Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Average number of seats in a multiplex

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Posted by Gary Davidson (Member # 2198) on 01-12-2005, 04:48 PM:

I am trying to figure out how many seats an average multiplex (13 screens) has. Does anyone have that number?

Thanks,

Gary

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-12-2005, 10:26 PM:

You're probably going to have supply more info to get any answers, especially "how big a town are you talking about?" Multiplexes in big cities might have 600-seat (or larger) auditoriums all the way down to 150 or so (or smaller), while the biggest theatre near me, the Carmike Wynnsong 10 in Billings MT, has houses ranging from 225 down to about 80.

Posted by Gary Davidson (Member # 2198) on 01-13-2005, 09:38 AM:

Thanks Mike....

I guess it is a lot more complicated than I thought.

Is it possible to break multiplex size down into 3 basic markets – major markets, mid-size markets, and small markets?

Bottom line I am trying to figure out a typical seat count for a 13-plex in each of those markets.

Gary

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 01-13-2005, 10:05 AM:

Let's see... From memory, I've worked at...

A 6-screen with 1550 seats
A 8-screen with 1825 seats
A 8-screen with 2150 seats
A 18-screen with 4800 seats

Dunno what "market" they would be in, but they were all near fairly large cities (West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach and Orlando)

Hope it helps give you an idea. Also if you want, you can walk in to your favorite theater and look around the lobby for a "Maximum Occupancy" sign. If there isn't one for the whole complex, there should at least be one by each auditorium (in most states).

=TMP=

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 01-13-2005, 11:47 AM:

I have worked at:

an 8-screen in Mankato, MN - 1,408 seats (131-256)
a 10-screein in Fayetteville, GA - 1,614 seats (116-278)
a 14-screen in Riverdale, GA - 2,248 seats (75-285)
an 8-screen in Lithonia, GA - 1,680 seats (101-316)

[ 01-14-2005, 07:15 PM: Message edited by: Mike Spaeth ]

Posted by Christian Volpi (Member # 2370) on 01-13-2005, 11:48 AM:

The new 14-plex that I work at has approx. 2,400 seats in auditoriums ranging from 275 seats to 118 seats. Our market has a population of around 150,000 people.

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 01-13-2005, 04:13 PM:

Wow. It amazes me at the number of screens vs. seats!! A 14-plex with only 2400? Must be pretty roomy (or small) in there! Every plex I have worked at or been to had at least one auditorium with more than 300 seats. 275 just doesn't sound "big" enough for your biggest screen. [Frown]

I should have added that the 6-screen and larger 8-screen I noted had a lot of "booker seats." For example, the largest auditorium seated 420, but only about 375 were "acceptable" seats in my opinion. The smallest auditoriums held 175 but looked like they were designed for 50. You couldn't wiggle thru the aisles without bashing your knees on every darn cupholder in the row. If people are in the seats, forget it. There's no escape. [Smile]

=TMP=

Posted by Christian Volpi (Member # 2370) on 01-13-2005, 05:31 PM:

You won't find any new theaters being built in Iowa with an auditorium of 300 or more seats. The reason being you have to have an elevator installed in EACH auditorium that has 300 or more seats for ADA reasons. Our general office is very clever with scheduling showtimes so that we never have to turn down a customer because of a sold out house. We always have duplicate pints of the ones that will do good.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-13-2005, 06:05 PM:

quote: Christian Volpi
You won't find any new theaters being built in Iowa with an auditorium of 300 or more seats.

Not so!

Jordan Creek Mall 20, West Des Moines IA. Opened July, 2004:

Posted by John Hegel (Member # 628) on 01-13-2005, 07:57 PM:

Wow... I hope no one ever has to go to the restroom during a show in that auditorium.

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 01-13-2005, 11:13 PM:

I never took the time to count, but I think the newspaper reported the biggest auditoriums at the Century (Adam's photo) to be 500 seats.

There's two of them in the building. I've seen one elevator that I assume is accessable from that exit in the upper right corner. I would also assume that hallway goes to the other big room, which is next door to the right (viewing the picture).

Not only is market size a determination in average seats per auditorium, but each exhibitor's design habits play a role as well. You have some exhibitors that will not build a room fewer than, say, 120-150 seats, but others that will build auditoriums with fewer than 60.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 01-14-2005, 10:22 AM:

SAM!!!! Welcome to Film-Tech, bro!

Posted by Justin West (Member # 920) on 01-14-2005, 11:38 AM:

Oh my, Sam...I see something OMINOUS in your photo!!! NO, not YOU, that marquee behind you completely devoid of any movies being posted!!! Another closed multiplex? Welcome aboard!

Posted by Ron Yost (Member # 1850) on 01-14-2005, 12:00 PM:

Doesn't that auditorium have an excess of surround speakers (if there is such a thing)?? Good coverage I suppose, but are that many necessary to cover that room?? I guess too many is better than too few. [Big Grin]

??

Ron Yost

Posted by Andrew McCrea (Member # 674) on 01-14-2005, 12:13 PM:

I've noticed in Winnipeg that the average number of seats per auditorium in a multiplex is 250-285, with one being a 10-plex, one being an 8-plex and one being a 14-plex.

Winnipeg's population is about 650,000 people.

Posted by Thomas Procyk (Member # 1170) on 01-14-2005, 02:43 PM:

quote: Christian Volpi
The reason being you have to have an elevator installed in EACH auditorium that has 300 or more seats for ADA reasons.

THAT'S IT!!! I have found my goal in life. I am going to open a single-screen, non-stadium theater in Iowa that seats 1150 people. To comply with this retarded (no pun or offense intended to the ADA) madtate, I would install a mock elevator in the back of the theater with two sets of doors: One opening to the hallway and one opening to the auditorium. Handicapped person goes in the elevator from the hallway. Doors shut. It whirrs and vibrates and lights flash for about two minutes. Stops with a jolt and a *DING* and the doors on the other side open. [Cool]

What would be especially hysterical is the poor sucker getting BACK in the "elevator" to leave the show. [thumbsup]

Looking again at Adam's picture... What happens when the handicapped person rides the elevator and enters the auditorium through the top entrance? They'd still have only ONE row to choose from. Pretty silly. And seems like a liability to me, having someone in a wheel chair up that high with only a few feet to go cascading down the stairs...

=TMP=

Posted by Brandon Willis (Member # 2345) on 01-23-2005, 01:02 PM:

quote: Thomas Procyk
Also if you want, you can walk in to your favorite theater and look around the lobby for a "Maximum Occupancy" sign. If there isn't one for the whole complex, there should at least be one by each auditorium

If they've done a stadium retrofit to the theatre, sometimes they leave up the old pre-stadium max. occupancy signs. They did this at my location. We have a couple of houses that only seat 53 people after the stadium conversion but had 106 seats before it. They left up the "max. occ. 106" signs.

Posted by Gunnar Johansson (Member # 1661) on 01-23-2005, 05:59 PM:

To answer the original question, the Local mulitplexes have a 10-plex (the competition) seating 1334 and our 16-plex seating about 1800.
Gothenburg has a population of around 481,523 las time somebody counted.

Posted by Jason M Miller (Member # 2597) on 01-24-2005, 07:10 PM:

4 screen - 746 seats