The country's largest theatre operator wants to increase its ticket sales by nearly 30 per cent this year and its key business strategy is to drive attendances by movie-goers up from one or two times a month to between two and four times, said Major Cineplex Group cinema business chief, Anavach Ongvasith.

He said the plan would be supported by many aggressive marketing activities and campaigns, including Major Cineplex's M-Cash cash-card package, attractive promotional campaigns and loyalty programmes, event marketing, and the group's new "standard price" campaign which is about

to introduce a ticket price of

Bt80 at certain cinemas at certain times.

Major Cineplex operates more than 300 theatre screens in 36 locations.

Anavach said the group had achieved 15 per cent growth in the first quarter of this year, driven mainly by the quality of its movies.

"Many good movies hit our theatre screens in the first quarter and will for the rest of the year. Our bowling business is doing a good job, and we have higher revenue from advertising," he said.

About 200 Thai and Hollywood "blockbusters" are expected to be shown at Major Cineplex's theatres this year, 5 per cent more than last year.

Among the big films that will hit the screens during the summer holidays are "Poseidon", "Superman", "X-Men III", "Mission Impossible III" and "Ice Age II".

Meanwhile, the Major Cineplex Group announced a joint marketing campaign yesterday with Payment Solution Co Ltd, an e-payment service provider and creator of the latest financial innovation, OK Cash Card.

Under the collaboration, new designs for the card - entitled "OK Cash Fifa World Cup Card" - have been launched to mark the World Cup and to attract football fans. Electronic readers have been provided so the cash cards can be used to complete any transactions at Major Cineplex theatres.

The new card is aimed at encouraging money-transfer functions and to introduce "PayPass" technology to the Thai market.

A feature of the launch is a first prize lucky draw offering two OK Cash Fifa World Cup Card users a package tour to Germany for the quarter-final World Cup match in Dortmund. Other prizes include portable DVD players and Adidas World Cup footballs.

Payment Solution general manager Thanin Angsuwarangsi said the company had developed OK Cash Card as a prepaid card

which allows customers to refill without opening an account at a commercial banks and to experience a new style of using money, instead of carrying banknotes and coins.

"With the Fifa World Cup being held every four years, we

have taken the opportunity for

new customer recruitment and have leveraged this event especially for Thai football lovers," Thanin said.

The company has developed five World Cup card designs representing different teams and the Golden Trophy.

Anavach said that by collaborating with Payment Solution, Major Cineplex hoped to provide greater convenience to OK Cash cardholders when buying movie tickets from VIP concession lanes at the group's theatres.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation