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Event Cinemas

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Greater Union
Birch, Carroll and Coyle
Event Cinemas
Sky City Cinemas
Damdor Village Cinemas
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryCinema
Founded1934
HeadquartersAustralia key_people =
ProductsCinemas
Websitewww.greaterunion.com.au

Greater Union, Birch Carroll and Coyle, Event Cimemas, Skycity Cinemas and Damador Village Cinemas together form a chain of cinema multiplexes across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. The cinemas are owned and operated in Australia by Village Roadshow-Amalgamated Holdings Limited (AHL) joint venture Australian Theatres, in New Zealand by AHL, and in Fiji by a joint venture between AHL and local investors.[1] The group has rebranded several of its premier Australian and New Zealand cinemas as Event Cinemas since 2009.[2][3]

History

The story of Greater Union begins in 1910, when Thomas James West established West's Pictures. Over the next three years the company merged with other existing film distributors, first becoming 'the General Film Co of Australasia', then 'Union Theatres and Australasian Films'[citation needed].

During the 1920s the organisation grew further, developing a relationship with Queensland's Birch, Carroll & Coyle, a brand that Greater Union maintains to this day. The Great Depression of the 1930s caused significant changes for the group. Union Theatres was liquidated, and its assets purchased by Greater Union Theatres. British Empire Films, the National Theatre Supply Co., and Cinesound all derived from 'Union Theatres and Australiasian Films'[citation needed].

In 1945 the Rank Organisation purchased 50% of the now stable Greater Union Theatres. The name changed to 'Greater Union Organisation', or GUO in the 1950s, a time which saw the formation of strategic alliances with Hoyts and the predecessor to Village Roadshow (1955 and 60) in order to exploit opening markets. GUO expanded by acquiring the MGM Theatres cinema chain in 1971, the Western Australia based Ace Group in 1986, and completing their acquisition of Birch, Carroll & Coyle in 1991. The majority of the GUO sites are a joint venture with Village Cinemas (trading as: Australian Theatres). In NSW, ACT, QLD, SA and WA they trade under the GU and BCC brands but in Victoria under the Village banner. GUO has since expanded into Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.[4] acquired control from the Rank Organisation in 1984, and continues to run the company today.

In 2003, AHL sold 50% of its Australian cinema operations to Village Roadshow in exchange for a partnership to form a joint venture, Australian Theatres[citation needed].

A recent development application to the City of Sydney for new signage for the George Street Cinemas [5], an expo for new employees in an area traditionally served by the Birch, Carol and Coyle brand[6] and the launch of the V-Max brand (replacing G*MAX and including a new logo for Gold Class) was an indication that AHL planned to re-brand part of its operations under the "Event Cinemas" banner.

Event Cinemas opened at Castle Hill's Castle Towers on 20 June 2009, replacing the old 6 screen complex built in 1993. It was architecturally designed by Sydney's INDYK Architects with five auditoriums and a bar. This new location, while marketed as "completely new", is functionally identical to other "Gold Class" locations in Greater Union and Birch, Carrol and Coyle cinemas[citation needed]. Since then Event Cinemas has been rolled out across the nation at premier sites.

Amalagamated Holdings purchased a chain of New Zealand and Fijian cinemas from Skycity Entertinment Group in February 2010, having received New Zealand Government consent under the state's Overseas Investment Act.[7][8] Event Cinemas New Zealand has previously operated as Skycity Cinemas under Skycity Entertainment Group, Village Sky City under a Village Roadshow-Skycity Entertainment Group joint venture, and Village Roadshow Cinemas under Village Roadshow ownership.

Experience

V-Max

V-Max (written as Vmax) cinemas feature stadium style seating with a giant state-of-the-art 20m silver screen capable of showing the latest in digital 3D film product as well as all the latest blockbusters. Each V-Max cinema contains stadium style seating and extra leg room. These cinemas were previously branded as G-Max cinemas. V-Max cinemas can also be found at Village Cinemas complexes.

