SM Supermalls asserts position in global entertainment
IMAX Corp. hosted the 11th Annual CEO Forum at the Ojai Valley Inn in California, USA, from April 4 to 7, 2024, welcoming global heads of the entertainment industry to discuss current trends and its future.
IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond provided welcoming remarks for the four-day conference, with guests including CEOs of AMC Theaters, Cineplex and Tokyu Recreation.
Panel discussion topics ranged from the changing tastes of moviegoers, new sources of blockbuster entertainment and the role of AI in cinema. Panelists included Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri, A24 co-founder David Fenkel, Legendary Entertainment CEO Josh Grode, and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy.
Providing Hollywood perspectives were Todd Phillips, the director of the upcoming “Joker: Folie A Deux,” and actor Glen Powell.
Representing the Philippines was SM Supermalls President Steven Tan, who was invited to participate in the forum titled “Malls, Hotels and Experiences: Where Does the Cinema of the Future Fit?”
Alongside Tan in the discussion were EVT Ltd. Managing Director and CEO Jane Hastings and P-Three co-founder Thomas Rose.
Tan shared the Philippine experience of SM Supermalls, providing a better understanding of entertainment in the Southeast Asian context. He noted that malls, experiences and the cinema were still very interconnected in this area.
After Covid-19, Tan observed a strong desire among Filipinos to return to shared experiences, and it is here that malls and cinemas play vital roles.
He spoke of special concert films and advanced screenings as pillars for fanbased events, which generated organic online traction, as well as film festivals and exclusive film screenings.
The inclusion of the Philippines in the discourse underscored its growing significance in the global entertainment landscape, affirming SM Supermalls’ goal of shaping the industry’s future.