< PreviousOfficial Presenting Sponsor of CinemaCon 2023 CinemaCon and the Worldwide Motion Picture Theater Industry would like to express its gratitude and appreciation to:Light years ahead of its time From the smallest screen to premium large format theatres, DLP ® technology is the leader in digital cinema projection worldwide.CinemaCon Would Like To Thank the Following Sponsors for Their Support of this Year’s Convention ANGEL STUDIOS THE BOXOFFICE COMPANY CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT CINEPROPHET & BEFORETHEMOVIE CINIONIC CJ 4DPLEX THE COCA-COLA COMPANY COMSCORE DLP CINEMA DOLBY LABORATORIES DTS:X FANDANGO FATHOM EVENTS FOCUS FEATURES GDC TECHNOLOGY ICE THEATERS – CGR CINEMAS INFLUX WORLDWIDE LIONSGATE MOVIEFONE NCM – AMERICA’S MOVIE NETWORK OLSON VISUAL PAPERAIRPLANE MEDIA PARAMOUNT PICTURES REALD SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT UNIVERSAL PICTURES VISTA GROUP WALT DISNEY STUDIOS WARNER BROS. PICTURESTech solutions for the global film industry We bring more people together to experience the magic of movies and cinema by creating the platform that connects the industry and powers the moviegoer experience. vistagroup.co.nz Visit us in the Livorno Room this week. —Welcome delegates to CinemaCon 2023. We have a great, great show planned for you this year. But it’s a tad bittersweet for me, as this will be my last event as President of NATO before I retire from the gig on May 1. As I sit down to write my final CinemaCon program journal piece I simply want to do two things: thank some people for their amazing support, and give a hearty welcome to the new President-Elect, Michael O’Leary. What an exciting ride it has been. In the summer of 1992 I began representing motion picture theater operators as NATO’s outside counsel in Washington, D.C. I was fortunate to attend NATO Board meetings where I met so many passionate, committed and hard- working members. And it was the passion of the members that made it an easy choice to join NATO as its President & CEO in January 2000. The first and loudest thank-you shout-out goes to the members. The most important thing a trade association leader can do is hire and develop good staff (more on that in a minute), and recruit and inspire volunteer members. NATO now has the most active and numerous voluntary members in its history. Here are some numbers: • 2829 recipients of general NATO updates (all NATO member personnel) • 643 members of various committees and task forces • 23% individual committee participation • 304 Member Companies represented on Committees & Task Forces out of 849 Member companies • 36% Member Companies represented on Committees & Task Forces But one group deserves special recognition by name - those who have served as chairperson of the board for NATO. Without these talented and strategic member leaders, NATO would never have accomplished all we have accomplished. The list of the ten chairpersons who I served with includes: Barrie Lawson Loeks, Mike Campbell, Lee Roy Mitchell, Phil Harris, Tony Kerasotes, David Passman, John Loeks, Amy Miles, Ellis Jacob and Rolando Rodriguez, our Marquee Award winner this year. Thanks to you all, particularly Ellis and Rolando, who gave thousands of hours of their time helping to lead the industry through, and out of the pandemic. The second thing I am most proud of is the team we have developed at NATO, at CinemaCon, and now also at the Cinema Foundation. • Jackie Brenneman has risen to the #2 spot at NATO and the #1 spot at the Foundation through tireless efforts, strategic brilliance, and contagious enthusiasm. I have no doubt that Jackie will continue to be a successful leader, now partnered with Michael O’Leary in my spot. • Patrick Corcoran, my brother in arms for 25 years, has grown and executed the most influential communications strategy in the movie industry, and has also been the best person to tell me when I am wrong. • Mitch Neuhauser has led CinemaCon since its inception in 2011 and grown it into the JOHN FITHIAN President & CEO, NATO Thanks for all the Support! Welcome to the New President-Elect (Continued on next page)(John Fithian Continued) most important movie convention in the world. And his team of Matt Pollock, Matt Shapiro and Cynthia Schuler have contributed mightily to that success. • The most recent officer to join our ranks is the very talented Lou DiGioia, our CFO. Lou has brought financial vision and much greater efficiency to our organization. And just in time. Because we spent most of our money fighting for exhibition during the pandemic! • Todd Halstead has sharpened our strategic planning and has vastly strengthened NATO’s government relations efforts, both at the federal and state level, for years. And Alex Rich deserves significant credit there as well, as a very strong leader in our state government affairs efforts. • Phil Contrino, with the best movie knowledge on the team, has guided our creative community strategies and helped to develop the data and research necessary for all 3 of our organizations to succeed. • Erin Von Hoetzendorff has more than earned rapid promotions in our organization and now serves as Director of Membership. Adrián Barrón is the newest hire in the LA office and he is off to a great start. • Also in LA is the only full-time executive at the Cinema Foundation, Bryan Braunlich, who has successfully juggled all the various opportunities and challenges of a start up. • And I saved Cheryl Dickson for the last current staff member because I want you all to know that Cheryl has been much more to me than an executive assistant and an office manager. She has been, on many occasions, the only reasonable, calm adult in the organization who can keep me and many others from spinning out of control! • There have been many excellent staff over the past 30 years. But one key former colleague is with us at the convention this year - Kathy Conroy, our recently retired COO. Thank you Kathy for your integrity, your organizational brilliance, and your friendship. Since joining NATO as President-elect earlier this year, Michael O’Leary has already jumped in with both feet. I have known Michael since 2005 when we lobbied together for the movie industry - with Michael at the MPAA and me at NATO. Prior to that, Michael held senior positions on Capitol Hill and at the Justice Department, where he served as a prosecutor of intellectual property crimes. Michael now comes to NATO from the Entertainment Software Association - the video game trade body. (We talk together about how Michael is finally “back home” in the movie industry, where his true passion lies.) Michael has already met the members of NATO’s Executive Board as well as our staff team members. He looks forward to meeting with many of you during CinemaCon, including at a private NATO members meeting this week. We are grateful that Michael has agreed to come to NATO, and we welcome him on board!On behalf of the worldwide exhibition community, CinemaCon joins in thanking the following studios, our friends and partners for supporting this year’s convention with presentations throughout the week.ENERGIZE PROFITS! LEARN HOW, VISIT US IN THE POMPEIAN BALLROOMNext >