Visit to a digital theatre: Kinepolis Bruges
Kinepolis Bruges, the latest Kinepolis Group’s
cinema complex, opened to the public on Friday, 7 July 2006.
The cinema site in Bruges has eight screens, 1,605 seats, 600 parking
places and 100 bicycle slots. It is located in the vicinity of major approach
roads. It is Kinepolis Group’s tenth complex in Belgium and the
21st in Europe. In addition to Belgium, Kinepolis also operates in France,
Spain, Poland and Switzerland (click here to see
the list of all Kinepolis multiplexes).
Kinepolis Group has invested 10 million
euro in the Kinepolis Bruges, that shares with the other Group’s cinemas
the main characteristics: ease of access, multi-functionality, a wide
range of films, and the quality of image and sound (High Definition Digital
Cinema, THX).
Thanks to a number of pioneering innovations, however, with the creation
of this site Kinepolis Group has taken another step forward compared with
Kinepolis Nancy, the complex that the group opened about one year before.
The most striking features are the open foyer, the seat booking facilities,
the ticket pricing and monitoring system and the extensive digitalisation
of film, information and communication channels.
Extensive digitalisation of film,
information and communication channels
Kinepolis Bruges has a pronounced digital look created not only by the
presence of digital 2K projectors and films (two Barco DP100 projectors),
but also thanks to the numerous digital signposting, advertising, scheduling
and information screens. The moving picture is omnipresent, ensuring more
efficient communication management and more environmentally friendly surroundings.
Thanks to the widespread digitalisation of its cinemas, Kinepolis is developing
further ‘alternative content’ in conjunction with Barco and Technicolor.
In addition to digital full-length films, cinema-goers can also experience
more and more alternative content in digital format, such as prestigious
events, television series, live concerts and sports competitions – and,
since November 2006, XL Gaming, too.
XL Gaming
Kinepolis Bruges has launched on the 18 November the chance to game on
the big screen. The pilot project is known as XL Gaming. The giant screen
and the optimal technical facilities give gaming enthusiasts the feeling
that they really are in the game, making it all the more exciting to play.
Nico Vernieuwe Vice President Sales & Marketing, of Barco’s Media
and Entertainment division stated, “This is a clear example of the additional
opportunities for cinemas across the world for extra revenue generating
ventures and broadening horizons and using the full benefits of the technology.”
He continued “Moreover, not only can the cinema benefit from the increased
revenue from gaming but the cinema visitors get a whole new experience,
gaming is after all one of the fastest growing leisure activities at the
moment”.
The open foyer
Cinema-goers arriving and leaving meet one another in a central, open
foyer. Visitors do not necessarily have to have a ticket to be able to
use the facilities in the foyer, which include a film corner, a gaming
corner, the Kinepolis shop and the CréaCafé. The Kinepolis
shop stocks a wide range of drinks, snacks and retail goods, ranging from
fruit salad, pizzas and popcorn to T-shirts, film posters and books.
Booking seats
At Kinepolis Bruges cinema-goers can book their tickets and seats in advance
at the automatic box offices or from their home via the Kinepolis website.
The ticketing software automatically proposes the most central seat available.
Film lovers can accept or reject this proposal via the website and at
the automatic box offices. The seat layout and available places can be
consulted on digital screens in the entrance hall and in the foyer.
Ticket monitoring and pricing
The usual ticket checks have been abolished. The only areas that are monitored
are the auditoria. Cinema-goers must have a ticket of admission or – if
the booking was made via the Internet – an A4 print-out indicating the
auditorium, showing, film and seat number, before they can enter the auditorium
itself. Each seat has a built-in sensor so that each place taken is automatically
recorded. The monitoring system compares the number of tickets sold with
the number of people present in the auditorium. As a result, the ticket
checking process is conclusive, efficient and customer friendly.
What is more, Kinepolis encourages cinema-goers to buy tickets electronically.
A ticket purchased via the website is cheaper than one obtained at the
box offices in the complex. As for tickets that are bought in the complex
itself, those issued by the automatic (unmanned) box offices are sold
at more advantageous rates than those acquired at the manned box offices.