--- title: "Tuesday Buzz: Movie Theaters as Meeting Venues?" id: "39857" type: "post" slug: "tuesday-buzz-movie-theaters-as-meeting-venues" published_at: "2017-09-26T21:51:48+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T20:25:45+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/09/26/tuesday-buzz-movie-theaters-as-meeting-venues/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2017/09/26/tuesday-buzz-movie-theaters-as-meeting-venues.md" excerpt: "Here's why your next meeting might be at the movies. Also: Is your website turning away millennials?" taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "event planning" - "Meetings" - "Mid-Level Professional" - "NextGen" - "venue options" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Tuesday Buzz: Movie Theaters as Meeting Venues? Movie theaters aren’t just for eating popcorn and watching the latest blockbuster. They may also be a great alternative spot to host a meeting. In an attempt to woo more moviegoers, theaters are much more luxe than they used to be. These days, your local theater may have stadium seating, reclining seats, and better food and drink selections. With these high-quality amenities, movie theaters are being advertised as a comfortable place to host an event. And plenty of associations and corporations are taking them up on it, reports *[The New York Times (opens in a new tab)](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/business/movie-theaters-conferences.html)*. Theater giants like AMC Cinemas and Regal Entertainment Group even have their own dedicated event staff. But a theater is inadequate as a space for annual meetings. Instead, think of it as an alternative host for smaller conferences, in part because the audiovisual technology is superior to what you might find at hotels and other venues. Some event professionals are tempted by the lower cost of theaters as compared to traditional meeting venues. “For meeting professionals, there is a balance between the meeting experience and the investment required to hold the meeting,” said Issa Jouaneh, senior vice president and general manager of American Express Meetings and Events, to the *Times*. ### Attracting Millennials > Is Your Website Appealing to Young Professionals? [https://t.co/bcowLZclFE (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/bcowLZclFE) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — MemberClicks (@MemberClicks) [September 26, 2017 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/MemberClicks/status/912704335074742273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Young professionals have different needs** than your older members, which is why it’s important that your website be tailored to them as well. “If you want to grab the attention of young professionals, start with the endgame—the why,” writes Callie Walker in a [recent MemberClicks blog post (opens in a new tab)](http://blog.memberclicks.com/is-your-website-appealing-to-young-professionals) . “Make it clear why they should care about your association, membership, and your industry as a whole.” Walker goes on to say that associations should create webpages exclusively for young professionals, where groups can list the benefits that appeal to that generation. She also makes the case for adding an entertaining element to your site. Try adding “videos (short form and long form), a photo gallery, a quiz (similar to those you see in *BuzzFeed*—just for fun!), etc.” ### Other Links of Note **You’ve finally gotten through the big meeting** that you’ve been planning for ages. Now what? The Whova blog shares a few ways to [assess and relax after an event (opens in a new tab)](https://whova.com/blog/things-eventprofs-do-relax-after-event-over/) . **Are you sabotaging your donor recruitment efforts?** *Future Fundraising Now* shares [10 common fundraising mistakes (opens in a new tab)](http://www.futurefundraisingnow.com/future-fundraising/2017/09/10-ways-you-may-be-chasing-away-new-donors.html) . **How should you use social media influencers?** *Adweek* spoke to a popular Instagram and YouTube star to [uncover what makes good influencers stand out (opens in a new tab)](http://www.adweek.com/digital/brendan-gahan-epic-signal-guest-post-best-social-media-influencers-5-things/) . (Image Source/DigitalVision/Getty Images Plus) [Raegan Johnson](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Tags: [#event planning](https://associationsnow.com/tag/event-planning/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) [#Mid-Level Professional](https://associationsnow.com/tag/mid-level-professional/) [#NextGen](https://associationsnow.com/tag/nextgen/) [#venue options](https://associationsnow.com/tag/venue-options/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoAllison Isch, PMP Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/allison-isch-pmp-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoTerin Bates, MBA, CAE, CX-PRO, Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/terin-bates-mba-cae-cx-pro-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [ArticleBack to Basics: Why Relationship Building Is the New Innovation for Future-Proofing Association MeetingsSeptember 15, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/09/15/back-to-basics-why-relationship-building-is-the-new-innovation-for-future-proofing-association-meetings/) - [PodcastThe Future Is Watching: Engaging the Next Generation of MembersJuly 23, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/07/23/the-future-is-watching-engaging-the-next-generation-of-members/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2017%2F09%2F26%2Ftuesday-buzz-movie-theaters-as-meeting-venues%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !