On 12 and 13 May 2026, the UK Cinema Association hosted its annual conference, bringing together exhibitors, distributors and industry partners from across the UK and European cinema sector for two days of discussions at Vue London Westfield. This year’s edition focused on the challenges of attracting, engaging and retaining cinema audiences in an increasingly competitive entertainment landscape.
Day One: Audience Engagement & Community Building
The conference opened with a welcome from Phil Clapp, Chief Executive of the UK Cinema Association, who underlined the importance of audience development initiatives and the need for cinemas to continue innovating in response to changing consumer habits.
Lucy Jones (Comscore Movies) presented a comprehensive overview of UK box office performance throughout 2025 and into early 2026, analysing audience behaviour trends through Comscore’s PostTrak data and highlighting the importance of understanding evolving moviegoing habits.
This was followed by the panel “Audience Development – Lessons from the Coalface”, moderated by Phil Clapp (UK Cinema Association), where Geoff Greaves MBE (Merlin Cinemas), Ben Hammond (Ashford Cinema), Graeme Howell (Mareel, Shetland) and Sara Hulls (Magic Lantern Cinema, Tywyn) reflected on practical experiences in attracting and retaining audiences, sharing both successes and challenges from venues across the UK.
The focus then shifted to collaboration between theatrical and home entertainment with the “Go BIG and Go HOME” spotlight session. Tom Clegg (Amazon Prime Video) and Sylvia Dick (BASE) explored how exhibitors and streaming platforms could work together to influence moviegoing decisions and strengthen audience engagement across the wider entertainment ecosystem.
Attention then turned to digital marketing and audience discovery with the panel “From Scroll to Screen: Winning the Fight for Attention”, moderated by Lee Shelton (Gruvi). Carla Boyd (Cineworld Cinemas), David Cameron (Vue) and Paul McEvoy (BFI) discussed how social media, creators and short-form content are reshaping film marketing strategies and audience engagement.
Following lunch, Dan Westgarth (The Station Cinema, Richmond) presented a case study on community engagement initiatives at the award-winning independent venue, highlighting activities ranging from accessible and dog-friendly screenings to partnerships with local organisations and fundraising initiatives.
Young audiences remained a central theme throughout the afternoon. Fiona Evans (Into Film) moderated a discussion featuring Nathan Hardie (Watershed Bristol), Helen Jockel (Hippodrome, Bo’Ness), Jo Littlejohn (Odyssey Cinema, St Albans) and Sally Zarzour (Barbican Cinema, London), exploring how cinemas and festivals can better involve younger audiences in shaping programming and engagement strategies.
Melanie Iredale (Reclaim The Frame) then presented the organisation’s work on gender balance in film and audience development, outlining how targeted campaigns can help cinemas engage broader and more diverse audiences.
The day concluded with a session on engaging Gen Z audiences, moderated by Ian Cartwright (elevenfiftyfive). Shemi Olaniran (Escapes) and Hannah Stokes (Massive) shared insights into attracting younger audiences to cinemas and converting first-time visitors into long-term cinema-goers through tailored marketing and community-driven approaches.
The final spotlight session of the day focused on the marketing success of The Housemaid. Joe Palmer and Paul Sophocli (Lionsgate Films UK) discussed the film’s distribution and promotional strategy, examining how the campaign successfully reached underserved female audiences and significantly exceeded box office expectations.
Day One concluded with an evening drinks reception followed by a networking event.
Day Two: Accessibility, Technology & Future Audience Trends
The second day opened with the Executive Roundtable, moderated by Liz Bales (BASE). Paul John Anderson (Omniplex Cinema Group), Jon Barrenechea (Picturehouse Cinemas), Serena Black (Everyman Cinemas), James Jervis (PDJ Cinemas), Craig Jones (Walt Disney Studios) and Matt Smith (Lionsgate Films UK) explored changing audience expectations, current market challenges and opportunities for strengthening cinema attendance.
Colin Lawrence (MediCinema) then provided an update on the charity’s recent expansion efforts, following the organisation’s BAFTA recognition in 2025 and the opening of new hospital cinema facilities in Liverpool and Birmingham. He also highlighted opportunities for continued support from across the sector.
Accessibility and inclusion formed the focus of the next session, “Welcoming Deaf Audiences”, moderated by Paul Lofting (Paramount Pictures). Wanda Donnan (Movie House Cinemas), Kiril Enikov (Vue), Tianah Hodding and Charlotte Ullathorne (ODEON Cinemas) discussed the challenges surrounding captioned screenings and explored ways to improve accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences through both programming and assistive technologies.
The afternoon sessions focused strongly on emerging technologies and audience discoverability. Oskars Killo (Mojo Works) moderated a discussion on AI search and discovery featuring Claire Beswick (Living Room Cinemas), Valentin Degen (International Showtimes) and Graeme Watt (The BoxOffice Company), examining how cinemas can adapt their marketing and visibility strategies in an increasingly AI-driven online environment.
Attention then turned to premium experiences and cinema technology. Mark Kendall (Christie Digital) explored how exhibitors of all sizes can use premium format offerings and projection technologies to encourage repeat attendance and drive additional revenue streams.
The conference concluded with a session on digital signage and customer engagement, where Peter Critchley (TRISON) and Tim Potter (OneCinema) examined how evolving signage technologies can enhance communication with audiences while creating new commercial opportunities for cinema operators.
The UKCA Conference on “Retention, Reach, Revenue – Growing Cinema Audiences” provided two days of valuable discussions and practical insights into the future of cinema exhibition. Across sessions focusing on community engagement, youth audiences, accessibility, AI discoverability and premium experiences, the event highlighted the sector’s continued creativity and resilience in adapting to rapidly evolving audience expectations. The conference concluded on a note of optimism for the cinema sector, underlining the enduring strength of the theatrical experience and the industry’s ability to innovate and evolve. We look forward to building on these insights at next year's edition—and invite everyone to join us at CineEurope in Barcelona for more exciting conversations about the future of cinema exhibition. Register today - See you there!