This annual event brought together more than 180 Norwegian cinema operators and professionals, as well as international industry stakeholders, for 4 days of presentations, panels and networking.
On 7 November, UNIC President Phil Clapp delivered a presentation on the state of the European cinema industry, sharing the positive summer box office results in the EMEA region, the year-to-date performance in some key European countries and in the Nordics, as well as an overview of recent successful films in the region. He also shared the highly positive results from the many National Cinema Day initiatives that took place across Europe from September to November, attracting millions of cinema-goers and further demonstrating audiences’ appetite for the theatrical experience. Phil Clapp concluded his presentation with the importance of local content for a healthy cinema market, the need for a continuous and diverse slate of films all year round and the positive impact of cinema-going campaigns to bring in new audience.
The conference featured a series of great presentations on marketing strategies, audience engagement, young audiences, technology as well as cinema policy in Norway, among many other topics. Tonis Kiis, Senior Vice President of International Distribution at Warner Bros, provided an overview on global market trends, reiterated the full support of WB to the theatrical experience and highlighted the importance of eventisation (such as the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon) and premiumization of cinemas to attract visitors back to the cinemas. Jenny Sidorova from DX gave a presentation on marketing trends from other industries that could be implemented in the exhibition sector, such as using local influencers, creating user-generated content to promote films, taking advantage of the great impact of Tik Tok on film promotion, developing immersive experiences in the cinema space according to special releases and attracting fandoms through community marketing. Marius Ofsti from Aarhus University presented his research on distribution models in Scandinavia and the shifting patterns with large streaming platforms. Wim Buyens, CEO of Cinionic, shared a presentation on cinema audience profiles and interests and showcased the company’s priorities in picture quality, sustainability, efficiency and optimization to support cinema exhibitors.
This conference served as a perfect occasion to meet the diverse range of Norwegian cinema operators and get to know the market better. Congratulations to Film&Kino for organising such a successful event!