What drew HOYTS to D-BOX back when you were originally looking into D-BOX as a partner?
HOYTS has been market leaders in customer experience with our extra-comfortable powered recliners in the Australian and New Zealand market, so when we first saw the D-BOX recliners in the UK, we just loved the immersive experience.
Knowing we could incorporate the stellar experience of our signature recliners with the D-BOX experience left us feeling very confident. We didn’t have to sacrifice one experience over another. It was the perfect solution!
What convinced you to take the plunge with D-BOX?
We felt the experience fit well with our recliner strategy and provided an immersive experience without it feeling like a theme park ride, unlike other 4D concepts in market.
What's your favourite aspect of the D-BOX experience?
We love the fact that our guests can adjust the movement of the chair to suit their needs: full throttle to feel every twist and turn in the movie, or more subtle movement for those who want a more relaxed experience. D-BOX recliners are loved by all, from kids to grandparents, because of the ability to customise the experience!
Is it easy to market/upsell your clients to D-BOX seats?
Customers are always open to experiences that enhance their overall trip to the movie such as HOYTS LUX (our dine-in cinema), or our premium large format cinema, HOYTS Xtremescreen, and of course, HOYTS D-BOX.
What’s most pleasing about the D-BOX experience is that it is something that customers actively seek out – it’s not about the most convenience session time for their movie, it’s about the actual experience that is on offer. The slate of movies being released this year will help further drive the D-BOX experience locally as the titles are perfectly suited to the experience!
Have you ever had any customer feedback about their D-BOX experience? If so, what was it?
We have received nothing but positive feedback. Our customers tell us it adds to the overall experience of the movie and they love that they can control the intensity of the experience. It’s perfect for action blockbusters, edge-of-your-seat thrillers, horror movies, and family titles as well!
Why did you decide to add to the rollout with 10 new cinemas?
We decided to add to the rollout because the initial 5 locations have been a success even with COVID-19 providing enormous challenges in our industry locally. In addition to this, the overall concept, aligns with our brand positioning of Experience More—it further elevates our cinematic experiences offering and is unique to HOYTS.
What was the most exciting part of the recent opening in Perth Karrinyup?
We have created our flagship cinema experience in Perth as part of AMP Capital Shopping Centre’s $800m expansion of the Karrinyup Shopping Centre. The cinema is word class and sets a new benchmark for cinemas globally!
Also, the D-BOX auditorium was a Western Australia market first – something that can only be experienced at HOYTS Karrinyup. The enthusiasm of movie-lovers for D-BOX in Perth has been clear – they absolutely love it!
What type of results has this new location seen in the few months it's been open?
The results at HOYTS Karrinyup have been incredible. D-BOX is often sold out and we have seen an extremely high utilisation rate when compared to a standard cinema. HOYTS Karrinyup has been our most successful rollout to date!
With all the streaming services now available at home, do you believe adding D-BOX to your cinemas helps to draw moviegoers back?
It is important to continue to innovate and create cinematic experiences that ensure the big screens thrive in the future. D-BOX absolutely provides an experience that cannot be paralleled at home, and the slate of upcoming movies that are available exclusively in cinemas further elevates this concept!
Why do you think D-BOX is so well received among your audiences?
HOYTS D-BOX is an immersive experience that isn’t too invasive.
Plus, D-BOX is a unique experience where fact customers can control the intensity of their experience making D-BOX stand above all other 4D experiences!
From the first D-BOX screen that opened in a HOYTS theater back in 2019 to the most recent location at HOYTS Karrinyup, incorporating D-BOX’s high-fidelity haptic feedback into HOYTS recliners was a natural thing to do—it allowed HOYTS to combine two premium experiences together without having to sacrifice comfort or immersion to do it.
For this reason, the HOYTS & D-BOX partnership has been very successful: In almost 3 years (including almost a full year where cinemas were closed due to the pandemic), HOYTS & D-BOX have rolled out 5 screens—with another screen to open soon at HOYTS Erina—that now all proudly offer moviegoers in Australia an ultra-comfortable and ultra-immersive cinematographic experience that they can’t get anywhere else!
If you’re interested in adding D-BOX’s signature haptic feedback to your cinema, don’t hesitate to contact us today or to speak to us at Cinemacon 2022!