In a collaboration that makes us all roll our eyes in remembrance of COVID-19, AMC Theaters and Zoom join forces to give audiences the ability to video chat from the comfort of their local theater.
This is AMC’s latest attempt to expand its business outside of the box office as movie theaters struggle to maintain relevance and revenue in the age of streaming giants. Although the summer box office was killer with hits like Top Gun: Maverick andMinions: The Rise of Grudrawing large audiences to the theaters, AMC has been avoiding bankruptcy, embracing its status as a meme stock last year, and investing in a Nevada-based gold and silver mining company.
The company is attempting to stay relevant by any means possible, even if they are a few years late to the party.
Unfortunately, the partnership with Zoom will not allow audience members to Zoom friends and family to watch the latest movie in theaters.
AMC Theaters partner up with Zoom.Credit: AP
Instead, Variety reports that AMC’s partnership with Zoom will allow patrons to use the Zoom Rooms as a workspace as more and more companies turn toward hybrid work. AMC and Zoom hope to work with companies with decentralized workforces and customer bases to meet for virtual and in-person events and meetings.
At least 17 AMC venues across the United States will work with Zoom to facilitate conference calls between “small, medium, and large-sized groups in different locations” starting in 2023.
Users don’t need a movie ticket to gain access to these rooms. Instead, they will be able to book Zoom Rooms online at their preferred theater and meeting time. They will receive a three-hour block of time to virtually host their event at their selected locations. It’s unclear how much the space will cost for these events, but AMC and Zoom will provide the necessary equipment to maintain a fully functional Zoom Room experience.
The press release reveals that additional services including food and beverage offerings, possible movie viewings, and concierge-style personalized handling of meeting needs will be available at an additional cost.
CEO of AMC Adam Aron spoke about the new partnership via an official statement.
“One of the lessons learned during the pandemic when so many of us were forced to work remotely was the importance of a reliable, dynamic communications platform,” Aron said.
Aron continued:
“We also learned that even though we may be spread far apart, the ability to come together in person is as important as ever. That is why I’m so excited about this AMC partnership with Zoom. So many of us know how vital Zoom is in managing our enterprises. Now through this partnership of Zoom and AMC, we have the best of both worlds—the spectacular communications platform of Zoom combined with the comfort, size, scale and state-of-the-art sight and sound capabilities of AMC’s centrally located theaters. This creates an all-new product in major cities across the U.S. for companies and meeting planners.”
It seems that AMC is embracing the trend of hybrid work that is currently being led by WeWork. It’s a bizarre move, to say the least, but let us know what you think in the comments!
Source: Variety
