CINEMA LOBBIES NEED TO GO DIGITAL - TOO !

Not only their movie projection but cinemas need to digitize their lobbies as well - to better serve the digital-savvy patron.

For example, those moviegoers that have pre- purchased their tickets online should be greeted at the cinema entrance and ticket-verified via an iPad.  The lobby should be renamed, "the reception area" and for example, be revised to look like a WiFi coffee-shop (cafe).

Cinema Lobby Should Resemble Hotel.

Lobbies should be equipped with power outlets for charging laptops and other devices.  The reception area should be adjacent to the concession area (which should be enhanced to include special cafe type items) so patrons can snack while using the internet via free WiFi.  The goal is to give the patron a comfortable place to hangout so they don't have to visit Starbucks after the movie.  The idea is to bring new life to the cinema lobby, evolving from the stuffy, stark, and bright to the comfortable and living room like - evoking a positive and less formal atmosphere.

Going forward, the cinema's biggest competitor will be the living room, so you have to make the patron "feel at home" in a relaxed and tech savvy space.  People are more social today then ever before and cinemas need to be in that linked mix. It's not enough to offer traditional environments selling same old snacks. The cinema of the future needs to be more and investment in technology at all levels is rewarding because it boosts loyalty.  The once staid cinema lobby should become the substitute living room for patrons.