The first day of CinemaCon kicked off with three Educational Programming Tracks for attendees.
The Audiences and Innovation track featured three panel discussions:
Boxoffice’s Daniel Loria moderated “Reclaiming Cultural Moments, Locally and Globally: Winning in an Era of Attention Warfare” with Fathom Entertainment’s Shannah Miller, Cinemark’s Laura Najlis, Cineplexx’s Christof Papousek, and Disney’s David Sieden. The panel stressed that exhibition holds advantages that no digital platform can touch: the collective electricity of shared in-person reactions, the sense of community that forms when strangers experience a story together, and the ritual of going to the movies that still carries cultural weight.
Paul Dergarabedian and Mike Polydoros moderated “Understanding 2026 Audiences: Gen Z and Emerging Trends” with GKIDS’ Chance Huskey and YouTube Content Creator Jeremy Jahns. The session provided exhibitors with actionable insights into 2026 moviegoing trends and what Gen Z audiences seek in entertainment.
“Optimizing the Cinema Experience: A Showcase of World Class Cinema Designs” was moderated by Cinema Association Australasia’s Cameron Mitchell, who was joined by Omniplex’s Paul John Anderson, Galaxy Cinemas’ Ms. Mai Hoa, and HOYTS’ Damian Keogh. The panel allowed exhibitors to showcase examples of best practice from their foyers, auditoriums, F&B outlets and cinema concepts.
The Food & Beverage track kicked off with “Building the Next Generation of Food & Beverage Leaders” with EF&B Association’s Dan Herrle, which explored new and effective ways to develop management teams and strengthen frontline performance. Next was “Now Showing: The Latest in Food & Beverage Innovation” with Cinemark’s David Haywood, Santikos’ Rob Lehman, and Marcus’ Rob Novak. The F&B track concluded with “Reimagining the Lobby & Concession Experience” featuring J& Snack Foods’ Dan Fachner, Mars Snacking’s Michael Kelly, and The Coca-Cola Company’s Josh Nations.
The Technology track boasted an impressive slate of panels. “Beyond the Screen: Immersive Tech Transforming Theaters” kicked things off with ICTA’s Jan Runge moderating and Dolby’s Michael Archer, Regal’s Matt Basford, Barco’s Carlo Rijsbrack, and GDC’s Annie Wang guiding a discussion about how advancements in imaging and sound technologies are redefining presentation quality and helping theaters stand out in a competitive market. “Practical AI for Streamlined Theater Operations” was led by UNIC’s Laura Houlgatte Abott and featured LOOK Cinemas’ Brian Schultz, The Boxoffice Company’s Marine Suttle, and Vue’s Otto Turton. The technology track ended with “Leveraging Technology to Engage with Audiences” moderated by The Boxoffice Company’s Stan Ruszkowski, Rokt’s Callum Donnelly, B&B’s Paul Farnsworth, Letterboxd’s Matt Kolowski, Google’s Eric Moro, and TikTok’s Dawn Yang.
The CinemaCon Film Showcase brought Angel, Sony Pictures Classics and STUDIOCANAL to the Dolby Colosseum stage. Angel touted a wide range of releases, but spent the most time on Young Washington, their historical epic opening on July 3. Sony Pictures Classics touted new films from Pedro Almodovar and David Wain, among others. STUDIOCANAL brought in Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle to talk about Ink, his new film about Rupert Murdoch.
To kick off the evening, Cineplex CEO Ellis Jacob received the Legend of Cinema award following heartfelt introductions from Michael O’Leary and Tom Rothman. O’Leary spoke about how supportive Ellis has been, and how he often to calls to check in without any requests or motives.
Finally, Sony closed out the evening with an excellent presentation that touted such promising upcoming blockbusters as Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Resident Evil, and Jumanji: Open World.
