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<ul><li>The last 19 months have been difficult for the movie and events industry. However, with <keyword id="6584707" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cinema-halls" source="Orion">cinema halls</keyword> opening up across the country and live events also slowly starting, things are finally looking up.</li><li><keyword id="277892" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ashish-saksena" source="Orion">Ashish Saksena</keyword>, COO - Cinemas and <keyword id="5147613" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="anil-makhija" source="Orion">Anil Makhija</keyword>, COO – Live <keyword id="4578" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="entertainment" source="Orion">Entertainment</keyword> &amp; Venues, <keyword id="600792" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bookmyshow" source="Orion">BookMyShow</keyword> talk to us about the kind of revival they have been witnessing on the platform and tell us why they are hopeful for a healthy revival in 2022.</li></ul>The year has almost come to an end and what a year of ups and downs it has been. However, things are slowly moving towards normalcy and we couldn’t be more thankful. One thing that is making things feel normal or somewhat close to normal again is the opening up of cinema halls. There has been a lot of pent up demand with people just tired of being stuck at their homes so this has been a welcome change. More and more people want to get back to watching movies on the big screen and the numbers are showing. Recent big-ticket releases like Akshay Kumar-starrer <keyword id="7188379" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sooryavanshi" source="Orion">Sooryavanshi</keyword>, Rajnikanth’s Annaatthe, Marvel’s Eternals, Dulquer Salmaan’s <keyword id="268517" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kurup" source="Orion">Kurup</keyword> and most recently the latest Spiderman movie, <keyword id="10823072" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="spider-man-no-way-home" source="Orion">Spider-Man No Way Home</keyword> have led to a surge of people wanting to book tickets on online ticketing platforms. So we wanted to know what kind of revival online booking platforms like BookMyShow (BMS) are witnessing. And we got some answers from Ashish Saksena, COO - Cinemas, BMS and Anil Makhija, COO – Live Entertainment &amp; Venues, BMS and what both painted a picture of hope for cinemas, events as well as online platforms in 2022. Bringing people back to cinemas and events With cinemas across all states in India finally opening, there is a lot of optimism about this quarter kick-starting the recovery cycle for cinemas, audiences and the industry as a whole. BookMyShow witnessed a hockey stick growth in user engagement, traffic and transactions nearing pre-covid levels on the platform within just the first ten days of cinemas opening up. “Within the first 10 days of the movies releasing pan-India, daily consumer traffic surged to 76% of pre-Covid levels on an average while user engagement has been steadily rising the charts, already surpassing 66% of pre-covid levels on BookMyShow,” shared Saksena. Consumers from Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Ahmedabad have been quickest to return back to the movies contributing, 48% of the traffic recovery. To encourage people to come back to the big screen, BMS has been running a six-month-long campaign #CinemaIsBack that it has conceptualised and executed in-house team. “The campaign aims at targeting entertainment-lovers across age groups, geographic restrictions notwithstanding and social setups through various social media platforms, with the spotlight on the all-new out-of-home movie entertainment experience - different but not a shred less than earlier! It is a visual, socially engaging and meme-based series executed on digital and social media and will be amplified across BMS’s customer base and potential new audiences both on the platform’s mobile app and website through mailers, push notifications along with social media platforms as also digital media to engage audiences through relevant video, visual and timely content,” added Saksena. <div type="image" title="#CinemaIsBack_BookMyShow" msid="88342145" hostid="261"></div> BMS is also going to onboard brand advocates to highlight the safety measures being undertaken at the cinemas. It is also working with partners across industries including Amazon, ixigo and MyGlamm to curate special offers and discounts for its transactors through the festive season. Apart from movie tickets, BMS also sells tickets for other experiences and events too. So is the enthusiasm to those offerings encouraging too? “There is a definitive rise in demand across cities. However, the format of events (stand-up comedy, music concerts, festivals &amp; performances) will gravitate towards smaller-capacity ones (bars, restaurants, clubs) where Covid safety protocols can be implemented seamlessly. The pent-up demand for these events led to an average occupancy of 70% for an event with the 50% capacity guidelines, as permitted by the government. The capacity of these events typically ranges between 200-3000 attendees depending on the venue. We believe that audiences are elated to be back enjoying their favourite entertainment experiences thus providing some semblance of the pre-Covid live entertainment scenario. Currently, comedy, live music concerts and artist performances as well as regional theatre are amongst the most preferred and transacted events on BookMyShow,” explained Makhija. The response from smaller cities has been encouraging too and if the situation improves from where they stand today, both Makhija and Saksena are hopeful that the Tier II and III cities will contribute to the platform’s growth next year. Marketing during the pandemic While live events and cinemas were completely shut during the lockdown months, it was important for the platform to maintain its connect with its consumers. Apart from the #CinemaIsBack campaign, the strategy was also to keep talking to its audience. Speaking about its marketing strategy, Saksena said, “With an all-new integrated booking flow, keeping in mind the SOPs mandated by the government, and our #CinemaIsBack campaign across digital and social media, our focus has been on educating the consumers about the safety precautions undertaken by various partners across the industry while rekindling the memory and magic of the movie experience on the big screen with popcorns and beverages in tow. On social media, we have been engaging with our consumers through quirky, fun, nostalgic contextual posts and contests, providing an exhaustive collection of information, which in turn has been enabling consumers to make a well-informed decision even before they step out of their homes. As newer and newer content kicks in, we will expand our social media outreach, making it an all-encompassing programme with offers, contests and influencer marketing kicking in our brand ambassador initiative outlined earlier.” The way forward With cinemas opening in India and production houses announcing a line ups of big budget movies across languages and genres since the festive season this year, BMS anticipates the road to recovery to be smooth in 2022. “Over the next few months, we look forward to welcoming film enthusiasts and cinephiles #BackToTheatres for a safe entertainment experience through the festive season and beyond. Buoyed by the initial response to cinemas over the last month and given the staggering number of film titles set for release in December through Christmas and New Year, we believe we can expect strong growth from cinemas in the short-term itself. As far as live events go, globally countries like USA and UK have gone back to pre-covid levels and we are expecting a similar compelling return for live entertainment through 2022-23. The pace at which the country’s vaccination drive is progressing reposes confidence that the stage has been set for a long-impending revival of the entertainment business in India with all the standard safety protocols in place,” concluded Saksena.

