Cathay's Classy Comeback
Cathay Cinema has made a comeback to the Malaysian movie entertainment industry as Cathay Cineplex after exiting the local scene some 20 years ago.
Singapore-based Cathay last Saturday, opened its youth-friendly, RM12 million flagship multiplex in Mutiara Damansara, featuring a brand new modern look, but which still evokes the nostalgic essence of its day's old.
With sophisticated digital and theatre sound systems, its 10 screens offer a total of 1,922 seats with the largest hall holding 328. The smallest, with 94 seats, will showcase art house movies.
Cathay Ogranisation Holdings Ltd's president of business operations, Suhaimi Rafdi, said in the saturated industry, it was differentiating itself, offering an entire movie-going experience with facilities and services catering to specific needs of the entire family.
"The opening of Cathay Cineplex Damansara is part of our expansion plan to strengthen our position in Malaysia," he said at a media tour of the cineplex last Friday.
Apart from the flagship multiplex, Cathay also operates four other cineplexes, which carry the Mega Pavilion brand name — two in Penang and one each in Johor Bahru and Kota Kinabalu.
Suhaimi said simultaneously, as of last Saturday, all the four Mega Pavilion cineplexes were rebranded as Cathay Cineplex. It is also expanding the Johor Bahru cineplex.
He added that it had invested RM6 million in the rebranding and expansion exercise.
Suhaimi said Cathay Cineplex Damansara was expected to draw in two million viewers this year with a single-digit growth in 2007.
Patrons can now book their tickets online, while a drive-thru counter will be introduced later. Its integrated computerised ticketing system allows patrons to call and book seats up to 21 days in advance.
Suhaimi said some of its screening halls had been "adopted" by corporations such as Nokia, Digi, Wrigley's as their branding tool.
Cathay Cineplex is sited within the RM112 million Cineleisure Damansara, Malaysia's first-of-its-kind entertainment and leisure centre, which is slated for a grand launch in August.
By Doreen Leong
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