Texting to be allowed in America's biggest movie theater chain as executives try to lure millennial audiences
- AMC Ent's new CEO Adam Aron said turning off phones is unrealistic
- A phone is like a body part for millennials, he said in an interview this week
- If cinemas wish to survive, they need that audience, therefore need texting
- He suggested there could be 'texting friendly' movie theaters
Texting could soon be permitted in movie theaters as executives grapple to attract millennial audiences.
AMC Entertainment's new CEO Adam Aron declared the policy is outdated because turning off a phone, for a teen, is like 'cutting off your left arm above the elbow'.
If cinemas want to survive, he said, the glow of 100 little screens is a worthwhile sacrifice to make.
Proposing how it would work, in a far-reaching interview with Variety, he said there could be 'texting friendly' theaters.
If cinemas want to survive, the glow of 100 little screens is a worthwhile sacrifice to make, AMC's CEO says
'When you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don't ruin the movie, they hear please cut off your left arm above the elbow,' Aron, who took the helm at AMC in January, told the magazine on Wednesday.
'You can't tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cellphone. That's not how they live their life.'
He added: 'At the same time, though, we're going to have to figure out a way to do it that doesn't disturb today's audiences.
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'There's a reason there are ads up there saying turn off your phone, because today's moviegoer doesn't want somebody sitting next to them texting or having their phone on.'
His words come just weeks after AMC Entertainment bought rival Carmike, making it the biggest retail movie theater in the country.
Aron, 61, headed Starwood Hotels as interim boss for 11 months from February to December 2015.
He is also the former CEO of the Philadelphia 76ers and has been chief executive of Vail Resorts Inc. and Norwegian Cruise Line Ltd.
AMC Entertainment's new CEO Adam Aron has vowed to make radical changes to lure in new audiences
Taking over, Aron said in a statement that he would aim to 'raise the bar' on the movie-going experience and bolster its AMC Stubs rewards program.
He said in an interview that he has successfully invested in loyalty programs throughout his career in the hospitality business, and he'd look to refresh AMC's presence on social media platforms.
And among his ambitious plans, he hopes to bring in upscale amenities such as plush reclining chairs, full bars and expanded food options to more markets.
'I'd like to reach out to people interested in motion pictures long before they come to our theaters and after they leave,' he said in an interview.
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