Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen shared her vision with the MENA Cinema Forum, with innovation and bespoke offerings laying at the heart of the strategy and approach.

4th November 2018, Dubai:   The CEO of Novo Cinemas, Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen, recently shared her vision at the MENA Cinema Forum of what the brand is doing – and will need to do – in order to maintain its position at the forefront of innovation within the industry.

As the award-winning chief executive officer of one of the most forward-thinking cinema brands in the region, she has pioneered a rich legacy of firsts that has seen the chain continue to rank at the forefront of the ever-growing entertainment sector. 

Addressing the industry’s most influential decision makers, she revealed that Novo has built its reputation founded on core values of personal, friendly and hospitable service with the people of Novo at the core. The on-ground team, those who have first point of contact with customers and those behind the scenes are promoting the business to the end user. 

While that will continue, she pledges that Novo will lead the charge into the modern era of diverse cinema in the Middle East with new technology, new gourmet culinary experiences as well as new levels of luxury never seen before in the MENA region. 

Answering the huge demand for more immersive experiences, Novo offers its customers the MX4D Motion EFX Theatre – the newest evolution in 4D cinema. Offering a unique environment to movie goers using special EFX generators, the technology allows you to “feel” the movie’s jolts and pokes, the wind and water, and, even the scents.

The brand also boasts Dolby Atmos sound, providing moving audio with sound that flows around and above to create a powerfully moving experience.  

Novo is even experimenting with virtual reality to appeal to our younger audiences and will bring the results of its research to Middle Eastern audiences in the very near future.

To safeguard brand loyalty from future generations, Mrs Stanford-Kristiansen has ensured that it caters to the most demanding cinema visitors – children. With a 7-star movie experience soon available across its range of Kidz Theatres with specially designed, brightly coloured seating, ball pits and slides in the theatre itself, children will be able to enjoy their favourites in a unique, safe and fun environment.

Specifically catering to its diverse customer base, Novo continue to offer choice for all. A dedicated ladies only evening complete with female only staff has huge appeal to the Emirati audience and allows the brand to remain relevant with its core demographic. 

French, German, Korean and even Russian speaking screenings have been on the agenda for some time, as well as new additions made to the culinary choices such as the newly launched Indian snack menus, making this a full culturally relevant product and in response to customer needs

For those with a more discerning outlook, Novo’s Majlis will offer even the most jaded audiences a new layer of bespoke luxury and choice. With every convenience considered – from unique seating design to a private entrance and private butler to a delicious four-course meal delivered to your seat – Novo Cinemas delivers a world-class experience, proving once again it is one step ahead of the industry.

One of the most important factors in innovation is the range of gourmet culinary options available at its various locations. There is a large demand for food outside of the cinema norms, and Novo has responded with its ever-changing range of popcorn flavours and new limited-edition menus; the UAE’s F&B scene is taking on a new role. Novo’s forward thinking approach is bound to prove popular with cinema goers and they are just the start of new cuisine being introduced to satisfy a diverse, yet food-savvy audience.

Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen, said: “Our constant innovation in order to improve our customer experiences has meant that Novo is synonymous with a holistic entertainment proposition for a range of customer demographics. We have proved time and time again that we are the leaders when it comes to providing what our guests want and we have always led the way when it comes to introducing new technology and new ways of wowing people. It’s the People Who Care and People With Passion that make our business the way it is. Maintaining these standards is at the core of our messaging. We are continually striving to ensure that when people think cinema, they think ‘Novo’.”