ECA welcomes new Board members in further show of strength and hopes to set a precedent for Board-level gender equality.
Laura Correia, AVP Film & Event Cinema National Amusements.
The Event Cinema Association (ECA) is delighted to announce two new appointments to the Board of Directors; Katrin Mathe, International Event Cinema Manager for Kinepolis and Laura Correia, AVP Film & Event Cinema National Amusements.
Both additions, warmly welcomed by fellow Board members, firmly cement the renewed direction for the ECA. 2022 will mark the ten-year anniversary since the Association was established, with a particular drive by ECA Managing Director Grainne Peat to increase the organisation’s visibility since her appointment in November 2018.
The appointments of Katrin and Laura bring gender balance to the Board – something rare amongst similar industry bodies but also clearly solidifies the growth and strength of the organisation’s relationship with exhibition and its commitment to taking a more global role with respect to the event cinema sector.
After seven years of distribution activity at CGR Events, Katrin Mathe joined the Kinepolis cinema group in October 2019 as International Event cinema manager. Kinepolis Group currently operates 108 cinemas worldwide, with a total of 1,097 screens and Katrin is overseeing alternative content development, acquisitions and programming.
Commenting on her appointment, Katrin said:
“On behalf of Kinepolis, I am very honoured to join the ECA Board and provide input on the various work strands for the ECA.”
Laura Correia has been a part of the cinema exhibition industry for 25 years. Her various roles at National Amusements have focused on film and content programming for the US and international markets. A vital element of her tenure has been the relationships fostered with studios and event cinema distributors worldwide. For the past decade, she has managed and advanced National Amusements’ Event Cinema program, utilising her global expertise to create new opportunities for in-theatre programming. This year, her role expanded to include film buying and programming for National Amusements’ New York market.
Commenting on her appointment Laura said:
“National Amusements has always been a strong advocate for event cinema. The Event Cinema Association’s mission to grow and raise awareness for the sector is essential, especially at this crucial point in our industry’s history. I look forward to advancing this mission, and I am delighted to join this talented and diverse group.”
Grainne Peat, Managing Director of ECA said of the announcement:
“This truly feels like a historic moment for the ECA. Since being in the post I have truly admired both Laura and Katrin, both are exemplary leaders in their field and while they may feel honoured, it is in fact me who is honoured to have them on the Board of Directors.
When I started in the position, we amended our Articles of Association to enable us to recruit more Directors, but it was a process I didn’t want to rush. I wanted to ensure that I would be supported and represented by a high-calibre Board to help deliver our vision for the ECA. We still have two vacant positions on the Board that we will look to fill in the coming months.
Going forward into 2022, it definitely feels that the ECA is back on the upward trajectory we had achieved pre-pandemic. We have a full schedule planned and as always, there are lots of new areas we want to explore such as gaming, sporting events and anime. We need to start looking at the next generation of event cinema audiences and share this information across our global network. It certainly feels like we have turned a corner and have an exciting year ahead.”
Other recent appointments to the ECA Board have included Marc Allenby, CEO of Trafalgar Releasing, Sarah Lewthwaite, Chief Client Officer of Movio, Jan Runge, Independent Cinema Consultant and Amelia Prisacaru, International Sales Manager for Piece of Magic Entertainment, who sit alongside longstanding Board Directors Simon Tandy, Managing Director of Omnex, Johnny Carr, Group Event Cinema Manager for Vue International, Brad LaDouceur, Vice President Event Cinema Cineplex Entertainment and Janelle Mason, Founder and Co-Director of CinemaLive.
Download full press release below.