AMC Safe & Clean protocols resonating with U.S. moviegoers
AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC) announced that yesterday it welcomed its one-millionth moviegoing guest, who returned to enjoy the magic of the big screen at AMC Theatres all throughout the United States. AMC crossed the 1 million attendance mark in less than 3 weeks, despite a phased schedule of theatre reopenings with many theatres opening only this past Friday, and significant seating capacity restrictions in place at all open theatres of between 25% and 40% of the maximum capacity. The AMC attendance number jumps to more than 4,000,000 globally when including the AMC-owned cinemas in Europe and the Middle East, many of which resumed operations in June and July.
AMC also announced that in surveys of returning U.S. guests, its guest scores for theatre cleanliness hit all-time highs, considerably beating by a wide margin all previous theatre cleanliness scores, which have been tracked by AMC through surveys for decades. AMC attributed this marked rise in cleanliness to its new AMC Safe & Clean protocols. Social distancing, mandatory mask wearing, the easy availability of disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer, high tech solutions like electrostatic sprayers and numerous other new safety and cleanliness procedures were in full swing all across AMC’s array of U.S. theatres.
Approximately 70% of AMC’s U.S. theatre circuit was open for business during the recent Labor Day holiday weekend, with more theatres opening around the country during September. This week, for example, more than 30 AMC theatres in New Jersey, Maryland, and Orange County, California will reopen.
Adam Aron, AMC CEO and President, commented: “We are greatly encouraged that during the last few weeks as theatres have started to reopen, moviegoers have already returned to AMC more than 1,000,000 times. They are getting to see first-hand our extensive and comprehensive commitment to the health of our guests and associates through our new AMC Safe & Clean protocols. That’s 1,000,000 who have enjoyed a socially distanced big-screen experience, through automatic seat blocking and with a maximum capacity restriction of between 25% and 40% of total seats per auditorium. We are also heartened that our guest survey scores for AMC theatre cleanliness hit an all-time high in the decades and decades that we have been keeping such records. After a five-month closure in the United States, the movie theatre industry is finally now starting on its way back.”
For full title and showtime information, moviegoers should check their theatre’s webpage on amctheatres.com.
AMC Safe & Clean
Upon returning to the movies, AMC guests can expect to experience AMC’s comprehensive health and sanitation program: AMC Safe & Clean, which was developed under advisement of current & former faculty of Harvard University’s prestigious School of Public Health as well as the No. 1 U.S. cleaning brand, The Clorox Company.
AMC Safe & Clean components include significant reductions in the maximum tickets available for each showtime and seat blocking in reserved seating auditoriums to allow for appropriate social distancing between parties, enhanced cleaning procedures that include extra time between showtimes to allow for a full, thorough cleaning and nightly disinfecting utilizing electrostatic sprayers, use of high tech HEPA vacuums, upgraded air filtration efforts including the use of MERV 13 filters wherever possible, new guest and associate safety protocols that include mandatory mask wearing by all guests and associates, hand sanitizing stations throughout the theatre and the availability to guests of disinfectant wipes. The entire AMC Safe & Clean plan can be found at www.amctheatres.com/amc-safe-and-clean.
About AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.
AMC is the largest movie exhibition company in the United States, the largest in Europe and the largest throughout the world with approximately 1,000 theatres and 11,000 screens across the globe. AMC has propelled innovation in the exhibition industry by: deploying its Signature power-recliner seats; delivering enhanced food and beverage choices; generating greater guest engagement through its loyalty and subscription programs, web site and mobile apps; offering premium large format experiences and playing a wide variety of content including the latest Hollywood releases and independent programming. AMC operates among the most productive theatres in the United States’ top markets, having the #1 or #2 market share positions in 21 of the 25 largest metropolitan areas of the United States. AMC is also #1 or #2 in market share in 9 of the 15 countries it serves in North America, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.amctheatres.com.