Why BookMyShow is hopeful for a healthy revival in 2022

<ul><li>As theatres return to 100% occupancy today, MIB issues new guidelines. </li><li>As per the order, cinema halls will have distanced seats, staggered <keyword id="7987860" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="show-timings">show timings</keyword>, and bookings, mandatory social distancing, and encourage digital payments. </li></ul>The <keyword id="832830" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Information-Broadcasting">Ministry of Information &amp; Broadcasting</keyword> on January 31 released Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for cinema halls and theatres on preventive measures to contain the spread of Covid-19. Last week, the government allowed full occupancy in cinema halls and multiplexes starting from February 1. Now that the theatres are returning to normal operations, MIB has issued SOPs, which are as follows: <ul><li>Adequate physical distancing of at least 6 feet to be followed outside the auditoriums, common areas and waiting areas at all times. </li><li>Use of face covers/masks to be made mandatory at all times.</li><li>Availability of hand sanitizers, preferably in the touch-free mode, at entry and exit points as well as common areas within the premises. </li><li>Respiratory etiquettes to be strictly followed. This involves strict practice of covering one’s mouth and nose while coughing/sneezing with a tissue/handkerchief/flexed elbow and disposing off used tissues properly. </li><li>Self-monitoring of health by all and reporting any illness at the earliest to state and district helpline. vi. Spitting shall be strictly prohibited. </li><li>Installation &amp; use of <keyword id="8995298" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="aarogya-setu-app">Aarogya Setu App</keyword> shall be advised to all.</li></ul>Entry &amp; Exit points <ul><li>Thermal screening of visitors/staff is to be carried out at entry points. Only asymptomatic individuals shall be allowed to enter the premises.</li><li>Provisions for hand sanitization should be made available at all entry points and in work areas.</li><li>Designated queue markers shall be made available for entry and exit of the audience from the auditorium and the premises.</li><li>The Exit should be done in a staggered row-wise manner to avoid crowding.</li><li>Sufficient time interval between successive screenings on a single screen as well as on various screens in a multiplex shall be provided to ensure row-wise staggered entry and exit of the audience.</li></ul>Show timings <ul><li>Staggered show timings shall be followed for multiple screens to avoid crowding. </li><li>The show commencement time, intermission period and finish time of a show at any screen shall not overlap with the commencement time, intermission period or finish time of a show at any other screen in a multiplex.</li></ul>Booking and Payments <ul><li>Digital no-contact transactions should be the most preferred mode for issue/verification/payments for tickets, food, and beverages, etc. by using online bookings, use of e-wallets, QR code scanners, etc.</li><li>Contact number shall be taken at the time of booking of tickets to facilitate contact tracing.</li><li>The purchase of tickets at the box office shall be open throughout the day and advance booking shall be allowed to avoid crowding at the sale counters.</li><li>Sufficient number of counters at the box office shall be opened with adequate physical distancing norms, to prevent crowding during physical booking of tickets.</li><li>Floor markers shall be used for physical distancing during queue management at the box office.</li></ul>

