, Daniel McCabe, General Manager Operations Australia, Event Cinemas. On the afternoon of 31 March, UNIC and Film Expo Group co-hosted a CineEurope reception which gathered more than 100 colleagues. The next day, UNIC attended The State of the Industry which featured Michael O’Leary, CEO of Cinema United, and Charles Rivkin, Chairman & CEO, MPA, and Bob Bagby, CEO, B&B Theatres and Chairman, Cinema United. In the afternoon, the Industry Think Tank panel moderated by Matthew Belloni, Founding Partner, Puck News featured Eduardo Acuna, CEO, Regal Cineworld Group, Joseph Kosinski, Filmmaker (“F1”, “Top Gun: Maverick"), Peter Levinsohn, Chairman, Global Distribution, NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios, Tom Quinn, Founder & CEO, NEON.
Over the following days, UNIC met with partners, distribution and exhibition colleagues in one-to-one meetings and events, and attended slate presentations.
Huge congratulations to our colleagues at Cinemas United and CinemaCon for a great event! More information here.