French cinema group UGC are enjoying a 1.5 per cent market share rise in the UK and Ireland since their £215 million stg purchase of 34 Virgin multiplex cinemas last October, according to their commercial director Mike Thomson.

Thomson indicated that UGC plan to invest a further £50 million on eight new cinemas in the UK over the next two years and are on the look out for new sites in Dublin.

Since they began their £5 million rebranding process last October, Thomson says it has had unparalleled cinema admissions, both across the UK and in Ireland.

"In February, for instance, we had our best ever week, with an incredible 800,000 people attending our cinemas, a figure that is 33 per cent up on the chain's previous records."

Rebranding is due to be completed this summer and will be marked by the launch of two new cinemas in the UK. It has been a long process which has involved changing all the Virgin signage and conducting brand research to gauge customer reaction to the UGC name.

Thompson rejects any suggestion that Irish audiences are less than aware of the UGC brand name.

"The reaction has been very positive. There is a good level of awareness of UGC as a European-wide chain."

UGC, which stands for Union Generale Cinematographique, recently played host to the Dublin Film Festival in its nine-screen multiplex cinema in Dublin's Parnell Street, a move which he says was "an ideal partnership".

The UGC takeover of Virgin has been a remarkably smooth process, says Thomson, because the business philosophies of both companies are similar. "We have a similar focus in that we both believe in providing top class facilities for our customers, which includes the best projection technology and sound and seating."

UGC now have 81 cinemas across Europe and employ 2,500 people, which will rise to 3,000 when the eight new cinemas are added to the chain.