Empire Theatres Kingston Introduces Reserved Seating to Moviegoers

HALIFAX, NS, April 30, 2013 /CNW/ - Securing your favourite seat at the movies in Kingston, Ontario just got easier. Empire Theatres announced today that its Kingston location will begin offering reserved seating in all its auditoriums on May 1, 2013, just in time for Iron Man 3 and the summer blockbuster season. Reserved seating will be offered for all movies and showtimes, at no additional charge to guests.

Kingston will be the first mainstream theatre in Ontario to convert to an all-reserved seating system, and the second theatre in Empire Theatres' cross-Canada network. Empire's Saint John, NB theatre converted to reserved seating in June 2012, and the change has received rave reviews from moviegoers.

"Reserved seating is the next step in our commitment to provide an exceptional out-of-home experience for our guests," says Dean Leland, Empire Theatres' Vice President, Studio Relations & Media. "It makes the moviegoing experience easier and more relaxed. It guarantees our guests they'll get the best available seats in the house, without waiting in any additional lines to guarantee their seats. This is especially important to our guests during our key blockbuster season."

Reserved seating in movie theatres is standard in other parts of the world, particularly in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Empire Theatres has been researching the system for several years, and anticipates that Canadian audiences are ready for the change. Feedback from Empire Theatres' Saint John location has been very positive: moviegoers have praised the experience as more enjoyable and relaxing, and find that reserved seating helps them to manage their time more effectively. Reservations also allow large groups to sit together, and prevent disappointment when a particular showtime is sold out.

Reserved seating in Kingston will be available for both advance and same-day tickets, and moviegoers will still be able to purchase their tickets online, on their mobile phones, and on-site at theatre box offices and refreshments counters. When purchasing, moviegoers will now be prompted to choose their preferred seats, and will then be able to match the seat numbers on their tickets to the corresponding seat numbers in the auditorium.

Empire Theatres Kingston is the newest theatre in Empire Theatres' network, and officially opened in December 2012. The 10-screen, 1,762-seat theatre features curved screens, Dolby Digital Surround Sound, stadium-style seating, and comfortable rocker-style seats. It also is home to Kingston's very first IMAX® theatre, which combines crystal-clear images, powerful digital sound, and customized theatre geometry to create a uniquely immersive movie experience. Iron Man 3 in IMAX® will be showing exclusively in Kingston at Empire Theatres beginning Thursday, May 2, 2013.

Tickets for Empire Theatres Kingston are available at www.empiretheatres.com or www.empiretheatres.mobi. For showtimes and more information, visit www.empiretheatres.com/kingston.

About Empire Theatres Limited:
Empire Theatres Limited is a Canada-wide film exhibition company providing an exciting out-of-home entertainment experience including traditional film exhibition as well as other content using its digital and satellite capabilities. Empire Theatres Limited is a 100% owned subsidiary of Empire Company Limited that owns and operates 50 theatres across Canada with 421 screens, including seven IMAX theatres and five Empire Extra locations. Empire Theatres Limited's corporate headquarters are located in New Glasgow, NS, with regional offices in Halifax, NS; Toronto, ON; and Calgary, AB. With approximately 2,500 employees, Empire Theatres provides excellent employment opportunities for the youth of Canada in an exciting and energetic industry.

SOURCE: EMPIRE THEATRES LIMITED

Heidi MacPhee, Coordinator, Communications
Empire Theatres Limited - Halifax
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