Nu Metro

COMPANY PROFILE

2013

Elite Entertainment.

Among the largest cinema operators in South Africa, NMC offers the ultimate in film and entertainment consumption, its theatres spread throughout the country showcasing the very latest offerings from the biggest players in Hollywood distribution. Committed to a non-formulaic approach to the ancient art of cinematic entertainment, and the holder of six of the 10 most desirable sites in the country, NMC broke new ground and opened in 2001 Africa’s first all-digital cinema complex at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg, which in turn plays host to one of Africa’s largest cinemas - the Pantheon - as well as dedicated 3D cinemas for the discerning viewer.

One of NMC’s most recent projects has been the complete overhaul and upgrade of its Montecasino theatre, to bring this already state-of-the-art site yet further toward the forefront of this highly competitive

field. It is a neat example of the way in which Nu Metro cinemas strives continuously to improve the experience of cinema-goers countrywide, and in turn grow its own brand to secure even higher proportions of the South African market.

Considered by many to be the flagship site of the Nu Metro group, the 15-cinema complex in Gauteng has seen a complete renewal through its recent renovation; everything from the ever-impressive entrance foyer, right through to the cinema seats, has had full-scale refurbishment. As Mark Harris, Marketing Executive, says, “It was an entire facelift of the foyer area, as well as all the auditoriums, and we have expanded the self-service confectionery area - it was mainly to keep up to date with the ageing of the cinema - as something that has been around for ten years it was in need of an upgrade.”

Elite Entertainment. Editorial – Tim HandsProduction – Lauren Grey

With an ever expanding portfolio of theatres spread across South Africa, Nu Metro Cinemas prides itself on an unmatched ability to provide to the consumer a premium cinematic experience rivalled by no other, with backdrops and settings to match the luscious cinematography on offer.

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Elite Entertainment.

Such a commitment to pushing itself forward into the highest echelons of cinematic entertainment was never going to be possible without considerable cost, with NMC ploughing in “a couple of million rand” to the expensive facelift of its flagship cinema.

It has, however, already won many plaudits from those keen enough to have visited since the completion of the work, according to Danie Van Der Merwe, General Manager; “feedback has been very positive, especially from an eventing point of view.

People are very much complimentary towards the new layout and the new designs.”

Moving swiftly from this overhaul of an existing site in its charge, Nu Metro cinemas has now switched its developmental focus to an all-singing new theatre, situated in the Key West mall, due to open on the first of April.

An eight screen complex, it will have “a similar look and feel to our other cinemas, as well as the introduction of a new self-service confectionery area into that complex as well,” says Mr Harris

Nu Metro cinemas has always set out to differentiate itself, and set itself apart from the competition; “we see ourselves as the premium cinema operator in the territory,” explains Mr Harris, “in terms of level of comfort, the experience, and the added value that a patron can get at a Nu Metro cinema, versus the competitors in the market.”

In terms of this ‘premium’ experience, Harris goes on to explain exactly what this means is on offer from the Nu Metro brand of entertainment; “I think South Africa has always had quite a low price perception, in terms of movie tickets, and hasn’t always moved with the rest of the world.

“People are very much complimentary towards the new

layout and the new designs”

NU METRO

MAR 13 PAGE 3

We were very conscious of that, in terms of striving to keep the ticket prices at an affordable level.” This, as he explains, is a constant challenge due to external factors way beyond its control.

“Obviously, the movie business is one where our partners are Hollywood studios overseas, and as its their content that we’re showing in our cinemas, we’re having to show not only returns to ourselves but also returns to our partners - those studios that provide us with the latest Hollywood content.”

25 YEARS IN BUSINESSIt is exactly this ability to strike the balance between

an affordable cinema experience with the capacity to offer the most mouth-watering of Hollywood blockbusters that sees Nu Metro cinemas celebrating its 25th birthday this year. It is a quarter-century that has been marked by great change the world over, and Nu Metro is no exception. Beginning life in 1985 as the Metro chain of theatres, the turning point came with the intervention of Israeli film producer Avi Lerner. Whilst in South Africa where filming of the epic King Solomon’s Mines was taking place, his interest was piqued by the potential of the Metro circuit, and purchased the chain in 1988, giving rise to the growth of Nu Metro as we see it today. From its beginnings as a 31-screen enterprise, with limited capacity dotted around the country in small standalone complexes, this growth now sees the business boasting an array of 20 multiplexes across South Africa, with over 200 screens in the territory.

To the future then, and Van Der Merwe is confident that the cinema industry will, “always remain resistant

to the threats against it - the emergence of TV, initially, and then VHS and DVD, but the business itself will continue.” A large factor in this continuing success is the unending developments to the technological side of the game. “What’s changed a lot recently is digital projection equipment, and how that’s allowing cinemas to adapt in terms of the sort of content we play, and the frequency with which we can do so.”

The increasing emergence of new technology has not played entirely into the hands of the cinema chains, however, with the “worldwide industry issue” of piracy proving a constant threat to the business of Nu Metro and all the other companies in this field. “We’ve been a little bit lucky in this sense as our Broadband penetration is not as widespread as the rest of the world, but we are getting there and I think that will be an added threat, simply because of the speed at which a consumer can get access to the latest content through pirated means.”

Nu Metro will be sustained, undoubtedly, on the strength of the experience which it is able to offer. “The customer service level you get at the cinema, our product presentation, and the level of satisfaction a consumer will gain from our cinema versus that of a competitor keeps Nu Metro cinemas as the industry leader in terms of consumer experience.”

With further projects in the pipeline and due for development in the near future, the self-dubbed ‘premium’ experience offered by Nu Metro is becoming all too rare - the cutting edge of cinema broadcast with a level of consumer satisfaction matched by no other and in a retail setting hand-picked to enhance the theatre’s appeal yet further. .

“We see ourselves as the premium cinema operator in the territory”

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