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New
Leadership Steers World’s Largest Association
of Cinema Owners
Mitchell, Brown, O’Meara and Harkins Elected
Top NATO Officers
 WASHINGTON,
D.C. – Cinemark USA CEO Lee Roy Mitchell has
been elected the next chairman of NATO’s board
of directors, it was announced Oct. 3 by the association.
Elected unanimously
at NATO’s Sept. 21 board meeting
in Dana Point, Calif., Mitchell will begin a two-year
term on Jan. 1, 2007, and succeeds outgoing NATO chairman
Phil Harris.
Mitchell’s ascension to chairman follows his two-year
stint as the association’s vice chairman.
The NATO board also
elected Peter C. Brown, chairman and CEO of Kansas
City. Mo.-based AMC Entertainment
Inc., the association’s new vice chairman. Mark O’Meara,
owner-operator of Fairfax, Va.-based University Mall
Theatres, was elected to a second term as NATO’s
board secretary; Dan Harkins, CEO of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based
Harkins Theatres, was elected the association’s
new treasurer.
Mitchell founded Cinemark
in 1987 and since its inception has served as its chief
executive officer
and chairman
of the board. Cinemark operates the third-largest
cinema chain in the United States, and serves
as a leading
motion picture exhibitor in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina,
Central
America, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Prior
to founding Cinemark, Mitchell owned and operated
motion
picture theatres for more than 40 years.
A member of the board
of directors and executive committee of the National
Association of Theatre
Owners for more
than 20 years, Mitchell also serves on numerous
corporate, charitable and non-profit boards
of directors.
NATO is the largest
exhibition trade organization in the world, representing
movie theatres in
all 50 states
and in more than 40 countries. NATO represents
all of the 10 largest movie theatre operators
in the
United States, as well as over 500 smaller
exhibition companies,
for a combined total of more than 29,000
U.S. movie screens.
The association’s website can be found
at www.natoonline.org. 
Manhattan's E-Walk Part Of Megacircuit Trade
Regal and AMC
In Six-Site Swap
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The world’s two largest
cinema operators – Regal Entertainment Group (REG)
and AMC Entertainment – announced Sept. 15 that
they would swap a number of acquisitions.
Separately, REG announced the opening of its new 16-plex
in the Seattle suburb of Everett, Wash., and plans
for a new 14-plex due to bow next summer in Riverside,
Calif.
In the swap, AMC gets:
•
Oklahoma City’s Crossroads Mall Stadium 16-plex;
•
Fayetteville, Ark.’s Fiesta Square 16-plex;
and
• approximately $34 million in cash.
In exchange, REG acquires:
•
New York’s 42nd Street E-Walk 13-plex;
•
Boston’s Fenway Stadium 13-plex;
•
Dallas’ Keystone 16-plex; and
•
Seattle’s Meridian 16-plex.
REG’s new 70,000-square-foot 2,000-seat Everett
16-plex formally opened July 14. The site features stadium-style
high-back rocker seating with retractable cupholder armrests.
The official July 14 launch followed three days of promotional
events that offered $1 movies, $1 soft drinks and $1
popcorn to benefit local charities.
“The new entertainment center will replace the existing 3-screen in the
mall and the 9-screen nearby for one convenient new location with an even greater
selection of films and all of the customer comforts you could want,” stated
Russ Nunley, REG vice president of marketing and communications.
REG’s planned 2,400-seat 54,000-square-foot Riverside 14-plex, to be
located at the northwest corner of I-15 and Limonite Avenue in the Eastvale
Gateway shopping center, will feature stadium-style high-back rocker seating
with retractable cupholder armrests, online ticketing and automated ticket
kiosks. “Eastvale Gateway is a terrific location for our latest theatre
in Southern California’s Inland Empire,” stated REG senior vice
president of marketing and advertising Dick Westerling. “Regal is proud
of our strong presence in Riverside County, and we are committed to serving
the area.”
The largest exhibitor in the world, Tennessee-based
REG operates 6,383 screens at 542 sites in 40 states
and the District of Columbia. It does
business
under the names Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatres and Edwards Theatres.
Missouri-based AMC operates 5,601 screens at 411 sites
in the United States and 11 other nations.
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13-Year Circuit Veteran
Bowers New
Harkins Prez
 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Harkins Theatres announced
Sept. 15 the promotion of 13-year circuit vet Mike Bowers
to the position of president and chief operating officer.
Never before in the company’s 73-year
history has the role of president been held by someone
outside the
Harkins family.
Bowers, who began his career with Mann
Theatres, joined Harkins as district manager and was
later promoted to
vice president.
“Mike’s acumen and experience in the industry brings
exceptional leadership to our company, and we are grateful
to have him at the helm as we grow to become the largest
regional chain in the U.S.,” stated owner/CEO Dan
Harkins.
Harkins, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., currently
operates 342 screens in five states, with plans to expand
that
number by 180 screens within the next three years.
Chain’s
2nd Site in Panama
New Panama City
7-Plex For Cinemark
 PANAMA CITY, Panama – Cinemark International on July 14 opened its second
Panama site, a new 7-plex in Panama City.
Located in the Los Pueblos 2000 Mall,
one of the largest shopping complexes in Central America,
the 34,215-square-foot 1,853-seat multi features stadium-style
seating with retractable armrests and wall-to-wall screens.
“Cinemark International is proud
to expand its operations in Panama,” stated
Tim Warner, president of Cinemark International. “We are pleased to bring
the best in entertainment to this area of Panama City.”
Based in Plano, Texas, Cinemark operates
3,428 screens in the United States and 13 other countries.
Mans Maine Multiplex
Pike Awarded
Flagship Scholarship
LYNNFIELD, Mass. - Flagship Cinemas announced Aug. 25
that its latest “associate scholarship” would
go to Brandon Pike, an employee of the circuit’s
Oxford, Maine site since 2004.
Pike, who will attend the Academy of Art University in
San Francisco, Calif., says he hopes to become an illustrator
and design movie characters.
“
Brandon has been a great asset to the Oxford Flagship
team,” said facility manager Kevin Frost. “In
addition, Brandon has used his talent as an artist to
help promote several movies. He has worked hard painting
murals and helped paint our birthday party room.”
Flagship Cinemas, founded in 1995, is based in Lynnfield,
Mass. and operates 112 screens at 12 sites.
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