May 25, 2021—The Royal BC Museum in Victoria, BC, Canada, acquired the IMAX Victoria theater from Destination Cinema Inc. (DCI) in late August 2020. The museum recently restructured its operations and concluded that it would no longer continue with the Head of Theatre (Theatre Director) position. As such, after 17+ years, Paul Wild left IMAX Victoria on April 27, this year. Paul's successful tenure in Victoria bore fruit not only for DCI, but for the industry as a whole, with its annual attendance firmly establishing Victoria as a top tier theater. In addition to many successful film runs and marketing campaigns, Victoria also developed the giant screen network’s most successful membership/loyalty program, the Annual Pass Holder Program, with over 20,000 members and annual revenues of over $1 million (to the end of 2019).
Paul Wild (right) with veteran Eric Sumpter at IMAX Victoria's commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of D-Day
Paul is quick to point out that it's never a one-person show and credits his entire IMAX Victoria team for the achievements and accomplishments the theater earned over the years. He says the "great run" would not have been possible without the solid leadership and support of DCI CEO Bob Perkins and the rest of the DCI team. He also passes along a special thank you to Lea Silver and Marie Zirk.
Lea
Silver, as Sales & Membership Services Manager, was also
instrumental in developing the success of Victoria's Annual Pass Holder
Program, but her skills and energy went beyond sales and membership and
helped bind and excite the IMAX Victoria team to provide even better
programs and service levels that benefited Victoria's long-standing
customer base. Lea left the museum/theater at the end of April for
another opportunity. Lea was also active in the GSCA Member Services
Committee.
Marie Zirk was the theater director before Paul joined DCI in 2003 until she left the theater to start her own PR and marketing firm. In the years to follow, Paul retained Marie's services and attributes many of the theater's accomplishments to Marie's input and creativity. Marie’s contract with the theater ended in December 2020.
Paul was a GSCA board member 2014-2019 and contributed on the Governance and Industry Development committees. Over the years, Paul has also led or participated in numerous GSCA professional development sessions, and he and IMAX Victoria hosted the successful GSCA Conference in Victoria in 2019.
Paul remains a member of the GSCA and the GSCA's Event Planning Committee and looks forward to what the future may hold by staying in touch with his friends and colleagues within the giant screen industry. Paul can reached by email at pwild@shaw.ca or by phone at 1-250-744-9453.
The new contact at the Royal BC Museum for IMAX Victoria is Erika Stenson, A/Vice President, Museum Operations, and she can be reached at 1-250 886-2521 or EStenson@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.