KINEPOLIS Cinemas select and deploy KRYSTAL KIOSK Solutions from Manufacturer ADVANTECH-AURES
Lisses – Gent, August 2025; Belgian Group KINEPOLIS, which manages and operates cinemas of the same name in Belgium, Spain, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, has selected and deployed ADVANTECH-AURES KRYSTAL ordering and ticketing kiosks in over 45 of its cinema centres and multiplexes across Europe. In total, over 250 KIOSK Solutions have been installed and commissioned in KINEPOLIS Group cinemas between end of 2024 and May 2025.
KINEPOLIS: A Pioneer in Digital Cinema
In 1988, KINEPOLIS Brussels opened its doors in the Heysel district (outside the city centre, which was a first and a gamble that would prove successful); it positioned itself as the first megaplex cinema in Europe, with 25 screens and over 6,000 seats.
Equipped with the latest state-of-the-art technology, it was an instant hit and set the tone, marking the beginning of major renovations of cinema complexes in Europe for more than two decades.
KINEPOLIS Group was founded in 1997; it was listed on the stock exchange the following year and quickly became a pioneer and leader in digital cinema in Europe, before expanding its footprint to North America as from 2017.
Why deploying kiosks in KINEPOLIS cinemas?
“KINEPOLIS had already developed a kind of automatic distribution system for its ticket office at least 30 years ago” explains Jo De PELSMAEKER, IT Manager for the Group.
“We were among the first to attempt to automate and streamline our ticketing systems. At the time, these consisted of simple, rudimentary pieces of furniture developed in-house, into which we had installed a desktop PC and all kinds of connected devices.
In 2016, a fully integrated kiosk was designed, also in-house, but its limitations quickly proved apparent. For this reason, we decided in 2023 to select a Partner and Specialist in interactive kiosks to gradually replace our old systems with truly integrated, high-quality, long-lasting and truly professional KIOSK Solutions.
After several studies and calls for tenders from various suppliers and potential partners, the choice of ADVANTECH-AURES (formerly AURES) quickly became clear to all KINEPOLIS teams and decision-makers involved”.
The Challenge: to roll out over 250 kiosks in 45 cinema complexes in less than six months
“After several rounds of technical and functional testing, it became clear that the proposal from AURES (now ADVANTECH-AURES) with KRYSTAL kiosks offered the best flexibility and customisation options we were looking for for our cinemas” continues Jo De PELSMAEKER.
“These tests were flawless from day one; the fact that we delt directly with the Designer and Manufacturer of these kiosks made our partnership and customer experience unique. The proximity and responsiveness of the KIOSK ADVANTECH-AURES experts have been a real bonus. When it came to providing kiosks suitable for customers with reduced mobility (PRM), for example, the A+A teams responded immediately and were instantly in tune with our needs”.
French Manufacturing + flawless logistics
“The kiosks’ manufacturing (more than 250 units) was orchestrated and carried out swiftly by A+A in France; the same applies to the logistics and delivery of the equipment to our 45 sites, which required considerable effort and extremely rigorous planning.
During deployment, we also benefited from constant, efficient and rapid assistance from the ADVANTECH-AURES teams assigned to the project”.
Ergonomic and harmonious Designs that make all the Difference
“Whether for our visitors or for us, as cinema operators, I must say that we immediately received a lot of positive feedback on the ergonomics, accessibility, design and aesthetics of the KRYSTAL kiosks” explains Benoit PACCOUD, KINEPOLIS Manager for the Ile de France region.
“The configuration of the ADVANTECH-AURES kiosks and quick access via the ultra-responsive touchscreen make them extremely user-friendly and totally intuitive.
Without any frills, the large screen is positioned at a slight angle for improved visual perception and an overall impression of lightness, which sets us apart from the straight, rather heavy totems that characterise other kiosks commonly found (in fast food restaurants, for example)”.
Optimising Customer Journey and Satisfaction
“KINEPOLIS welcomes some 20 million visitors in Europe every year: thanks to these kiosks and screens, and to the Vista Entertainment Solution platform, our customers can quickly book and/or collect their cinema tickets; They can do it in advance or at the last minute, choose their seats, select and watch trailers and previews from all the latest films, significantly improving customer satisfaction.
As for the fluidity of queues, it can be said that the installation of high-performance kiosks is a huge accelerator in the improvement of our Customer Journey.
In our Brétigny complex, near Paris, for example, the six kiosks installed are not only attractive or entertaining to consumers; they also significantly streamline and speed up ticketing operations during peak hours, during weekends and evenings, or when big blockbusters are released and attract large crowds.
In this complex, we manage 10 cinema screens and 1,500 seats; without kiosks, our waiting lines would be much longer and our customers would often be unhappy about having to queue and lose time”.
Eco-Responsibility
“The “made in France” approach to the design and engineering of ADVANTECH-AURES kiosks really makes a big difference,” added Jo DE PELSMAEKER.
“Beyond the ergonomics and the elegant, sleek appearance of the hardware, its rather small footprint also means a reduced carbon footprint, thanks to lower energy consumption, which has a positive environmental impact”.
Easy Accessibility and Maintenance
“In conclusion, we would like to emphasise the fact that access to these kiosks for adjustments, start-up or shut down for updates, servicing or maintenance operations is greatly facilitated; as a general rule, these intelligent KIOSK systems offer virtually zero failure rates, which is a significant advantage”.
An international Project
“KINEPOLIS Group operates 110 cinema complexes in Europe, Canada and the United States. In Canada (cinemas operated under the LANDMARK brand), we have begun rolling out some A+A kiosk solutions, that should now be our benchmarks for most of our future installations, particularly in the United States; we are thus confident in our Partnership with ADVANTECH-AURES”.
About KINEPOLIS Group
Founded in 1997 following the merger of two family-owned cinema groups, KINEPOLIS Group has been listed on the stock exchange since 1998. It offers an innovative cinema concept that sets the standard in the sector. In addition to its cinema business, KINEPOLIS is also active in film distribution, event organisation, on-screen advertising and property management.
In Europe, the Group operates 64 cinema complexes in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Poland.
Since the acquisition of Canada’s LANDMARK Cinemas and the American Group MJR Theatres, KINEPOLIS also has 36 complexes in Canada and 10 in the United States.
In total, the Brand employs over 4,000 people and currently operates 110 cinema complexes worldwide, with about 1150 screens and over 200,000 seats.
