Why should live theatre get all the attention? I’m seeing a resurgence in creative cinema events.

The cult movie event has long been a staple of urban cinemas. Rocky Horror Picture Show for instance, in the proper environment, can sell plenty of Event Tickets in a time slot that most theaters aren’t selling any. You can poll any teenagers and uni students you come across to create a roster of underground favourites so you can play midnight movies that will pack the house.

Another phenomenon I’m noticing is the sing-a-long movie event. Popular classic musicals such as Grease, Mary Poppins, and The Wizard of Oz can be turned into fabulous events. Recently, I’ve seen some theatres make a go of playing “Once More, with Feeling,” the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode. Add a costume contest, sell a few Raffle Tickets, offer themed food, and you’ve got yourself a theatrical success.

Or how about a movie marathon? Tie it into a thematic or seasonal element, such as a twenty-four hour horror movie marathon in October, or an event where you play all six Star Wars movies in order. Again, lookalike contests and prizes really amp up the excitement factor, and think of the concession sales! Event Ticket sales go up when audiences feel like they’re really getting something extra.

Finally, the newest idea I’ve seen really capitalizes on the fractured nature of our modern society. Television, the oldest among us may recall, used to be a community event. Now, many of us watch at odd hours, downloading or streaming shows on the Internet. Turn TV back in a community event by broadcasting popular and anticipated shows (think, series finales or season premieres) on your 50 foot screen in high definition. (You probably can’t charge admission, but you can sell food and create lots of goodwill and positive publicity for the theatre. Again, make a party of it.

Don’t content yourself with empty seats on slow nights. Turn your theatre back into the centre of the city!