As competition in the multiplex industry grows, improved customer service and more extensive facilities are seen as ways of attracting customers. In recent renovations, the Virgin multiplex installed a bar to match those in UCI in Blanchardstown and the IMC in Dun Laoghaire. The trend now is for cinemas to be on sites that can give customers the opportunity to go shopping, and perhaps enjoy a meal before or after their cinema visit - the proposed Millennium Mall, on the site of the old Carlton cinema in O'Connell Street, will have 15 restaurants for movie-goers to choose from.
In Britain, some cinemas have special "premier" class facilities for the higher paying customer. Virgin's Premier Screen service includes a separate auditorium with larger seats and a waiter service bar in the cinema.
Customers also receive free popcorn and crudites, but pay a hefty £10 to £12 per ticket for the privilege of this luxury service. According to a spokesperson, the company is considering the introduction of the service in Ireland.
UCI has developed a similar idea in some of its British cinemas, although its premier service is located on a raised area within the normal auditorium.
The premier service idea was developed first in US cinemas, where valet parking is also sometimes included. Paul Anderson, of Omniplex Holdings, which plans to build a seven-screen cinema in the Swan Centre, Rathmines, believes that such a level of service may find difficulty gaining acceptance in Ireland because we are not used to a valet parking culture.
Other ideas, however, may become more commonplace. Stephen Murray, marketing manager for UCI, suggests that internet cafes will become a regular feature in cinemas. He also points to the success of the children's party rooms which UCI has in its Blanchardstown cinema. These allow children to have their birthday party at the location after seeing a movie.
To get a competitive edge, cinemas are also keen to be seen to have the most up-to-date equipment. Ster Century in Liffey Valley has made a big play on its "Big Fella" screen, and four of its screens are bigger than any others in Ireland.
Black-box auditoriums are another new feature. Everything in the cinema is black apart from what is on screen so that nothing can distract you from enjoying the film. (Apart from all the popcorn munchers, that is.)
FOR those developing new multiplexes, the hope is that Ireland's high rate of going to the cinema will continue to increase. Figures from Eurostat show Ireland to have the highest cinema attendance of all EU countries with an average 3.2 cinema tickets sold per capita each year. This compares with 2.1 tickets per year in the UK, and 2.3 per year in France.
In the US, the average is over 4.6 cinema visits per person per year, and the multiplexes are hoping that Irish cinema-going rates continue to move in that direction.
