CFB
OCT 21, 2025

A Summary Of Rocky Mountain Theatre Convention & Other Recommendations

BY SHAYLA SCHUHRIEMEN

A Summary Of Rocky Mountain Theatre Convention & Other Recommendations


Recently, the Clark Film Buying team had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Rocky Mountain NATO Convention at the beautiful Davenport Hotel in Spokane, WA. It was an incredibly valuable and exciting experience. We especially enjoyed connecting with our clients face-to-face, as well as networking with studios and other industry specialists. Below, we’ve highlighted key reasons why we believe attending this conference was beneficial for us—and why it could be even more valuable for theater owners:

  • Networking  
    • Theater owners who are not in direct competition with each other openly share vital information about the successes and challenges of running their businesses, helping one another and strengthening the industry as a whole.
    • Theater owners are also able to freely share negative and positive feedback to CinemaUnited representatives and studio representatives, pushing for change in the industry. 
    • Over 60 vendors of various sectors offered products specifically tailored to theater owners, often offering discounts and ways to work with independent theaters on limited budgets. 

  • Education
    • There was an insightful leadership seminar, providing tools to prevent burnout and maximize your potential.
    • Experts from Dolby explained the importance of space utilization and equipment upkeep to ensure your sound is pleasing to the audience. 
    • Major studios provided information about their upcoming slate. 
    • Architectural experts provided vital information about theater upkeep and housekeeping to keep your theater in great shape and to avoid major repair costs.
    • Social media marketing experts provided ways to maximize online engagement by using free tools provided by Meta and other social media sites.
    • There was a round table discussion where theater owners voiced their issues with their own theaters and studios, and were provided with innovative solutions.

  • Entertainment 
    • There was a golf outing at the beautiful Coeur d’Alene Golf Course with beautiful weather.. 
    • Studio Screenings! Sony screened an early showing “Soul on Fire”, a faith-based drama based on a true story. Also, Paramount screened their own film “Roofman”, a drama/comedy film also based on a true story. Both of these studios were kind enough to send studio representatives as well, who were wonderful company. 
    • Multiple open bar cocktail events were hosted, one had a live DJ and trivia!
    • The scholarship dinner with the raffle was my personal favorite, with amazing food and a raffle. At the end of the dinner, a slideshow was presented showing all the young employees of theaters around the northwest who received scholarships from our direct support of the convention. 

Overall, it was well worth attending, and we absolutely recommend going to your local theater owner’s convention! Included below is a list of theater owner conventions for each territory. We hope you are able to attend yours!

🔹 North Central NATO Convention
https://www.ncnato.org/convention
🔹 Show South (by NATO of Georgia)
https://www.natoofga.com/showsouth-schedule
🔹 Concession & Hospitality Expo (Entertainment Food & Beverage Assn)
https://naconline.org/trade-shows/the-2025-concession-and-hospitality-expo/
🔹 Rocky Mountain Theatre Convention
https://rmnato.com
🔹 2026 Dine In Cinema + FEC Summit
https://www.dineincinemasummit.com


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