As the cinema industry begins to find its footing after years of disruption, a cautious optimism could be felt in the air at CinemaCon earlier this year.
Among those balancing hope with pragmatism was James Sandberg, Vice President and CTO of Coming Attractions Theatres, which is currently celebrating a decade-long partnership with Tapos.
To mark this milestone, I sat down with James to discuss the state of the industry today, the shake-up of AI, and the role technology partners play in a cinema’s success.
Balancing hope with hard choices
“There was a reserved optimism at CinemaCon,” James reflected. “Studios are showing glimpses of getting back on track, but we’re still not at a place where we can say, ‘We’re fully back in business’.”
Thankfully, box office hits like Minecraft and Captain America: Brave New World provided a welcome boost for the industry.
“You could hear the industry exhale,” James said. “It gave us hope that we could go back to just running our theaters, taking care of our customers, and recapturing the magic without constantly worrying about bills.”
Yet even with these hits providing a welcome shot in the arm, the road to recovery is still bumpy. In response to this, many cinemas are diversifying to become complete entertainment centers, offsetting their cinema ticket sales with bowling and arcade games. But for others, content remains king, and its inconsistency can be a challenge.
Operational efficiency wins over flashiness
Another way to lure movie-goers off their sofas and into theaters is to provide an experience that’s impossible to replicate at home. Over the past years, we’ve seen lots of theaters investing in enriched audiovisual technology like laser projection and HDR. And, while these wow-factor enhancements can be effective, for James, it’s just as important to get the simple things right.
That’s why, instead of investing in flashy new experiences, Coming Attractions is focused on technology that helps improve the cinema’s day-to-day operations. AI, for instance, is more than just a hot topic; it has very practical uses.
“AI can help us identify holes in scheduling, staff, and movie programming so we can eliminate human error,” James said. “That’s the kind of real-world application we need.”
Creating moments that matter—every step of the way
After years of chasing the latest immersion trend, from FDX to IMAX, James sees cinema returning to the fundamentals.
“We’re coming full circle,” he explained. “It’s less about the shaking floors and giant screens, and more about offering an escape. People want to unplug from the chaos, and sometimes even the premium formats are a distraction. A good seat, a big screen, and no interruptions—that’s the future.”
A key part of getting this experience right is ensuring your cinema can live up to the promises made by movie marketing.
“A big hit can get people to your door,” James noted, “but technology ensures you deliver once they’re inside.”
From seamless ticketing to efficient concessions, operational systems need to work in harmony to ensure guests have a great experience end-to-end. So it’s crucial you have technology partners you can trust.
Coming Attractions x Tapos: Celebrating 10 years
For 10 years, Tapos and Coming Attractions have been learning and growing. It’s a relationship rooted in mutual trust. “Tapos has pushed us to grow in ways we wouldn’t have pursued alone,” James said. “They push us out of our comfort zone, which is exactly what we need.”
Over the years, the partnership has yielded a new website, a new card processor, and streamlined transactions with fewer backend issues. A standout achievement was connecting Tapos with Coming Attraction’s TMS, which has helped the theater reduce costs by powering down projection systems during idle periods.
Next up, we’re looking forward to implementing reserved seating and working together to improve the theater’s use of the Tapos CRM.
“It’s not just about pushing features,” James said. “It’s how they keep growing with us. Every time we’ve asked something of them, they’ve shown up. That mutual commitment is what’s going to drive the next decade of innovation.”
Technology must help theaters deliver on their promise
As the cinema industry navigates a post-pandemic reality, Coming Attractions demonstrates how focused, intentional progress can drive lasting success.
Rather than chasing every trend, it’s doubling down on the basics: Making sure payments are processed smoothly, online sales are seamless, and that guests can simply sit back and enjoy a movie.
Their 10-year partnership with Tapos shows how working closely with a technology partner can help theaters run more smoothly and grow. The mix of fresh ideas, trust, and sticking to what really matters will help shape how movies are experienced.
“We’re excited to get back to running theaters again and delivering the magic that movies are all about,” James concluded.
Looking for a cinema ticketing and PoS solution that can scale to match your ambitions? Get in touch to set up a demo.
