Rishon Article - Screentrade

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ith the biggest cinema complex in the Middle East now open at Rishon LeZion, Israel’s fourth largest city, the challenge was one of how to maximise attendance at this 26-screen, 4,000-seat state-of-the-art facility.

The site, operated by New Lineo Cinemas, is situated amid a 450,000 sq.ft. leisure and retail park which includes 23 specialty restaurants and bars.

Embracing the latest available technology, it is difficult to find enough superlatives when trying to describe all that the Rishon complex can offer. Beginning with what is certainly a massive foyer space, visitors are presented with close to 50 [linear] metres of retail counter space, selling a quality range of concession fare including Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream amongst a number of other premium-branded products.

The foyer, replete with colour-changeilluminated flooring, mirrored-ceilings and a host of ‘prop’ elements, generates greater visual impact than an organised firework display. It has one of the largest, most comprehensive, multi-media systems available,

Spectacle & Entertainment

at the Rishon LeZion Cinema, Israel The screen entrances and auditoria decorations provide as much spectacle as the films themselves

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Leading concession-builder, Derek Galloway, explains how one Israeli cinema is benefitting from terrific visual impact, while also making best use of industry downtime. Call it Alternative Content, but not as we know it.

screentrade | Spring 2011 | www.screentrademagazine.com

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including the world’s largest digital signage wall. This system delivers a steady stream of content to more than 300 LCD-screens and can be switched in an instant from presenting menu and product information to advertising and movie trailers. Capable of streaming audience-specific content, menu-offers can also be tailored to audiences of particular film genres.

Main foyer; with colourchanging illuminated-flooring along with close to 50m of retail counter space

Sophisticated With such levels of signage sophistication, the complex is regularly booked by organisations using the foyer for their product-launches, the digital signage as part of the advertising presentation, as well as the all-digital auditoria for commercial presentations. Furthermore, New Lineo at Rishon enjoys a seven-strong Sales & Marketing team to help promote the complex beyond attendance by regular cinema-goers.

Educational The company has developed and marketed a number of initiatives designed to increase occupancy, while also including an educational programme called UniverCity, which provides film-based lectures on [currently] 89 subjects from ancient civilisations to genetics to Italian culture. Supported by external professors – many from the nearby University of Tel Aviv – the 9,000 students already en-

rolled substantially boost attendance during the cinema’s quieter periods. Together with special events designed to encourage appreciation of Cinema among very young children, and a host of other promotional activi-

One of 26 themed auditoriums

ties, Cinema City Rishon is already poised to welcome more than 3m visitors in year-one.

Entertaining Absolutely no detail has been overlooked in presenting a movie experience so far ahead of its domestic competitors – and even screenentrances and auditorium decorations offer as much spectacle as the films themselves.

As the imagery here shows – from themed statuary (present throughout the complex), to a massive dinosaur exhibit adjacent to the 2,500-space car park – the entire complex provides spectacle and entertainment from first arrival through every stage of the attendance experience, and even beyond. S Derek Galloway is the MD of Martek who designed, manufactured and installed all of the site’s retail areas – including box offices, concessions, bars and VIP areas – while supplying the majority of concession-related equipment. Since 2001, Martek has worked with New Lineo on each of its multiplex developments in Spain, Portugal and Israel.

One of 26 themed auditoria www.martek.co.uk

www.screentrademagazine.com | Spring 2011 | screentrade

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