The event showcased a series of seminars starting with a UNIC People Programme session on “Leadership skills” and the unmissable “Executive Roundtable” bringing together a mix of speakers from exhibition and distribution and moderated by The Boxoffice Company. A “New Cinema Concepts” session followed, featuring two original concept cinemas in France (Oma Cinema) and The Netherlands TheAnyThing), and an entertainment centre from the US (B&B Theatres).
In addition, the Coca-Cola seminars presented key insights into customer preferences in “Human vs Technology: Exploring the World of Unattended Retail” and into partnerships with “The Power of Partnership” presented by McLaren.
The CineEurope Trade Show exhibited an increasing number of companies and their products designed to enhance the cinema-going experience. Alongside these product presentations, insightful ICTA sessions covered a wide range of topics such as “Designing the Next Generation of Cinemas to Create Additional Revenue Streams and Footfall” and “What’s Next in Cinema Technology?”
The UNIC sessions focused on “How to Attract and Retain Talent” and “Audience Building, Insights & Targeting How Exhibition and Distribution Can Work Together More Effectively in 2024” followed by a Marketing Workshop on “Optimising your Digital Presence”.
Of course, CineEurope wouldn’t be CineEurope without its studio presentations and attendees were spoilt for choice with Angel Studios, Mubi, Paramount Pictures International, Sony Pictures Releasing International, Studiocanal, Universal Pictures International, Walt Disney Motion Pictures International and Warner Bros. Pictures International. Studios shared some great line-ups – often co-presented by talents – for the coming months. Attendees were also invited to a great number of screenings including Fly Me to The Moon, C’est La Vie!, Bonhoeffer and Speak No Evil.
For UNIC, CineEurope 2024 also coincided with the publication of its Annual Report, examining key cinema trends across the 39 territories represented by the association. We also launched the 8th edition of our Women's Cinema Leadership Programme (WCLP) and dived into the 2nd edition of the UNIC People Programme (UPP), aimed at ensuring the cinema industry remains an attractive and premium employer. Launched a year ago, the UPP had unveiled its new toolkit focussed on “Internal Culture and Values” just before CineEurope.
UNIC also hosted its annual reception as well as a ceremony recognising the circuits which made it to the “Giants of Exhibition: Europe” list in collaboration with The Boxoffice Company.
Last but not least, we celebrated a great number of achievements, starting with the – first of its kind – Icon Award for Nicolas Seydoux, the Guest Country of Honour Award for Morocco, our 2024 Gold Awardees, the 2024 UNIC Achievement Award, Clare Binns, the 2024 International Exhibitor of the Year, Apollo Cinemas Baltics and the 2024 International Distributor of the Year, Jeff Forman. Kinepolis received the special Milestone Award.
We hope you enjoyed the convention as much as we did and we cannot wait to see you at CineEurope 2025, scheduled for June 16-19. Save the date!