Diversity – MovieTowne's key to success

CHILDREN today might be surprised to learn there was previously a Ferris wheel in Trinidad – a temporary structure and the main attraction at Coney Island when it visited Port of Spain in the early to mid-2000s.

For many children and teens back then, Coney Island’s Ferris wheel was the pinnacle of entertainment at a time when cinemas and arcades dominated the market.

MovieTowne owner Derek Chin knew what he was doing when he decided to install a Ferris wheel, the dinosaur theme park and various other attractions at its Carousel Park, Invader’s Bay, starting about a decade ago. The 18.2-metre-high Ferris wheel, his latest addition to the park, was launched last Friday, with an endorsement from Minister of Trade Paula Gopee-Scoon, who praised Chin and others like him for playing their part in diversifying the economy and spreading joy to families.

Chin never alluded to the once-popular Coney Island, but an amateur survey he did years ago when children came to his cinema. He said they affirmed his belief in the need for more entertainment at the complex.

“I said, ‘You know, this might be a nice little idea. Let me venture into that,’” Chin told Business Day.

And so, the park began to develop in the limited space available between MovieTowne and the Marriott hotel.

Initially, the land between the two buildings was converted to a car park, Chin said, after the overgrown empty land there became a security concern for patrons of MovieTowne and the Marriott.

“So we put in lights, put in security, cleaned it up and fixed it up nicely.”

But because it required maintenance and staffing, Chin said it also needed something to bring in revenue, and opted first for a carousel.

It did very well, said Chin.

“It paid its way to the extent that we expanded it into other rides, as you've seen over the years, like the tree swing. We have a mini train. And everything was created for young kids and teenagers.”

All the rides are certified by engineers, Chin said, and each has its own technician to oversee operations at all times. The rides vary in cost. A ride on the Ferris wheel, which lasts about four and a half minutes, is priced at $50, which Chin said is unmatched at other locations when converted to US currency.

A visit to Dino World was reduced from $100 to $80, which Chin said was “excellent value.”

MovieTowne, he said, has revolutionised entertainment.

“People didn't have a park like this anywhere in the country. It has all the amenities, and we maintained it very carefully."

A few years after installing the carousel, MovieTowne built Dino-World, where lifelike dinosaur models move and make animalistic sounds.

“I've seen it in Universal (Studios). I've seen it in Toronto. I said, maybe we can do something in a smaller version. And then we did, and it actually turned out to be an excellent (model), one of the best I've seen anywhere in the world. And it's the only one in the Caribbean.”

Admitting not enough people are aware of the Dino Park, because of a lack of marketing, Chin said, “Slowly but surely, I know that they're going to come and admire and see what we have created.”

The introduction of the Ferris wheel, like the park and rides that came before it, Chin said, was driven by the need to diversify the range of attractions, increase revenue and live up to its reputation as a groundbreaking entertainment provider in TT and the region.

“MovieTowne has become a very, very important aspect of entertainment in TT.”

Like many others in the business of entertainment, MovieTowne was blindsided by the restrictions imposed in 2020 to combat the spread of covid19, yet Chin and the cinema chain survived and now have some breathing room.

“Our standards are very high,” Chin said, describing MovieTowne as the best cineplex in the Caribbean.

“I think anybody who (speaks to) our competition will realise that MovieTowne does stand out in terms of its service.

“I mean, obviously we make all mistakes, but (we stand out) in terms of service, and really delivering top-notch entertainment, as good as you can (find) anywhere in the world."

Launched in 2003, the company started on a good footing, Chin said, and grew exponentially in the following 21 years, thanks to a good listening ear, reliable tenants and critical thinking.

To be successful, he said, “You have to be changing and diversifying your businesses. Anybody who keeps this one business all the time is not going to do very well, not going to grow. “So the whole park is meant to be a further diversification of the entertainment landscape.”

He said his dozens of tenants are excited about the new Ferris wheel, particularly as it will attract more customers.

Dozens of children and adults tested the rides for the first time when the Ferris wheel was unveiled on Friday. Though it's not particularly fast, many experienced a thrill seeing the partial view of Port of Spain at the peak of the Ferris wheel.

Ten-year-old Annie Brabal and her parents said they had never ridden on a Ferris wheel, and welcomed the attraction.

“It was a little scary, but I loved it,” Annie said, after disembarking.

Her father said this was the quality of entertainment he had been seeking to keep her entertained.

“I’m really impressed,” he said. “We come almost every Sunday, and the park will probably keep us out of the house for a few more hours.”

Though vague about coming attractions, Chin told Business Day the cinema chain is persistent about diversifying its offerings and ways it can provide improved services and better alternatives for entertainment.

MovieTowne recently celebrated its fifth anniversary in Guyana, where thousands turned out to celebrate the milestone anniversary. He said the company is doing “exceptionally well” there.

Though he has spoken about a desire to expand north, said there were no immediate plans to do so.

Talks about Jamaica "are still very preliminary.

“I believe Jamaica would be a nice possibility, given the product we have, but still in a very early stage.”

That isn’t to say the chain hasn’t endured almost crippling economic fallout from the covid19 pandemic.

In fact, MovieTowne Chaguanas shut its doors in October 2020, mere months after the pandemic was declared. It is now run by Cinema One.

“Many of the Chaguanas and neighbouring residents have reached out to us about missing their favourite cineplex, so who knows if a return of MovieTowne is in the works?” Chin said, with a cheeky laugh.

The Tobago branch remains open, but also suffered considerable losses.

“MovieTowne survived the devastation of the pandemic by instituting a very tight, lean-and-mean approach, cutting out any excesses and streamlining our operations.”

MovieTowne’s Port of Spain branch carried much of the financial burden from the other locations, Chin said, thanks in large part to what set it apart from other cinemas when it opened in 2003.

MovieTowne’s Fiesta Plaza’s dozens of tenants, many of them international fast-food and restaurant franchises, remained steadfast while others could not persevere.

“(We worked) with our loyal tenants, provided rental support and reduced our rents in order to keep them afloat.

"We had a few that could not survive and had to close down. So unfortunate. There was no assistance from the government, the banks did not support us.

“(They) extended our payment terms but at the end, we still have to meet these commitments.

“It was a very rough time, with the rigid health restrictions and the state of emergency, which literally shut down our business.

“But we’re tough and did the best to ride it out. We stayed invested in the country and survived.”

Chin reiterated that MovieTowne is centred on being family-friendly, and invited families to enjoy the park, even if they cannot pay for rides.

“Life is about getting out and meeting people and enjoying their company. MovieTowne encourages (this).”