Once you log in with your GSCA member user name and password, the recordings will appear below each session description. If you do not have a member login or have any problems accessing the recordings, please contact Kelly Germain at kelly@giantscreencinema.com.

Keynote: Afdhel Aziz, "The Power of Purpose, How We Can Build Back Better"

Afdhel Aziz is one of the world’s leading evangelists and experts for the idea that business should be a force for good. After a 20-year career in marketing at Procter and Gamble, Nokia, Heineken, and Absolut Vodka, Afdhel Aziz is now currently the Founder and Chief Purpose Officer of Conspiracy of Love, a think-tank and idea incubator that helps advise Fortune 500 companies like Adidas, Facebook, Levis, Microsoft, Mondelez, and Mars on how to "do well by doing good." He has helped companies around the world define their purpose and design purpose-driven strategies to grow their business, make a positive impact, and re-energize their employees. Afdhel is the co-author Good is the New Cool: Market Like You Give a Damn, as well as a regular Forbes contributor.

Keynote: Bob Cooney, "Relaunch–How Companies Are Getting Back to Business"

Bob Cooney is a global keynote and virtual speaker, author, and mentor to entrepreneurs launching new companies and products into complex markets. A passionate serial entrepreneur, Bob has launched seven successful startups, including a NASDAQ-listed INC. 500 company. He speaks with more location-based entertainment executives than anyone out there, including museums, zoos, aquariums, theme parks, mainstream and indie theater chains, restaurants, and bars. His unparalleled access and decades of experience afford him unique insights into how the most successful operators are navigating these perilous post-COVID waters and staying connected with their customers to stay relevant.

The State of GSCA and the Giant Screen Industry

Presenters: Alan Nursall, Chair, GSCA Board of Directors and CEO of TELUS World of Science-Edmonton; and Paul Fraser, Blaze Cineworks

An opening session providing a state-of-GSCA discussion and results of an unprecedented survey of GSCA members and recently lapsed members, conducted by GSCA and Paul Fraser of Blaze Cineworks. This survey is the first time GSCA has done a comprehensive survey of all our Association's major segments, looking at not only day-to-day issues but also future plans and industry-wide concerns.

Audience Focus, Marketing & Data-Driven Action!

Session Organizer: Diane Carlson, Giant Screen Cinema Consulting
Moderator, Paul Wild, IMAX Victoria, Royal British Columbia Museum

• Revealing Consumer Insights From Visitors and Non-visitors To Drive Attendance
  Presenter: Caroline Borgudd, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Cosmonova
  From in-depth interviews, learn what drives current visitors to the giant screen experience and what the barriers are for non-visitors. Gain fresh and surprising insights about what the biggest competitors to out-of-home entertainment have in common with the GS experience. These insights will help you reengage with audiences and invite new target groups to find meaning from the giant screen experience and provide encouragement for anyone trying to make the GS experience more broadly relevant.

• How Data Analytics Contributes to Programming and Marketing Decision-Making
  Presenter: Chris Hurtubise, Marketing Consultant & COSI Team Member
  Now more than ever, it will be critical for marketing and theater managers to use data to not only make smart programming and marketing decisions but to also work with restricted resources, high expectations, and a whole different set of variables due to the “new normal.” Most recently, pre-COVID, Ms. Hurtubise was tasked with providing marketing analytics for executive staff at the Center of Science & Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio. In this session she will share how she used data in her 15+ years of working with COSI's giant screen theater.
  
  
• Community Development During Shutdown
  Presenter: Lea Silver, IMAX Victoria, Royal British Columbia Museum, Canada
  During their shutdown IMAX Victoria produced behind-the-scenes interviews with giant screen industry leaders, directed at the 20,000 IMAX® Victoria Annual Passholders. Learn how they used data to determine where creative resources would be allocated during the theatre closure, how the program performed, and how passholder membership attendance has performed since reopening. How can online engagement efforts be used to safeguard consumer loyalty, reinforce giant screen differentiation, and contribute to organizational sustainability?

Re-Opening Best Practices and Innovations

Session Organizers: Ryan Holota, Saskatchewan Science Centre; and Paul Fraser, Blaze Cineworks
Presenters: Darren DuRocher, TELUS World of Science-Edmonton; Jackie Mollet, Saint Louis Science Center; Berend Reijnhoudt, Omniversum

Representatives of three theaters will each present a case study on how they handled their reopening to the public, including highlighting the innovative ideas that will remain a part of their new normal. Each case study will address changes to operations, programming, and marketing. Presenters will share audience feedback and re-opening results to date. Find out how these theaters have adapted and are improving the guest journey from time of arrival to exiting the theater. For consistency and completeness, each theater presenter will follow the same format. Their goal will be to tell an informative but succinct story about their experience, with data points, helpful insights, and advice—each within their 10-minute time allotment. Audience Q&A will follow the presentations.

New Models for the New Normal

Session organizer: Phil Streather, Principal Large Format
Presenters: Michael Dalton-Smith, Digital Crossing Productions; Paul Fraser, Blaze Cineworks; Bobbi Hohmann, Fernbank Museum of Natural History; Mark Katz, Giant Screen Films/D3D Cinema; Antonietta Monteleone, Cosmic Picture; Aileen Robertson, Cosmic Picture; Matt Rotondo, Cosmic Picture

Fundraising of film production budgets and distribution marketing will become increasingly more challenging in the competitive, post-COVID environment. Investors require ROI, but well-aligned sponsors present a unique opportunity to drive box office and differentiate a film’s support package when in consideration from buyers. In this session, we’ll explore the new approaches for the new realities, not only for producers and distributors, but for theaters too. The session will be broken up into three sections:

• The role of equity investments and sponsorships
• Making sponsorships work for everyone in the value chain
• Are 20-minute versions the future of giant screen or a temporary solution? 8K and TV, what's the story?
  

Giant Screen Innovations: Why, How, and When to Use Drones for Aerials

Organized by the GSCA Innovations Committee
Presenters: Michael Daut, Michael Daut Productions;  Christian Fry, CVF Productions; Jeff Gaunt, Heliguy

Drone technology has expanded the tool set for shooting more affordable aerials; however, drones are not perfect for every shot, and they come with their own set of challenges and limitations. In this overview, drone specialist and technologist Jeff Gaunt, aka Heliguy, will take us through a primer of best practices when shooting with drones. We will also feature drone shots contributed by various giant screen producers and have a conversation about the pluses and minuses of shooting aerials with drones.

Energize Your Marketing Efforts—What You Can Do Now!

Session Organizers: Mary Jane Dodge, MacGillivray Freeman Films; Marlene Janetos, Audience Engagement Strategist
Presenters: John Affourtit, Attentive; Thom Benson, Tennessee Aquarium; Jason Gueits, iHeart Media; Gina Lee, California Science Center; Lauriane Mourdon, Old Port of Montreal; Michelle Personette,  Challenger Center; Sue Schenker,  iHeart Media; Melanie Simons, Ontario Science Centre; Debra Smul, Discovery Place

Market it and they will come, but with marketing budgets drastically reduced or even eliminated, how do you activate moviegoers and generate theatre attendance? This session will provide tips on new and inexpensive marketing tactics for launching films and energizing the theater. You’ll hear from successful theaters and outside experts about how to make your digital marketing plan more effective, including how to select the best social media channel for various target audiences, reorganize your YouTube channel, email marketing strategies, use mobile messaging to get immediate action, and how to get the most out of Google Analytics to lift search engine optimization and rankings. Remember: marketing is essential for a successful theater. It’s an investment, not an expense.