Customer loyalty programs have become an essential tool for exhibitors over the years. At Art House Convergence (AHC), a coalition of independent exhibitors across North America, their own unique loyalty program has recently been relaunched. 

Formerly a project of the Michigan Theater Foundation from 2008-2021, AHC paused its operations in 2021 due to the pandemic, including stewardship of the Visiting Members Program (VMP). As of 2025, the organization is now an independent non-profit, relaunching with a new look, new guidelines, and an updated roster of participating cinemas. From here on, cinema participation will be reverified every year and the roster will be kept updated.

The VMP allows loyalty members at one participating theatre to also enjoy the program benefits provided when visiting another participating theatre. This program is designed to highlight independent exhibitors as destinations for moviegoers outside their home communities and to build sustained reciprocity between the art house industry as a whole and their patrons. The curation of such “cinema club” members give exhibitors the opportunity to prompt customer engagement and encourage repeat business. 

Here’s how it works: an individual member in good standing of any participating theater (the member’s ‘home exhibitor’) can be considered a ‘visiting member’ if they attend a regularly scheduled film at any participating VMP theater (the ‘host exhibitor’). The host exhibitor extends their basic minimum member benefits to the visiting member  regardless of the member level or benefits the member holds at their home exhibitor.

Most exhibitor chains enjoy the benefit of having dozens, if not hundreds, of locations nationwide. The VMP gives independent cinemas the opportunity to band together and compete with the big boys of exhibition by granting members-only benefits to customers, providing even greater value and flexibility for movie-lovers everywhere. AHC’s approach to the VMP has also ensured that partnering with local or nearby competitors doesn’t result in cannibalisation. The program is intended for independent theaters that are a minimum of 25 miles apart from each other.

Getting the Word Out
To aid in the promotion of the VMP, AHC will provide materials to participating locations, including window stickers, posters, social assets, suggested copy and more.

“The Visiting Members Program is a reciprocal membership program, much like the kind you see at museums,” says Kate Markham, Managing Director of Art House Convergence. “Participating cinemas can boost the value of their membership and their local members can receive the benefit of discounted member ticket pricing across the United States, from Gold Town Theater in Alaska to Coral Gables Cinema in Florida. Our National Audience Survey has shown that audiences value their local independent cinema and with this program, they can experience other’s favorite local spots just like a member.”

As marketing and operations costs go up, and moviegoer habits evolve and diversify, it has become increasingly important to cultivate a community of loyal customers. The VMP is an effective opportunity to provide added value for a movie theatre’s most loyal patrons. Collective efforts such as these can turn casual moviegoers into frequent moviegoers, and frequent moviegoers into even more frequent moviegoers. 

AHC provides a number of programming opportunities and resources for art house exhibitors across North America. Independent theaters, film societies and microcinemas come together to bring films of all kinds to communities all over. The AHC is a place to connect, champion, promote and advocate for the art house industry and for film as a cultural good.