industry GIANTS OF EXHIBITION SPONSOR PROFILE 1 AMC THEATERS Location: Leawood, KS Founded: 1920 Screens: 7,800 ↘ -3% Locations: 600 ↘ -5% What was supposed to be a festive year for AMC Theatres quickly devolved into a nightmare scenario. The circuit entered 2020 ready to celebrate its centennial anniversary but was forced to focus its energies on making it through the biggest economic crisis in its history. The circuit was among the first major circuits in the United States to cease operations, announcing on March 16 that it would voluntarily close all its domestic locations for six to 12 weeks. It would take considerably longer than expected for AMC to get back to business, waiting until August 20—five months after closing its doors—to resume operations at 100 of its 600 locations. The closures didn’t mean AMC was quiet during the spring and early summer. In April, the circuit was the first to speak out against Universal’s decision to adopt a dramatically shortened theatrical exclusivity window, vowing not to book any of the studio’s titles under the policy. By July, it reversed its stance and welcomed back Universal titles by agreeing to a deal that would give the circuit a portion of the films’ digital streaming revenues. In June, the circuit’s decision to suggest, though not require, the wearing of face masks for patrons returning to their theaters helped spark a national debate about mask-wearing policies at businesses reopening during the pandemic. The circuit reversed course a week after announcing its original policy, citing public demand, and required face masks at all their locations once they reopened. In both instances, AMC effectively used its position as the country’s and world’s leading cinema chain to influence the reopening effort. It was also one of the first circuits in the nation to announce a comprehensive series of health and safety protocols ahead of reopening, AMC Safe & Clean, developed in collaboration with current and former faculty members of Harvard University’s School of Public Health and in partnership with The Clorox Company. AMC weathered significant stress in instituting policies and changes that will reverberate throughout the industry for years—decisions that weren’t easily made but were necessary to ensure its survival. The circuit enters <strong>2021</strong> as the only cinema chain in North America with over 7,000 screens. Kevin Shepela EVP, Chief Commercial Officer Fandango It’s been an incredibly challenging time for everyone involved in theatrical moviegoing. Today, we honor the Giants of Exhibition, who, we know, with their leadership and unwavering dedication to the industry, will help us go back to the movies bigger and better than before. At Fandango, we remain steadfast as your partner in helping film fans return to your theaters at the right time, with exuberance, confidence, and peace of mind. We are proud of the work we’ve done together over the past year to offer moviegoers new health and safety content and product features on Fandango, including social distance seat maps, occupancy guides, search filtering for reopened theaters and access to more than 100 health and safety protocols, provided by theaters. With Fandango’s mobile ticketing, we’re also able to help reduce the number of contact points for moviegoers and cinema employees at the box office and throughout the theater. When new movies, event screenings, and showtimes are scheduled at your theaters, we will make sure millions of moviegoers nationwide are the first to know, so they can grab tickets for their favorite seats in your auditoriums. Our industry is resilient. There’s nothing like the thrill of watching a film on the big screen with an appreciative audience in a safe environment. We are optimistic about the future as we work together to ensure that the moviegoing experience will always be the first choice in entertainment, with fans more excited than ever to return to your wonderful theaters. We can’t wait to get back to the movies! 20 <strong>Q1</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 18-33_Giants-Of-Exhibition.indd 20 12/02/<strong>2021</strong> 12:26
<strong>Q1</strong> <strong>2021</strong> 21 18-33_Giants-Of-Exhibition.indd 21 12/02/<strong>2021</strong> 12:26
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