Gold Class

Gold Class Cinema interior with Sponsoreship

Gold Class cinemas have between 24 to 40 recliner seats and are offered at a premium rate. The seating is superior to a traditional cinema layout and the experience is complemented by a full bar service including an in-house menu. Food and drink are ordered prior to the screening and delivered at predetermined times during the movie.[9] The experience is also offered at Village Cinemas[10]

Allocated Seating

At the beginning of 2008, allocated seating was rolled out in the majority of Greater Union and Birch Carroll & Coyle cinemas nationwide. Tickets were sold online incurring an additional booking fee allowing patrons to purchase their ticket in advance. This initiative was launched under the banner Jump the Queue[11].

Cine Buzz Club

The Cine Buzz Club is a loyalty programme exclusive to Greater Union, Birch Carroll & Coyle and Event Cinemas. Cine Buzz members are given a rewards card with unique number and are prompted to offer this number at the time of ticket purchase. Once ten movies are recorded against the Cine Buzz number a free movie is credited to the members' card [12].

Locations

New South Wales

In New South Wales here are numerous locations including:

  1. Beverly Hills
  2. Blacktown Drive-In is Sydney's last Drive In Theater cinema complex[13][14]. It comprises 2 screens featuring 35mm and 70mm projection, as well as Dolby Stereo Sound and is branded Greater Union.
  3. Bondi Junction is located at Westfield Bondi Junction and is branded as Event Cinemas.
  4. Burwood, is branded as Greater Union.
  5. Campbelltown, is branded as Event Cinemas.
  6. Castle Hill MEGAPLEX, is branded as Event Cinemas.
  7. Coffs Harbour, is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle.
  8. Cronulla
  9. George Street, a 16 screen complex in the CBD, located on George Street and branded as Event Cinemas.
  10. Glendale, is branded as Greater Union.
  11. Hornsby, is located at Westfield Hornsby and is branded as Greater Union.
  12. Hurstville, is located at Westfield Hurstville and is branded as Greater Union.
  13. Lismore, is located in the Lismore town centre and is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle.
  14. Liverpool, is located at Westfield Liverpool and is branded as Greater Union.
  15. Macquarie MEGAPLEX, is branded as Event Cinemas, has three Gold Class cinemas, twelve Senstadium cinemas, as well as one new concept cinema Silverscreen cinema and bar[15].
  16. Miranda, is located at Westfield Miranda and is branded as Greater Union.
  17. Mosman, is branded as Greater Union.
  18. Newcastle, is branded as Greater Union.
  19. Parramatta, is located at Westfield Parramatta and is branded as Event Cinemas.
  20. Shellharbour, is branded as Greater Union.
  21. Tuggerah, is located at Westfield Tuggerah and is branded as Greater Union.
  22. Wollongong, is located on Burelli Street, Wollongong and is branded Greater Union.

The Company's head office is still above the State Theatre, which Greater Union built in 1928[citation needed]. Currently a Top Ryde City Cinema should open in 2010[citation needed].

Queensland

The organisation has its greatest presence in Queensland. Locations include:

The Myer Centre in Brisbane showing Cinema Signage
  1. Australia Fair Cinema, located at Australia Fair Shopping Centre and branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  2. Brisbane City Myer Centre, located at the Myer Centre on Elizabeth Street, and branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  3. Brisbane City Regent, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  4. Browns Plains, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  5. Cairns Central, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  6. Cairns City, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  7. Cairns Earlville, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  8. Capalaba, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  9. Carindale, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  10. Chermside MEGAPLEX, located at Westfield Chermside and branded as Event Cinemas
  11. Coolangatta, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  12. Garden City Mount Gravatt, located at Westfield Garden City, and branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  13. Indooroopilly MEGAPLLEX, which is branded as Event Cinemas
  14. Ipswich, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  15. Mackay City, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  16. Mackay Mount Pleasant, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  17. Maroochydore Sunshine Plaza, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  18. Morayfield, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  19. Pacific Fair, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  20. Robina, located at Robina Town Centre and branded as Event Cinemas
  21. Rockhampton North, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  22. Strathpine, located at Westfield Strathpine and branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  23. Toowoomba Grand Central, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  24. Toowoomba Strand, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle
  25. Townsville Cinemas, which is branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle

Besides the different name the cinemas are identical to other states' Greater Union Cinemas[citation needed].

