NATO Names Michael P. O’Leary President and CEO
The National Association of Theatre Owners has appointed Michael P. O’Leary to be its president and CEO beginning May 1. He will succeed John Fithian, who is retiring.
National Association of Theatre Owners
Redefining the Cinema Experience
On Tuesday at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, the opening ceremonies of CinemaCon 2022 got underway as they have in past years, with speeches by Charles Rivkin, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association and John Fithian president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners. Both men praised the efforts that helped the cinema business begin to emerge from the ravages of the pandemic. Both were realistic about the motion picture industry’s present, and optimistic about its future. Rivkin’s main topic was the ongoing battle against content theft and, while he offered a long list of recent success stories, he acknowledged that the fight continues. Fithian’s main topic was simultaneous release which he insisted works for no one. But the overall theme of the morning was the understanding that this is a watershed moment in the entertainment business and over the next few years we will see the cinema experience redefined yet again.
NATO Responds to the Pandemic
Thousands of people from around the world who work in the motion picture industry were supposed to be at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas this week for CinemaCon 2020. Instead we are all, for the most part, dealing with the COVID-19 crisis by staying home, washing our hands frequently and practicing social distancing. With the vast majority of the world’s movie theatres closed until further notice and movie production at a standstill, many people are out of work and worrying about when, or if, they will get paid again. With that in mind, I reached out via email to Patrick Corcoran, the National Association of Theatre Owners vice president & chief communications officer, to see how NATO and its members are responding to the crisi
Movie Theft, “An Ongoing Fight”
In less than two weeks the major movie studios and theatre owners will gather at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas for the annual CinemaCon conference, hosted by the National Association of Theatre Owners. Despite the implementation of new laws, new anti-piracy technology, and I heightened industry awareness, the Motion Picture Association of America estimates it loses billions of dollars each year to movie theft, although some people believe the number is in the millions. In any case, theft is theft, and as movie budgets tighten and theatre owners face increased competition, every dollar counts. Via email I recently interviewed Patrick Corcoran, vice president and chief communications officer for the National Association of Theatre Owners about the state of the piracy battle and for a preview of the trade show.
