BoxOffice® Pro - November 2012

SECRET
WEAPON
THE PROTECTOR
Meet Tim Dilts, NCG Cinemas’ defender
against bad movie experiences
WHAT GOT YOU WORKING IN THE THEATER
INDUSTRY?
I started working as an usher at our NCG Lansing,
Michigan, location in 2003 right after high school. I was
immediately smitten by the atmosphere and loved coming
to work every day. The thing I love about movies is that
they don’t end at the credits. They continue on through
conversation with friends and family; they help develop
relationships; they provide that escape everyone looks for.
In 2007, I left the theater to finish my bachelor’s
degree in business management through wood University. During this time I ob-
Northtained
a job with a staffing company,
hiring employees to fit the needs of
a wide range of businesses. But
I still had that passion for the
moviegoing experience. With
the economy the way it is,
movies provide that two-hour
escape from reality and allow
you to be a little kid, a superstar,
an athlete, a superhero.
And I wanted to be a part of
the movie theater industry
to help protect and preserve
that experience. That’s why
when NCG Cinemas opened
the traveling manager position in
2008, I jumped at the opportunity
and never looked back.
WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT
ASPECT OF YOUR JOB, AND HOW
HAVE YOU OVERCOME IT?
Protecting the moviegoing experience
is very important to me and to NCG
Cinemas. I think that’s a difficult task,
as we deal a wide range of people and
everyone has their own expectation tion of
the moviegoing experience. I want to
make sure everyone has the very best
experience every single time when they
come into our theaters.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY “PRO-
TECT THE MOVIEGOING EXPERI-
l, I don’t
want to stray away from what got us to this
point. That’s what I mean: making sure
that the movie theater is the place that you
go to in order to watch your favorite movie
or your favorite actress or actor on
the big
ENCE”?
Our industry’s going so well,
screen.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOST SUCCESSFUL
MOMENT OF THE PAST YEAR?
2011 and 2012 have been very successful for NCG and
myself. Our theaters continue to grow—we added two
more locations to our chain. And even though it wasn’t
a phenomenal box offi ce year, it was still a good year
for us. But my most successful moment in the past year
is my wife and I having our first child. There is not a
better feeling in the world than going
home at the end of a long day at
work and seeing him giving me a
TIM DILTS
DISTRICT
huge smile.
MANAGER
NCG CINEMAS
A MOVIE THEATER IN
DEWITT,
ENGLAND HAS BEEN OR-
MICHIGAN
GANIZING VOLUNTEERS
TO DRESS UP AS NINJAS
AND
GIVING A WARNING
TO
GABBY AUDIENCE
MEMBERS. WOULD YOU
HAVE WANTED TO BE A
SHUSHING NINJA WHEN
YOU WERE AN USHER?
Um, no. If anything,
that might be more of a distraction.
I want our ushers
to go in and be as discreet as
possible.
WHO WAS A KEY MENTOR
FOR YOU AND WHY?
I would consider Pat O’Boyle a
very important mentor to me. He has
always been there to offer insight, help-
ful ideas and important strategies to
help me continue to be very successful.
WHAT’S
YOUR FAVORITE
MOVIE?
My favorite movie is Tommy Boy.
Nobody’s
funnier than Chris Farley.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CON-
CESSION STAND SNACK?
Good old-fashioned popcorn. You
can’t watch
a movie without popcorn.
WHERE DO YOU SIT IN A MOVIE
THEATER?
I like to sit in the first row before the
stadium seating. It offers plenty of legroom.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF BEING
NAMED NCG
CINEMAS’ SECRET
WEAPON?
It’s a privilege. This company has been
extremely good to my family and me, and I
come to work every day very thankful to work
for such an outstanding company.
24 BOXOFFICE PRO NOVEMBER 2012