SM to improve and to introduce new cinema concepts in 2017

SM Lifestyle Entertainment Incorporate (SMLEI) is planning to renovate its 30-year old cinemas by 2017 to improve and to boost its sales.

Image grabbed from Rappler. 

SMLEI President Edgar Tejerero said that the SM Cinemas will be changing in terms of look and concept. Instead of the theaters having 2 levels – deluxe and premier – the renovation would reconfigure the seats into one stadium. Cinemas from 12 SM malls will be the first one to be renovated; this includes SM North EDSA, SM Manila, SM Mall of Asia, and SM Cebu.

Tejerero also said that they will be introducing 2 new cinema concepts to moviegoers: Cafe Cinema and Children Cinema.

Cafe Cinema, which is expected to be built in SM Megamall, SM North EDSA, and SM Mall of Asia, is where “moviegoers can have dinner or lunch date inside the cinema before watching a movie,” as Tejerero said. People are given an hour to eat before they watch the movie.

The concept for Children Cinema, on the other hand, is for the kids to be able to play one hour before seeing the movie to be screened. “The structure will also be quite unique because we intend to have two big slides inside the auditorium,” explained Tejerero.

To try to solve the issue of piracy in the provinces, SMLEI is also planning to build a standalone movie theater which is to be called Blink Cinemas. With two 100-seater cinemas per location, people will be able to watch the films they wish to see for a price lower than those in malls. Tickets will be ranging from P120 to P150 per movie.

By the end of this year, the company is expecting to sign the contracts for two areas. “One will be in Bataan and the other will be in Kalibo, Boracay area. And the rollout will continue as we have about 17 interested franchisees,” Tejerero said.

With the Blink Cinemas, SMLEI hopes that they will be able to bring the cinema closer to the moviegoers.

 

Source: Rappler, Manila Times