PRESS RELEASE
Blitz-CineStar has been named the 2019 recipient of the “International Exhibitor of the Year” Award at CineEurope. The award will be presented to Hrvoje Krstulovic, co-founder and member of the board, as part of the CineEurope Awards Ceremony hosted by The Coca-Cola Company on Thursday, June 20, at the Centre Convencions Internacional Barcelona (CCIB) in Barcelona, Spain.
Each year at CineEurope, the award is given to a cinema exhibitor whose accomplishments, new developments, growth, and market leadership make them a standard-bearer for the industry. “It gives us great pleasure to present the International Exhibitor of the Year award to the Blitz-CineStar cinema chain,” said Andrew Sunshine, president of the Film Expo Group, which manages CineEurope. “Blitz-CineStar has built a culture of innovation for cinema, changing the moviegoing experience in the Balkan region. It has proven to be a pioneer in the industry and we congratulate all on this well-deserved honor.”
Welcoming the announcement, UNIC CEO Laura Houlgatte-Abbott added:
“We are delighted to see Blitz-CineStar recognized at CineEurope this year. This award not only acknowledges their highly committed efforts towards enhancing the big-screen experience across the Balkans but is also a celebration of a vibrant cinema-going culture in the region. We would like to warmly congratulate the whole Blitz-CineStar team for their fantastic achievements.”
Honoree Krstulovic said: “We are delighted at the news, and it will be a greatest honor to receive this highest industry recognition on behalf of the entire Blitz-CineStar team, including my fellow members of the board, Jadranka Islamovic, CEO, and Heiner Kieft, co-founder.”
Blitz-CineStar opened its first multiplex, CineStar Zagreb, in 2003. CineStar Zagreb remains the largest multiplex in the former Yugoslavia with 13 screens and 2,940 seats. The CineStar chain currently has 23 multiplexes across the former Yugoslavia (including the forthcoming sites in Banja Luka and Belgrade), with a total of 145 screens and nearly 23,000 seats.
Blitz-CineStar is a major innovative force in the local exhibition market, continuously upgrading its services, not only in terms of implementing cutting-edge technologies, but also by introducing a series of branded consumer services which have made it into one of the region’s most recognizable brands. The CineStar brand has received seven Superbrands awards in Croatia, including a Superbrands Exclusive award, and several consumer awards including winning three Best Buy Awards, notably the Best Buy Award Millennials 2018.
Last year, Blitz-CineStar’s 15th anniversary was marked by a prestigious ICTA award in the category “New Build Cinema of the Year,” for its CineStar 4DX™ Mall of Split, the biggest cinema site in Croatia’s coastal region of Dalmatia.
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