Western Australia

Galleria Morley, a Greater Union Location

In Western Australia, there are two locations:

  1. Innaloo, branded as Event Cinemas,[3] and
  2. Morley, at Centro Galleria, branded as Greater Union.

The group also holds the lease to cinemas at Westfield Whitford City and Lakeside Joondalup which are subleased to Grand Cinemas.[16] The Innaloo site is Western Australia's largest cinema complex[3] and includes four Gold Class screens and a function centre. Even though it is the largest complex in the state, it only has one more screen than Hoyts Carousel, which has 15 screens.

Greater Union Joondalup is sub-leased to Grand Cinemas

South Australia

There are currently two cinemas located in South Australia.

  1. Arndale, located in the suburb of Kilkenny is branded as Greater Union.
  2. Marion MEGAPLEX, located at Westfield Marion and branded as Event Cinemas. It opened as Greater Union in 1997, after Westfield Marion underwent a major renovation. In late 2003 to early 2004, Megaplex Marion underwent renovations, which resulted in 7 of the small cinemas being converted in to 3 Gold Class cinemas, capable of seating up to 90 people, 30 in each cinema. In March 2009, Marion Megaplex underwent further renovation to include two V-Max Cinemas and was re-branded as Event Cinemas[citation needed].

Northern Territory

There are two cinemas located in the Northern Territory:

  1. Casuarina, located at Casuarina Square Shopping Centre and branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle, and
  2. Darwin, located in the city on the cnr Mitchell & Briggs Streets, and branded as Birch Carroll & Coyle.

Victoria

In Victoria, there is a single cinema:

  1. Melbourne City Cinema, located on Russell Street, in the Melbourne City Centre, and branded as Greater Union.

ACT

In Canberra, there is one Greater Union cinema:

  1. Manuka Cinemas. A previous location in Civic closed late 2007 to make way for rival cinema chain, Dendy, which opened at the Canberra Centre around the same time[citation needed].

New Zealand

Event Cinemas New Zealand owns 106 cinema screens in 14 multiplexes across New Zealand. The brand was launched with live 3D screenings of FIFA World Cup 2010 matches, and Amalgamated Holdings promises to introduce 3D screens to all cinemas by 2011 and to make all screens digital by 2013.[17] New Zealand's most visited cinema multiplex and the chain's New Zealand flagship is located at Skycity Metro on Auckland’s Queen Street and features New Zealand’s largest cinema screen as part of an IMAX sub-complex. Other multiplexes are located at:

In addition, Events also co-owns metropolitan art-house cinema chain Rialto Cinemas with Reading Entertainment, a chain which Village Roadshow, Rialto and Skycity Entertainment Group have all previously co-owned.[18]

Greater Union and Hoyts

Greater Union had previously ran in partnership with Hoyts in several locations in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane including Sydney's CBD location. As of December 2005, Hoyts and Greater Union have separated their joint ventures in these locations [19]

See also

References

  1. ^ http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=81676239
  2. ^ Neil Dowling and Michael Bennet (10 May 2009). "Greater Union to give cinemas major makeover". Perth Now. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  3. ^ a b c Ben-Rutherford (19 May 2009). "Going to the Movies is now an EVENT!". Movieblog. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  4. ^ "Amalgamated Holdings Limited". Retrieved unknown. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. ^ City of Sydney Development Application D/2008/1530/A
  6. ^ "Jobs Expo". Retrieved 31 December 2008.
  7. ^ http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/market-data/3092826/Sky-City-cinemas-sold
  8. ^ http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/3212687/Sky-City-cinema-deal-moves
  9. ^ Cronulla Cineas Reviews. "What is Gold Class?". Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  10. ^ Village Cinemas. "Village Cinemas Gold Class". Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  11. ^ "Jump the Queue". Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  12. ^ "CINE BUZZ Club; Watch 10 movie and get 1 FREE". Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  13. ^ "Greater Union Blacktown Cinema Info". Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  14. ^ "Bass Hill Greater Union Drive In". Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  15. ^ "Greater Union Homepage". Retrieved unknown. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  16. ^ Total Travel .com (10 May 2009). "Greater Union Whitford City". Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  17. ^ http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10648863
  18. ^ http://www.rialto.co.nz/vistait/village/Default.aspx?Control=AboutUs
  19. ^ "ACCC approves Hoyts - GU divorce". Retrieved unknown. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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