Boxoffice-January.2000

Of course, sustaining this vibrancy
requires understanding and prioritizing
the needs of individuals working in
the
industry. Cognizant of this fact, Fithian
has made talking to NATO members
throughout the United States one of his
prerogatives.
"My first task is to get around to the
members and take in as much input as I
possibly can," he says. "I'll be traveling
around the country and meeting with
NATO members and executives [from
regional NATO offices] and getting their
input as quickly as I can because the issues
[that are important to them] are developing
quickly."
One
such topic Fithian is eager to
work on with association members
concerns the establishment
of NATO's objectives for the next millennium.
In November, the organization
announced that it had successfully met
the challenge presented by its first mission
statement, which, under Kartozian s
leadership, pledged to push North
American movie admissions to 1 .5 billion
by the year 2000. Fresh from its victory.
NATO seems poised to create and meet
an even greater challenge. However,
Fithian is cautious in his postulations
regarding future mission statements,
especially before he's discussed the possibilities
with other members.
"Is someone leaking my game plan for
the first 100 days?" he asks jokingly in
response to BOXOFFICE's conjecture
regarding a potential increase in the target
number of cinema attendance as the
next mission. "One of the first things that
[the NATO board] will be talking about
is the next mission statement. But I'm not
going to pre-empt them; they'll be working
with me on what they think their
goals should be."
Beyond the next statement, another
issue Fithian is anxious to tackle is one
"[Balancing such a relationship] is
always a challenge, particularly to an association
like NATO where there are so manj
members. This is a big trade association
with lots of members and they all have a lot
to say, so it's
a very vibrant group."
In addition to domestic membership.
Fithian is
also concerned about reaching
out to foreign exhibitors who are either
current, or perhaps future, members of
NATO.
"There are several international members
that come to the board meetings." he
says, "and I'll have discussions with them
there.
"It's a very interesting focus for
NATO's future [to see] how we develop
internationally." he adds. "As distribution
is global and as many of our members are
expanding overseas, it's really come upon
the association to help pick up on some of
those issues. My firm does trade work for
NATO and we are looking more at ways
"17/ be very mindful of
working with all the
members and listening to
the independents and
their particular
concerns— trying to
meld and compromise
those with the interests
of the big circuits so that
everybody can work
together as much as possible.
...This is a big trade
association with lots of
members and they all
have a lot to say, so it's
a very vibrant group."
the United States. While inhabitant on
either side of the country are usually
unable to find common ground with those
living on the opposite end, the new
president believes that a semblance does
exist between the two.
"1 like the [Southern California] community
a lot." says the longtime
Washington D.C. resident, "and there's
some interesting similarities between
1 Eollywood and Washington. It's very high
profile, with verj dynamic issues and
dynamic people and the ability to work
through those kind of high profile issues.
[One] always has to be careful of how
things are presented and what is said
because everything in Hollywood and
everything in Washington ends up in the
papers somewhere.
"There are some similarities between
the types of issues and the style and the
positioning— if necessary—to advocate
[one's] cause in both those towns. But I
have a lot to learn about Hollywood and
there's some dynamite people with NATO
who have a lot of experience there, and
I'm going to be seeking their counsel a lot
in the early days and beyond so that they
can teach me everything they know—
hope!"
Among those NATO members he holds
in high esteem is none other than the man
he is replacing, William Kartozian. "I've
worked with 1 5 to 20 different trade associations."
says Fithian, "and Bill is one of
the most intelligent, strong, effective leaders
I've ever worked with. Part of the
attraction of this job is that the people are
dynamite: Bill as the president and Mary
Ann Grasso, who is just a phenomenal
association organizer as the vice president.
"It's been a great experience with them.
It's also a bit of a daunting challenge to
know that Bill Kartozian is the guy thai
I'm following. Those are big shoes and
he's been a terrific leader. So it adds to the
challenge factor— that's for sure."
that was equally important to his predecessor:
to help our membership expand overseas
is
Fithian one man. however, who
preserving a harmonious relation-
and make it easier for them to develop
appears to relish challenges.
ship among all NATO members in order [sites] overseas.
Besides fighting difficult legislation
to work toward the common good.
"There are always issues of maintaining
"[The exchange between foreign and
domestic exhibitors] works both ways," on behalf of NATO and its members
in the nation's capital for the past seven
unity within the industry," he
continues Fithian.
says.
"Our domestic members
"It's a very diverse industry. You have
go overseas and then the overseas
years, and aside from daring to follow the
great William Kartozian as the head of
some very large circuits and [markets] benefit
a whole
from the work that we lot
do the world's largest trade organization for
of members that have a few screens here
cinema owners and operators, Fithian is
here. There's a lot of shared information
and there. Working together with the big
and guidance both ways.
now responsible for rising to the formidable
own
"The regulatory issues that develop
task presented to him by his circuits and the independents is essential...
here also develops overseas, and coordinating
organization: ensuring that NATO meets
in terms of having influence and
working with Washington and dealing
on our response and effective game its second mission statement.
plan on issues is helpful to our foreign Just shortly after Fithian heedfully and
with technology issues.
exhibitors. think more and more they're politely circumvented BOXOFFICE's questions
be very mindful of working with
members
I
seeing NATO as a resource for them. Our
pertaining to NATO's next mission
"I'll
the all and listening to the
international membership is growing and statement, the trade association declared
independents and their particular concerns—trying
to meld and compromise
we hope to continue that."
that it plans to "Increase annual theatrical
Fithian's ability to see a shared experience
attendance in North America to two bil-
those with the interests of the big circuits
between domestic and foreign lion by the year 2005." The organization
so that everybody can work together
as much as possible.
exhibitors seems natural, considering his and its members are looking to Fithian.
opinion of the East and West Coasts of their new president, to lead the way. MUc
.lanuan, 2000 37