CineEurope: Cinema is Back! Our Impressions and Key Takeaways

Cinema is definitely back! And in every sense of the word. Not only are people going back to the big screen but CineEurope 2022 attracted a handsome crowd and we were thrilled to be a part of it! This was an interesting experience for us as a company, as in the previous years we’ve mostly attended as anthropologists, there to observe and learn without much of an agenda. As we focus on our international expansion, this year was very different. Not only was it the first year that we can say cinema is really back since Covid, but we at DX were there full force. CEO Martin Berg, Head of Business Development Oddvar Jenssen, and Head of Marketing, Jenny Sidorova attended not only as anthropologists, but with a well defined agenda: to make connections, learn from others, and meet like-minded people who want to future proof the industry. And that is exactly what we did.

We spent 3 days attending interesting talks held by Coca Cola and ICTA, we sat back and enjoyed everything the studios Sony Pictures, Universal, Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures, Disney, and more revealed, and we networked during the breaks. We even hosted a lunch for a select few and co-sponsored a cocktail with some great partners. Needless to say, we were kept busy and got everything and more than we expected out of these few days.

We wanted to share our main takeaways from these exciting few days in Barcelona.

Cinema is back

Yes it is! And that is something that felt very apparent during Tom Cruise’s five minutes standing ovation. During the Paramount Pictures presentation, Tom Cruise wowed the crowd by making an appearance and reminding us that Top Gun: Maverick continues to surprise and delight audiences worldwide, reaching towards that $1 billion in ticket sales mark. The studios’ message to the cinema industry was clear, cinema is back! The big screen is back! Coca Cola’s first seminar also confirmed this by focusing on how Physical Fights Back. They outlined the 7 E’s: experiential, ethical, easy, e-commerce, everyday value, execution and efficient. All E’s that businesses including cinemas need to keep top of mind to provide a 2022-relevant experience. As part of this studios seem to be thinking outside the box. There was definitely a sentiment during their presentations that they are investing as much as they can and ensuring the industry’s present and future success.

Movies for wider audiences

One of the ways that studios are doing this is by putting out movies for wider audiences. This is definitely something that the industry is hungry for, as generation z continues to represent the future purchasing power. And we all know that their behavior is very different from some of the older generations, so captivating them where they are is going to be key. It’s nice to see studios thinking about the wider audience and releasing a wider diversity of films to accompany blockbusters. But it’s also essential that this is top of mind, as it was an expectation from most coming to the conference.

Innovative to Engage Young Audiences

Speaking of generation z, there were a lot of talks around innovating to engage and ensuring that we don’t leave the young audience behind. Our very own Martin Berg was on a panel around just this and shared our favorite TikTok example with Lillehammer Kino, highlighting how Director of Lillehammer Kino Clarissa Bergh does an amazing job hiring staff who can both sell concessions and create content for social. The panel featuring Martin ended on an important note and the importance of experimenting with Web3, and not necessarily having all the answers right away, but we as an industry have to be there to learn and adapt. In fact, Chris Meledandri, Producer and CEO of Illumination Entertainment shared very humbly and honestly the importance of today’s industry model evolving and fighting for the audience where they are, which includes TikTok.

Sustainability

Another hot topic that the Coca-Cola company outlined in one of their seminars was sustainability. The cinema industry cannot be exempt from this important topic and we all must play our part. We at DX left thinking how we can help cinemas highlight what it is they are doing from a sustainability perspective but we are also asking ourselves the same question as a company. Coca-Cola organized a panel with great examples coming from coffee roasting company Costa Coffee and a member of the board from Kanopolis shared how they managed to get reusable cups into several cinemas in Germany. Inspiring examples for cinemas to aspire to.

So thanks CineEurope and see you next year!

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