Bob Bagby
Member Profile
How has Cinema United membership been impactful to you and/or your business?Cinema United was responsible for moving the industry from 35MM to digital and more recently getting many theatres SVOG funds that kept the industry alive. There have also been numerous legislative wins.
I was born into the business. My family lived above a drive-in in a one-bedroom apartment above the snack bar (family of five plus grandparents). I remember at age six I was picking up trash and passing out boxes of popcorn standing on a stool that dad made me.
I am so blessed to be able to work with daughters Bobbie and Brittanie and son Brock who share the title of Co-Presidents. We share an office suite and it is the joy of my life to see them every day and share a group text at night when the grosses are good. Bridget and I still love going to the movies most Monday nights after a long day in the office and have a date night! I enjoy seeing the guests come out a movie and standing around talking about the film they just watched.
Standing on the stage of the Colosseum at Ceasars Palace during CinemaCon addressing 5,000 exhibitors, distributors and vendors as Chairman of Cinema United was certainly an experience that I never dreamed of especially coming from a small western Kansas town of less than 2,000 people.
Member Gallery
The most recent experience was watching Wicked during the NATO Fall Summit with the tulip lined pathway, the stars of the film joining us, and seeing the amazing marketing plan that was shared with us. It was so much fun to watch the film with my daughters who kept saying that they couldn’t wait to bring their own kids.
I continue to be bullish on our future. We just need a year-round supply of blockbusters and medium sized movies and our guests will come. I was very happy with the movie previews shown at CinemaCon and especially excited to see MGM Amazon come to the show with such an impressive presentation. We all need to continue to work together on windows, marketing, and keeping our theatres in top condition…but if we work together this industry will thrive as there are still a lot of people who can’t just sit in their house every night…they need an escape and we are the most inexpensive out of home experience.
Do your research! This may be the only industry that you sometimes have to beg your supplier to give you their product to sell. Make sure you understand how the process works because once you jump in you may never leave as the “Magic of the Movies” gets in your blood.
