Multiplex movie theaters use Alpha signs and AlphaVision signs to display show times, show status, sell outs, special showings, special promotions, gift certificates, and advertisement of theater seating and features that accommodate the hearing and visually impaired. Inside the theater Alpha marquees direct patrons to the appropriate auditorium. This case study describes how Alpha signs improves ticket and concession sales, reduce the labor cost of changing signs, reduce the need for ushers, improve employee morale and customer satisfaction, and give a modern appearance to the theater.

General Cinema Corporation
Milwaukee, WI
Case Study document, including hardware-software connection flowchart - (PDF 1.9 MB)

Customer Need:

General Cinema Corporation built an 18-theatre multiplex covering 130,000 square feet. The company needed to post show times, show status (e.g. Sold Out) and special promotions at the box office. To reduce customer confusion, General Cinema planned to install directional signs throughout the facility. Because information posted on the signs changes regularly, the company wanted to tie all of the signs to its box office software system so that messages automatically update when changes occur.

Solution:

General Cinema installed 24 ALPHA™ LED marquees and Simply Theatre Signs software to interface with their Radiant Theatre Management Software. The following information is posted on various signs and automatically updated as needed:

• Box Office: Movie titles, ratings, show times, sellouts, special showings, auditoriums with Rear Window Captioning for the deaf or DVS for the blind, and gift certificate advertisements.
• Directional: Movie title, theatre number and time for movies showing down each of the main hallways.
• House: One-line signs posted over auditorium doors indicate the current status of that house: title and time, now seating and now showing.

Benefits:

1. Eliminates Labor Costs - According to Tim Pendleton, Senior Concessions Manager of the theater, "The signs and software have made a dramatic change. We used to spend hours laying down the plastic letters, sliding graphics panels, moving titles from theater to theater -- an hour and a half per week normally, with multiple changes requiring 6-10 hours. Now it takes no time at all - it's automatic. It's been a total labor savings."

2. Reduces Traffic Congestion - "With a building of this size, our guests need to know where things are located as quickly as possible.... Guests definitely notice the signs and look to them for information," says Pendleton. Audiences spend less time looking for the correct theatre and more time in the concession line.

3. Enhances Simplicity - The signs and software work themselves. "We don't have to worry about it," says Pendleton. "Our previous software was difficult to work with and canceling out a previous show was a problem. With Simply Theatre Signs, the comfort level is high and the learning curve is low. In short, the other software wasn't Adaptive™."

4. Decreases Audience Confusion - “The accuracy of our information has improved substantially. The proximity of signs to the box office means we can properly post information which reduces audience confusion,” says Pendleton.