As theatres return to 100% occupancy, here are the preventive measures they will need to implement to prevent the spread of Covid-19

<ul><li>MAI urges the government to open up <keyword id="6584707" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="cinema-halls">cinema halls</keyword>. </li><li>It said that there must be a start and the unlocking of cinemas in non-containment zones across India as it is the backbone of <keyword id="6541249" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Indian-Film-Industry">Indian Film Industry</keyword>, accounting nearly 60% of revenues of film business. </li></ul>Since June 01, the government entered into an unlocking phase. Airlines, offices, high streets, markets and shopping malls have opened up by now but there has been no respite for theatres. Even under the Central Government’s <keyword id="9359618" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="15" keywordseo="unlock-2-0">Unlock 2.0</keyword> plan, cinema halls continue to be included in prohibited activities list. <keyword id="9468240" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="the-multiplex-association-of-india">The Multiplex Association of India</keyword> has expressed dismal over the government decision to keep cinema halls and multiplexes shut. In a statement released for the media, <keyword id="5244245" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Multiplex-Association">Multiplex Association</keyword> of India said, “At a time when a significant part of the economy is being opened up, including domestic travel, offices, high street, markets, shopping complexes, etc., the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) feels dismayed that cinemas and multiplexes continue to remain in the list of prohibited activities under the Central Government’s Unlock 2.0 Guidelines. The Association finds it highly demotivating and disheartening when in fact, Cinemas and Multiplexes can become an example of how social distancing guidelines and crowd control can be best exercised in a safe and planned manner. As compared to the unorganised retail and shops that have been opened up, multiplexes and cinema are part of the organised sector, playing hosts to ‘revenue paying’ customers only and hence, in a better position to limit crowds unlike marketplaces and deploy all the mechanisms and guidelines for crowd control and social distancing.” “The multiplex industry in India employs more than 200,000 people directly. We are the backbone of the Indian Film Industry accounting nearly 60% of revenues of film business. The livelihoods of more than a million people – right from the spot boys to makeup artists, musicians, designers, technicians and engineers to cinema employees to directors and actors – hinges on the survival of Indian cinema. The lockdown has literally brought the entire industry to a standstill with losses mounting every passing day. An early decision to allow cinemas to open up will only help the mobilization of resources in the film industry’s ecosystem and would lead to gradual resurrection. In fact even after opening up, we anticipate at least 3-6 months before things return anywhere close to normal. On one hand where programming of new content will take some time to kick in; movie buffs on the other hand are expected to take a cautious approach before returning to cinemas. These are real challenges that the industry will have to overcome and we believe together, with the support of the government, we will be able to overcome them,” it further read. Globally, countries like France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Austria, Hong Kong, UAE, US, etc., and more recently, Belgium and Malaysia have opened cinemas. To which, MAI said, “Many countries have opened cinemas to the public with implementation of the highest degree of safety protocols and have seen a warm response by audiences. In effect, more than 20 major cinema markets around the world have started operating. MAI is of the firm belief that, there must be a start and the unlocking of cinemas in non-containment zones across India should be done post haste – there must be a beginning and an opportunity must be given to us, just like some of the other sectors.”

Multiplex Association of India expresses dismay after the government decides to keep cinema halls shut in Unlock 2.0

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Why BookMyShow is hopeful for a healthy revival in 2022

Samarpita Banerjee

As theatres return to 100% occupancy, here are the preventive measures they will need to implement to prevent the spread of Covid-19

BI India Partner

Multiplex Association of India expresses dismay after the government decides to keep cinema halls shut in Unlock 2.0

BI India Partner

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