E V E N T S
Peter Knight observes that CineEurope 2021 will be remembered by many as the time that the industry was able to come together for the first time in person in nearly two years.
CineEurope 2021 30th Anniversary
H
aving
been
postponed
from
the
traditional
June date because of
you-know-
what, this year’s CineEurope convention provided the first real opportunity for the industry to celebrate a restart after a very unwelcome hiatus of almost two years. Armed with COVID health & safety measures, a slightly smaller tradeshow and fewer delegates than usual, the fourday event was still as full of energy as ever, and there were plenty of new products to be explored.
A Brief 30-Year History Not only the first in-person event in 18 months, 2021 was also CineEurope’s 30th anniversary. Originally created and CLAIRE BESWICK
organised by Prometheus Global Media Film Group Expo, CineEurope started life in 1992 as Cinema Expo International and was held at Brussels International Conference Centre, Belgium. It then changed venues and moved to the Amsterdam
RAI
Exhibition
and
Paramount Studios welcomes attendees
Convention Centre in the Netherlands, in 1995. For its 20th anniversary in 2011, the
Phil Clapp (UKCA/ UNIC), on stage
convention was renamed as CineEurope
had taken a smaller stand than usual.
before moving from Amsterdam to the
By far, the largest number of companies
current International Convention Centre
represented were those specialising in
(CCIB) in Barcelona for its 2012 edition.
cinema seating or, for those with a
And since 2015, the Film Expo Group
penchant for the classic cinema snack,
has partnered on the event with the
popcorn.
International Union of Cinemas (UNIC).
FILM EXPO GROUP
Taking a Tour Around the Tradeshow Floor
www.cinematech.today
However, there were still plenty of stands to wander around and visit. It was such a simple, yet enjoyable, pleasure to catch up with several of the
The tradeshow was noticeably - but
different companies and the new
understandably - smaller than normal,
products they had on display. Some of
with many companies opting not to
these new products included CineZ’AM,
have any physical presence at all this
an eGate for movie theatres, a number
year after a financially challenging 18
of which are being installed across
months. And some companies, even if
France.
they were present at the tradeshow,
Cinionic took over the main 1 2 / 2 1
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