They move around pretty fast at ShowEast. Tuesday, after the screening of Picturehouse’s “Run Fat Boy, Run, directed by David Schwimmer, attendees barely had time to change before the start of Casino Night. Just what it sounds like and more.

Great food surrounded the room and bars were littered throughout. Your friends in Exhibitor Relations and Certified Reports, inc. DHL Express, Fandango, Screenvision, and Technicolor sponsored the evening.

There were craps tables, black Jack tables and Roulette Wheels everywhere. Each guest started with 50,000 in chips and there was a prize for the gambler who had amassed the most money. I don’t recall the prize but the winning amount was 1.5 million dollars. I hear he’s being investigated.

Many Guests walked away with prizes inc. gift certificates and a Larry the Cable Guy DVD.

Digital Dilemma

At Casino Night I had the pleasure of meeting a lot of theatre owners who are attending ShowEast. They are all having fun as they share a pretty common agenda amongst them: investigate, commiserate, and celebrate! Conveniently under one roof.

Investigate all the latest technologies, marketing strategies, and business opportunities that are available and apply to your business.

Commiserate with other like-minded, like-sized, and likable people about the “Digital Dilemma” which is different than most dilemmas. The Digital Dilemma has you netting out against your better judgment and pocketbook. Here’s how it shakes out: a 35 mm film projector costs less and lasts A LOT longer than a digital system. It is A LOT cheaper to maintain! It is basically simple to train people to operate! And it is currently installed! Should be an easy decision, right?

The digital system is a dream come true! Imagine a system that electronically delivers the film, funnels it into the appropriate theatre at the appropriate time, and attaches the coming attractions. The studio has reduced their cost to deliver the film by 25,000,000,000 percent. Well, from around $3,000 dollars down to $20. As many, if not, all theatre owners know, nothing can stop the big distribution companies now. The genie is out of the bottle and he is demanding digital.

Theatre owners make a great deal of money on concessions. So here is the “Digital Dilemma” -- “How is your new, inexpensive way to deliver the films, my new, more expensive, way of presenting the film, supposed to make me more money on concessions?”

I met a delightful theatre owner from Hendersonville at Casino Night and I asked why she was here. She said she wanted to: see what was out there, pick a few films. have a great time, and figure out what she was going to do about converting to digital. She continued to say that Digital 3D is “way” down the road, but digital “has” to be a “consideration now!” But for now she was going back to a blackjack table.

And celebrate! Celebrate a record summer at the box office. Celebrate some terrific new films coming out. (I’m not supposed to comment on any of the films seen.) And celebrate our industry! And the $250 gift certificate from Best Buy that Ms. Smith from Henderson, North Carolina won.