Celebration Cinema embraces Cinergy

Photo credit: Celebration Cinema

In business for almost 80 years, Celebration Cinema, a Studio C company, has been a part of major advancements in the cinema industry. Celebration Cinema was one of the original adopters of digital cinema when the technology was rolled out in 2007 and has seen the transition from 35mm film to digital, and now from laser to RGB pure laser.  

When it comes to theatre operations management, the theatre chain remains at the forefront, relying on Christie Professional Services and its Network Operations Centers (NOC) for advanced monitoring capabilities using Cinergy, a cloud-based theatre management platform that seamlessly integrates with cinema equipment. 

With 11 locations in West and Mid Michigan to manage, this powerful combination provides Celebration Cinema with features including remote monitoring capabilities, real-time system health monitoring, and proactive issue management. Professional Services also provides the cinema chain with preventative maintenance and emergency field support.  

“One of the advantages of Cinergy remote monitoring is the key [delivery] function. We’ve been able to resolve some issues and saved a couple of shows where a key had expired or the wrong feature file was scheduled to play,” says Kevin Wolters, a member of the Celebration Cinema team. “Recently, we had a key-issue issue with a trailer. We received an alert that let us know we were missing the key and we were able to quickly rectify the situation.” 

Cinergy has the most accurate and trusted device list (TDL) on the market. It polls data hourly to eliminate missing key delivery messages (KDMs) that can result in delayed or missed shows.  

Wolters adds, “You get 10 minutes past showtime, and we’ve missed the fact that we don't have a key. It just gives us that second layer of protection.” 

Along with Cinergy’s key delivery feature, Wolters highlights the secure remote access feature, which allows Celebration Cinema to access the chain’s equipment from anywhere at any time. “When we’re at the office, we can access everything. But having that external access allows us to respond quickly if, for instance, we get a call on a Friday night that something’s going on. We can remote in [to our equipment] and see if it's something that can be fixed to save a show.”  

For issues that require extra attention, Cinergy provides efficient and effective remote troubleshooting, allowing NOC technicians to swiftly resolve system issues, often without requiring a technician onsite.  

Celebration Cinema uses a range of Cinergy features to save time on tasks including lamp management, which pulls a lamp report with a click of a button, content monitoring, for show schedules, KDM information, playlists, and asset tracking, which keeps track of digital and non-digital equipment all in one place.  

“We have a lot more access and control [with Cinergy],” says Wolters. “Cinergy has allowed us to better keep track of which equipment is in each house as we have varied equipment between locations. Previously, we had to create a laborious Excel spreadsheet, which was cumbersome, and it was hard to find the information we needed. With Cinergy, with the click of a button, we can pull reports and find that information readily.”  

“Celebration Cinema has put their trust in Christie solutions for over 15 years, and we’re thrilled that our Network Operations Centers, with Cinergy, are helping them manage their theatre operations,” says Tracy Anderson, director of account management, Christie. “Cinergy is a powerful tool to manage assets and operations, allowing exhibitors to focus on what matters most – delivering the best audience experience.” 

“We have a great relationship with Christie - Cinergy is a big part of what keeps us rolling,” says Wolters.