Barco offers 3 European theater owners a free one-month trial of Digital Cinema during annual MEDIA Salles training.

Kuurne, Belgium- Feb 21, 2006
Barco offers 3 European theater owners a free one-month trial of Digital Cinema during annual MEDIA Salles training.

Barco Media & Entertainment is proud to announce that it will host, for the third time, the MEDIA Salles seminar "DigiTraining Plus: New Technologies for European Cinemas", from 5-9 April 2006 in Belgium (Kuurne). During the seminar, a unique prize draw will take place as Barco offers 3 of the trainees a free, full digital cinema solution to experience for one month in their theater.

MEDIA Salles, an organization supported by the European Union's MEDIA Program and the Italian Government, whose objective is to foster the theatrical distribution of the European film, is organizing the seminar "DigiTraining Plus: New Technologies for European Cinemas" at Barco’s Kuurne site in Belgium. The 4-day course includes seminars and presentations on the main issues facing the digital cinema industry today, and aims to provide attendees with a full overview of the financial, business and technical issues surrounding digital transition.

To ensure exhibitors get a real taste of Digital Cinema, Barco offers 3 attendees the opportunity to test an integrated Digital Cinema Solution (projector and server) free for one month in their own theater. “As the leading supplier of Digital Cinema projectors in Europe, we strongly believe we have an important role in educating the cinema world on all aspects of digital cinema” comments Nico Vernieuwe, Vice President Sales & marketing of of Barco’s Media & Entertainment division.

The main topics of the seminar include an overview of the current business and finance models, the present state of the European market for digital screening, the definition of DCI compliance, an overview of available digital and alternative content, a ‘technical requirements’ training and case studies of European companies that have rolled-out digital cinema. Visits to cinemas in Belgium utilizing digital projection are also on the program. All this takes place in an interactive atmosphere that encourages discussion and exchange of information between participants.

Mr Tero Koistinen, Project Manager at North Karelia P. (Finland) participated in the previous two seminars, and states: “To get updated at least once a year is very important for me. I found the lessons held in 2004 and in 2005 extremely educational and I also had very good talks with the other participants outside the sessions: for instance, I learnt new elements and new ideas that I could use in my work and I listened to the experiences of people from a range of different countries.”

The provisional program of this year’s seminar will be posted shortly on www.mediasalles.it
This residential course is organized in collaboration with Barco and will be held at the company’s Kuurne site (Belgium). Space is limited and seats are filling rapidly. Should you be interested in attending, an application form can be downloaded from www.mediasalles.it

For further information on the seminar, please do not hesitate to contact MEDIA Salles: