LEAWOOD, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AMC Theatres (NYSE AMC), the largest theatrical exhibitor in the United States, in Europe & the Middle East, and in the world, today announced that two of its flagship locations in Los Angeles, AMC Burbank 16 and AMC Century City 15, will reopen on Monday afternoon, March 15. AMC is planning to open all its remaining 23 movie theatres in Los Angeles County beginning on March 19.
Additionally, AMC is preparing to resume operations at nearly all its 56 California AMC locations on March 19, assuming the proper local approvals are in place. AMC will only reopen its theatres once approved to do so by state and local authorities.
Adam Aron, CEO and President of AMC, today issued the following statement:
“The reopening of movie theatres in Los Angeles County and throughout California is a momentous occasion for AMC Theatres, for our guests, for our associates, for our studio partners, and for the entire theatrical exhibition industry. To put the magnitude of Los Angeles reopening in perspective, as a movie market, the L.A. DMA is about double the size of the New York City market, which just finished last weekend as the No. 1 DMA in our circuit for box office.”
Aron continued, “As we have done at more than 525 locations around the country, AMC will reopen with the highest devotion to the health and safety of our guests and associates through our AMC Safe & Clean policies and protocols, which were developed in consultation with Clorox and with current and former faculty at the prestigious Harvard University School of Public Health. AMC Safe & Clean includes social distancing & automatic seat blocking in each auditorium, mandatory mask wearing, and upgraded air filtration with MERV-13 air filters, as well as many other important health, sanitization and cleanliness efforts.”
AMC SAFE & CLEAN
In re-opening our doors to moviegoers, the safety of our guests and associates is our highest priority. Having already opened more than 500 of our theatres elsewhere across the United States, AMC moviegoers have benefited from our having sought out third-party, nationally recognized experts in cleaning and public health & safety to advise us. A team led by Dr. Joseph Allen, a prominent member of the faculty of Harvard University’s prestigious School of Public Health, as well as our partnership with The Clorox Company, helped us to develop our comprehensive AMC Safe & Clean protocols. They feature social distancing & automatic seat blocking, mandatory mask wearing, the easy availability of disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer, along with high tech solutions like HEPA vacuums and enhanced air filtration through MERV-13 filters, as well as numerous other new safety, sanitization and cleanliness procedures.
The entire AMC Safe & Clean plan can be found at amctheatres.com/amc-safe-and-clean.
Seating policies
- AMC abides by all state and local regulations for seating capacity.
- When guests purchase their tickets online or at the theatre, surrounding seats are automatically blocked to help ensure social distancing within the auditorium.
Enhanced Cleaning Procedures
- Every auditorium is cleaned between each showtime with enhanced hard surface disinfection including doors, handrails, recliner buttons, and tray tables. There is extra time allocated between showtimes to allow a full, thorough cleaning of each auditorium.
- Auditorium fixtures and seating areas are disinfected nightly.
- Every night, we vacuum carpeted areas using vacuums with HEPA filters, which are proven to trap 99.97% of airborne particles.
- AMC has upgraded the air filtration, installing MERV-13 air filters
- All high-touch areas including door handles, stanchions, service counters, handrails, escalator rails, benches, and restroom fixtures are routinely sanitized and disinfected. Self-service Freestyle machines are sanitized routinely, and sanitation stations with sanitizing wipes and/or hand sanitizer are provided immediately nearby for guest use.
- Disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer are found throughout theatres for guest use as well.
- The products used for sanitation and disinfection at AMC are EPA approved for use against viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens including COVID-19.
Associate and Guest safety protocols
- All theatre associates are required to wear masks while in the theatre.
- FDA approved hand-sanitizing stations are placed throughout the theatre for associate and guest use. A hand-sanitizing station is available near areas where guests interact with AMC equipment including box-office, greeter, food & beverage area, and restrooms.
- All AMC guests are required to wear masks, except while eating and drinking. Those who are unwilling to wear a mask will not be admitted or allowed to stay. For guests who would like to purchase a mask upon arrival, they will be available for $1 at all locations.
Contactless Ticketing
- AMC strongly recommends that guests use AMC’s world-class online ticketing and mobile app for ticketless entry. Not only does this save time at the box office, but it minimizes the amount of interactions for a guest.
- For guests who would like to purchase their tickets at the theatre, AMC also offers Automated Box Offices, which are cleaned and sanitized regularly.
- For those unable to use AMC’s contactless ticketing, guests can purchase their tickets at the box office or the guest service station at all theatres.
Food and Beverage, including expanded Mobile Ordering
- AMC will follow all local guidelines regarding the sale/consumption of food and drink at the movie theatre.
- At locations where food can be sold, menu selections have been temporarily reduced at all AMC locations to ensure a more efficient service, minimizing the amount of time it takes to prepare and serve, and reducing wait times.
- To decrease time spent by guests at and around concession stands, AMC has greatly expanded the mobile food & beverage ordering capabilities through the AMC website and mobile app.
AMC recognizes that public health situations continue to evolve, and as such, AMC Safe & Clean will continue to evolve as needed as we move ahead.
About AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.
AMC is the largest movie exhibition company in the United States, the largest in Europe and the Middle East, and the largest throughout the world with approximately 1,000 theatres and 10,700 screens across the globe. AMC has propelled innovation in the exhibition industry by: deploying its Signature power-recliner seats; delivering enhanced food and beverage choices; generating greater guest engagement through its loyalty and subscription programs, web site and mobile apps; offering premium large format experiences and playing a wide variety of content including the latest Hollywood releases and independent programming.
Category: Company Release
