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Who we are
The Greater Union Organisation, Australia's largest and oldest film exhibitor, is owned by Amalgamated Holdings Limited (AHL) - a publicly listed company which is Australia's leading name in the entertainment, leisure and hotel industries. Founded in 1910 under the name of Spencer's Pictures Limited, Greater Union Organisation's core business has always been film exhibition. Today, we screen local and international movies in multi-auditorium complexes around Australia - independently and in joint ventures with companies such as Village Roadshow. Greater Union has a 100% interest in Birch Carroll & Coyle, Queensland's biggest cinema chain, and has substantial shareholdings in the Village Roadshow group of companies. We also have joint ventures with cinema groups in the Middle East and Europe. In total, Greater Union cinemas have 457 screens here in Australia and 429 screens overseas on which to show all the latest blockbuster movies. But that's not all we do. Greater Union Organisation has diversified into strategic, entertainment-related activities over the years. We supply audio/visual technology to cinemas throughout Australasia (through Atlab Image and Sound Technology), duplicate 35mm and 70mm film stock (through Atlab Australia ) and manufacture film processors (through Filmlab Engineering ). We also own 50% of Roadshow Distributors, whose divisions include theatrical distribution, TV sales, videos, video games and CD-ROMs. Plus we have a substantial property investment portfolio which includes prime CBD sites across Australia. The Greater Union Organisation Cinemas
Defining our business  Traditionally, Greater Union Organisation was in the business of exhibiting films. Today we're in the entertainment business. "We're in the services industry," says Alan Rydge, Chairman of AHL and Greater Union Organisation. "Our company aims to make people have a good time while they are using our goods and services. We try to focus on what tomorrow's customers want and to provide it for them as soon as possible."The architecture, design and types of services that we provide in our cinema complexes reflect our desire to provide more than just a seat and a movie. Building the cinema is only half the job; we also have to provide the infrastructure that makes the movie-going experience so pleasurable - like having a cup of coffee, playing video games, eating out etc. We either provide the facility ourselves or make sure there's a complementary business that's located close by. Even our candy-bar area has become part of the cinema experience. We spend a lot of time developing merchandising lines that are closely linked to that experience. For example, we might produce merchandise that's based on a hit film so that our customers aren't just buying a snack to enjoy during the movie but get to take home a souvenir of the experience. Leading the world of Cinema 
Australia is one of the world's leading countries when it comes to cinema development. The dynamic design of our cinemas - with dazzling neon signs and splashes of colour - is held in high regard internationally. And while we've had eight-screen cinemas in shopping centres for more than a decade in Australia, that phase is just beginning in places like Europe, where many of the cinemas still have only two or three screens in large 1000-seat cinemas. Our cinemas provide people with a place to meet, not just somewhere to sit through a movie.Other Investments For many years The Greater Union Organisation has actively pursued a policy of investing in entertainment-related businesses whose operations are consistent with its own. Greater Union Organisation's current investment portfolio plays a strategic role in Greater Union Organisation's success in the industry. Technology Filmlab Engineering/Filmlab Systems InternationalFilmlab Engineering manufactures and installs film processing equipment. Filmlab Systems International, a UK-based offshoot, develops software to control film processing labs. Both have an international clientele. Atlab Atlab is the largest film processing laboratory in the southern hemisphere. The company, in its various incarnations, has served the Australian film industry for 68 years, doing printing, processing and post production for feature films, TV, commercials and miniseries originating on film. The backbone of Atlab's business is new-release printing from overseas negatives for Australia's three main exhibitors - Greater Union Organisation, Village Roadshow and Hoyts. The company has a dominant market share in both Australia and the surrounding region. Atlab Image and Sound Technology Atlab Image and Sound Technology distributes and installs projector and sound equipment. Originally established in 1989 as Greater Union Village Technology - a joint venture between Greater Union Organisation and Village Roadshow - the company is now solely owned by GUO and known as Atlab Image and Sound Technology. Property  Greater Union Organisation has a substantial portfolio of properties, principally located in the central business districts of the capital cities of Australia. Most are associated with the group's cinema interests. The major exception is the State Theatre in Sydney, which is located below the group head office. The State Theatre, which was built in 1929 and seats 2000 people on three levels, operates as a live theatre venue for musicals, pantomimes, ballet, rock groups and performers.Going Global The Australian cinema market has a cinema attendance average of 4.5 times per year, compared with the US at 5.6. The Australian cinema market is close to saturation and Greater Union has identified the opportunity to market our expertise in Germany, Middle East and Holland. |
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