The last day was all bout reflection on the learnings and thinking about what actions the exhibitors were planning to take back. Metka Daris started summarizing:
- Cinema has an important place in our society
- Everybody is doing a lot, but there is already a lot of knowledge, so it’s important to use Europa Cinemas’ network so we can help each other and collaborate
- Don’t attempt to do everything yourself, there are a lot of professionals who already know a lot, so get their help
- There’s a lot of practical support and money available to pay experts to help you with things regarding sustainability for instance
- Audience first: put yourself in their shoes and try to see what they see when they step inside your cinema
- In this chaotic world we’re living in, cinema is going to be more important than ever. Arts and culture are the essence of civilization and humanity
- Last but not least: enjoy and have fun! We have the best jobs in the world.
Mattias adds that this might be a good moment to stop what you’ve always been doing, and do it differently by reflecting on it. Look at what other cinemas are doing and share your network.
After this the groups went outside to discuss their key learnings and come back to share their return strategy. Here some of the most interesting ones mentioned:
- Collaborate with our local cinemas and professional associations
- Team meeting to share with the colleagues the main learnings
- Make a list of things to set up to be more sustainable
- Funnier marketing strategies, like videos to introduce the people working in the cinema
- Connect with university associations to organize events for and with students
- Start some green initiatives and involve the audience more in our activities
- Know your audience better through social media
- Make an evaluation on our current work and how to improve our processes and operations
- Create an initiative with events hosting young filmmakers
- Think of initiatives adressed to seniors and young audience
- Make some digital decluttering, calculate our carbon footprint
- Launch the suspended ticket to support audience with limited means
- Collaborate more with sales agents directly and better understand their work
- Inspiring initiatives with a potential in the Network: ticketing and programming software (like in Estonia); shared database for film subtitles (proposed by Pavel Panfil in yesterday’s workshop)