Taking place from September 23–25 in Spokane, Washington, the Rocky Mountain Theatre Convention is the premiere regional conference for the cinema exhibition community in the Western United States. That community is a diverse one, encompassing everything from independent cinemas to major circuits and ranging from the Southwestern states all the way up to Alaska and Western Canada. In advance of this year’s show, Boxoffice Pro spoke to Diane Eve, regional director of Rocky Mountain NATO and director of the conference, about the informative programming, networking opportunities, and offsites that attendees can expect from this year’s show. For more information, and to register, visit rmnato.com.
Could you give us a bit of history on Rocky Mountain NATO—both the trade group and your annual convention?
I’ve been with the association since 2013, but from what I understand, the roots of our association trace back to at least the 1970s. It began as a series of annual trade association gatherings and membership meetings, each organized independently at the state level.
By the early 1990s, those gatherings evolved beyond business meetings to include trade shows, studio screenings, and educational sessions. At that time, state associations like Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and others would take turns hosting the convention in resort destinations.
Then, beginning around 2001, the event was rebranded as the Great States Convention and became a biennial gathering, co-hosted with the association representing Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. That format lasted several years before the event returned solely to its Rocky Mountain roots and resumed under the name Rocky Mountain Theatre Convention.
Toward the end of the 2000s, an organizational shift took place as several single-state associations merged to form a unified six-state region—what we now know as the Rocky Mountain region, representing Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
But you have exhibitors from outside those six states who come to the show, correct?
Absolutely. Our show is really the only regional show out West. We definitely pull in from our six-state region, but we often have attendees from Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Western Canada, and Arizona. It encompasses the entire West, which is really nice.
Outside of the geographic angle, what sorts of exhibitors typically attend the show?
While we absolutely welcome our attendees from AMC, Cinemark, Regal, and some of the other larger exhibitors, we’re primarily focused on our independent exhibitors. That’s really what makes our show unique. I believe.
Generally, it’s the decision-makers who attend the convention. So maybe a husband-and-wife couple who are attending because they own a theater. That being said, we do see general managers from some of our larger exhibitors. They really help to diversify the experience of cinema exhibition, because they bring with them their experiences, which often include some new tips and tricks that maybe someone operating at a different-sized theater hadn’t thought of.
What’s some of the programming that you’re looking forward to presenting this year?
First, we’re looking forward to a couple of our key topics. One is “How to Future-Proof your Cinema: Leveraging Technology for Operational Efficiency.” That seminar is led by Shane Burkett of Agile Ticketing Solutions, one of our marquee sponsors. We also have a panel discussion led by Jeff Kaplan from Sharp called “Charting the Best Upgrade Path for Your Cinema,” which I really feel is going to be an important topic for a lot of our independents. There’s always something that needs to be upgraded, so how do you go about doing that? There are always so many things to choose from when you’re considering your expenditures each year.
Something that I’m super excited about this year is a workshop called “Uncharted Path: How to Lead Well When Everything Keeps Changing,” which is being led by Lori Mage and Darren Salquist. They are not from our industry, which I think makes it even more exciting. They are going to share with us a practical playbook for grounded, courageous leadership in uncertain times. You can expect inspiration, practical tools, and real conversations. I really feel that this is an important workshop for anyone attending our convention, whether you’re in studio relations or you’re a vendor partner or a cinema operator—it’s for everyone. I hope that everyone will be present for that workshop.
What’s your trade show typically like?
It ranges from about 50 to 60 different vendors. This year, we have space for about 55 vendors, and we’re super excited. The vendors who attend our trade show are acutely aware of the types of cinema operators they’re going to meet. This is a great opportunity for them to meet cinema operators that they might not otherwise see. It’s a one-stop shop. They get to see cinema operators from a huge region.
And they get to spend more time with them than they might at a more hectic show. That’s something that I’ve heard about this show, that it’s great for connecting with people. You’re not always rushing to get somewhere.
Absolutely. We don’t stack different workshops and things on top of each other, so you’re able to attend all of the events if you choose. But, of course, if you want to take time out and have a meeting, you’re welcome to do that as well. We have a very full schedule, and we don’t want you to miss anything, but you can pick and choose a little bit, so that you can have some meaningful conversations with vendors, exhibitors, and studio relations reps.
The main events take place at the Historic Davenport Hotel, but there are some offsites as well. Where will you be going for your screenings and studio presentations?
We are excited to welcome our partners from the AMC River Park Square 20, who are located just a short walk from the Historic Davenport Hotel. And then also Village Centre Cinemas at Wandermere. Both are members of Rocky Mountain NATO. We’re excited to go to both locations. We will be screening presentations in the Dolby Atmos auditorium at Village Centre Cinemas and the Dolby Cinema auditorium at AMC. We’re so, so grateful that they have offered up those auditoriums for our use.
What’s the cinema scene like in Spokane?
Within a 50-mile radius of downtown Spokane, there are 10 cinemas, and five of them are operated by national circuits. We have a B&B Theatres location out in Airway Heights, which is just a 10-minute drive from downtown Spokane. Regal operates three locations. AMC has one location, and then we also have five independent theater operators here in the Spokane area. We have the historic Garland Theater just outside of downtown. We have the Magic Lantern Theatre, an art house cinema located downtown. We have The Newport Roxy Theater in Newport, Washington, which is just 49 miles outside of town. And also the Hayden Cinema in Hayden, Idaho, which is just north of Coeur d’Alene, about 35 miles from downtown Spokane.
Do you have a mix of repeat attendees and newcomers to the show each year?
Absolutely. We move around within the Rocky Mountain region and Spokane. It’s a little bit different every year, which makes it nice, because you get to see new folks as well as people that you’ve seen for the last 10 or 15 years. A few new faces, many familiar faces. As far as vendors in the industry, our marquee sponsor, Snapco—Chris McMillan has been coming to our show for years. And Corey Tocchini, also a marquee sponsor, with Mobile Moviegoing—he’s been coming to our convention for years. And Beth Figge from Dolby, she’s been coming to our convention for years. It’s just awesome that our vendors support us year after year after year. One of our marquee sponsors has said that the reason they continue to come to our show year after year after year is because they’re not weeding through a lot of people who are not the decision-makers: They get to meet the decision-makers.
I will say, as far as vendor participation goes, we invite the vendors to participate in every single event that we have. We want them to be there, so they have the opportunity to discuss what’s going on in the industry. Oftentimes conversations come up organically in these seminars and presentations, and we want our vendor partners to be there, so they understand the unique challenges that cinema operators face every day. Most vendors aren’t there just for the trade show. They’re there for the entire time, so when you think of a question, the next day you can walk up to a vendor and just ask. There’s great synergy amongst the cinema operators, the vendors, and the studio reps. It’s a really nice two and a half days that we share together.
And on September 22, the day before the show officially starts, Rocky Mountain NATO is hosting a golf event, correct? What can you tell us about that?
Normally we have the golf event on the first day of our show, but gosh—the golfers get to go to the Coeur d’Alene Golf Resort, where they have the iconic floating green. Why rush it? Why not enjoy the day in beautiful Coeur d’Alene? We’ve moved that event to Monday, September 22, and it’s open only to registered attendees of the show. If you would like to attend, you can register while you’re registering for the convention.
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