Luxurious Future
The opening of the UK’s first Cinema de Lux is pioneering a “second revolution” in moviegoing.
That was the verdict of National Amusements president Shari Redstone who opened the 12-screen luxury multiplex in Derby, the first of three of the luxury cinemas the company is opening this year.
National Amusements entered the UK market in 1988 opening its first multiplex in Nottingham and building 18 more sites. Now it’s opening a string of upmarket cinemas, promising unrivalled luxury and a wider range of facilities.
Ms Redstone said: “When we came here 20 years ago we revolutionised the industry. Now it’s the second revolution because people’s expectations go well beyond just seeing a movie with great sound. We are now creating an entertainment destination for a night or day out.
“When I first came into the business 15 years ago we were competing with other movie theatres, now we are competing for people’s time. We want to give them a compelling reason to go to the movies and to create the experience that gives them that reason. Cinema de Lux is not just a movie theatre. We have the Studio One restaurant and bar, a trendy contemporary place where people can come and spend time. And the Director’s Hall screens which I like to say creates a VIP experience for the masses. If we do our job right the movie is almost secondary. We can’t control the product but we can create the experience.”
National Amusements will open two more Cinema de Lux complexes in Leicester and Bristol this year and has three more in the pipeline.
Ms Redstone said: “This is the future. I think you can go one of two ways – very, very inexpensive or very, very high quality. There’s no place to be in the middle these days. People don’t want to spend money on an average experience.
“People don’t want to pay £3 or £4 for an experience they don’t enjoy and would rather spend £10 - £12 for an experience they really enjoy. What we have found is that people are willing to pay for that different level of service even people who don’t have an extraordinary amount of visible income. Whether they are young and on a date or more middle aged, they are willing to pay to be treated as special. We want to create that old night out feel. “
The Derby Cinema de Lux has a standard admission charge of £7, with prices in the luxury Director’s Hall screens, with their exclusive lounge, fixed at £10 (off-peak) or £12 (peak).
Ms Redstone believes filmgoers will be happy to pay.
“Nowhere we have opened a Cinema de Lux (there are now sites in America and Russia) have we had any complaint on the pricing. People like the idea of going out, having a Martini or an appetiser, hanging out with their friends, in a place with terrific lighting and great atmosphere. And compared with other ways of spending four hours in an evening, it is a lot less expensive.”
Ms Redstone believes the expansion of the Cinema de Lux brand will ensure that National Amusements is well-placed to meet the future demands of the cinema-going public.
“I think in five years time we will be continuing to personalize the experience, giving people a compelling reason to go out. There will be more 3D product, more alternative programming (we broadcast live baseball games in US and there will be more things like that) and live entertainment. We are not just about being a movie theatre anymore; we want to be a community entertainment destination.”
Nigel Powlson, Derby Evening Telegraph
<<previous page |
