Boxoffice - October 2016

CONVENTION
RECAP
A NEW WAY OF
DOING BUSINESS
MILLENNIALS, DIGITAL TICKETING WERE THIS YEAR'S
TRENDING TOPICS AT THE GENEVA CONVENTION
by Daniel Loria
n We’ve all heard the warnings. The latest
technology always seems to be lurking
around the corner, poised to become
the next “cinema killer.” Exhibition has
proved to be resilient, however, weathering
innovations like radio, television, home
video, cable, video games, streaming, and
the countless others that have emerged over
the years. Despite the foreboding, younger
generations continue attending the cinema.
At a certain point you have to wonder, why
doesn’t the conversation instead focus on
exhibition’s ability to adapt and adopt the
latest innovations?
This year’s edition of the Geneva Convention,
which took place from September
13 to 15 at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa,
sought to tackle that question beyond the
scope of its regional association with NATO
of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. A mix of
international panelists gave the Midwestern
event a cosmopolitan vibe, bringing insights
from different parts of the world to the talks
and presentations held in Lake Geneva,
Wisconsin. Although the week’s conversations
ranged in topic, the theme consistently
came back to the influence and impact of
millennials on the exhibition business—as
well as the growing shift in how consumers
are purchasing their tickets.
Despite the abundance of entertainment
options at their fingertips, millennials are
still loyal moviegoers—an assertion echoed
by NATO Data and Research Manager Phil
Contrino during one of the event’s sessions.
Exhibitors’ interaction with this generation,
however, isn’t limited to the ticket counter
and concessions stand. As millennials grow
their ranks in the professional world, theater
managers are faced with new challenges of
how to manage a generation imbued with an
entrepreneurial spirit and differing priorities.
76 BoxOffice ® OCTOBER 2016