Barco, China Film Co. (CFG), Appotronics and CITICPE have announced that the joint venture the companies entered into last year will be branded Cinionic. The name is a combination of cinema and ionic, defined as the “coming together of forces to create energy in the cinema industry.”
The new brand comes with a matching tagline: EXPERIENCES. DELIVERED. Carl Rijsbrack, chief marketing officer at Cinionic, commented: “Our tagline is our commitment to customers — that they can count on Cinionic to deliver the ultimate cinema experience. It’s simple, direct, and reflects our commitment to deliver compelling audience experiences.”
The new company will focus on a combination of innovative cinema solutions, flexible financing and a comprehensive service model that enables exhibitors to focus on engagement with their moviegoers while simplifying their technology and operations.
Having largely completed the transition to digital cinema over the past decade, the global cinema industry is facing two primary catalysts that are propelling its next stage of growth.
First, exhibitors are increasingly focused on differentiating the moviegoers’ experience, which is driving demand for premium formats and new technologies.
Second, as the first generation of digital projectors begins to age and as Virtual Print Fees (VPF) agreements begin to expire, exhibitors are demanding tailored solutions that allow for flexibility in maintaining, upgrading and deploying their visualisation infrastructure while ensuring asset optimisation and lowering total cost of ownership.
The venture utilises:
- Barco’s visualisation and image processing technology for the cinema market
- Appotronics laser technology and light source retrofit modules
- CFG’s premium cinema solutions and content
- CITICPE’s financial consulting services and innovative business models to facilitate the exhibitor’s decision to upgrade to new technologies, including flexible financing options, uptime insurance and operational partnerships.
Wim Buyens, CEO Cinionic, added: “In a post VPF world, it’s no longer enough to provide superb engineering and market leading products. Our customers are asking for more complete financial and service solutions. That’s what Cinionic, with the strength of all three JV partners, will deliver.”
The result is a new breed of entertainment company: Cinionic. Buyens continues: “We are listening to exhibitors and taking action. We will deliver everything needed to ensure operational peace of mind while elevating the audience experience, from the latest visualisation solutions to a comprehensive service care offering and affordable financing.”
Barco will be the exclusive OEM partner for all projection and image processing technologies in the joint venture. ALPD will provide industry-leading laser technology and retrofit solutions while CGS contributes high-quality solutions for Premium Large Format (PLF) screens.
