Vista Group International

Corporate History

Vista Entertainment Solutions (VES), the original and cornerstone company of Vista Group, was formed in New Zealand in 1996. In 1997, VES made its first overseas sales in Argentina and Fiji, at which point its software was adapted to handle multiple languages and accommodate the complex tax laws and film regulations of other countries. This flexibility allowed VES to expand rapidly into the diverse cinema markets of Central and North America, Europe, and Asia.

VES was initially formed via a joint venture development agreement between Village Force Cinemas Ltd (now Event Cinemas) and Madison Systems Ltd (now Fujitsu Ltd). Madison Systems was part owned and staffed by people who are still key shareholders and staff in VES today. VES management took a direct 50% ownership in 2003 and total control of the company in March 2010.

Between 2009–2014, VES acquired total or partial control in a number of software companies specializing in film distribution, exhibition, ticketing, and marketing data analysis.

In 2014, the management company that owned VES and the companies it had acquired, formed Vista Group International and undertook a share market listing on the NZX and ASX via an Initial Public Offering of $92.6m, of which $40.0m was new capital. Vista Group commenced trading on the NZX Main Board on 11 August 2014, with a market capitalization of $191.6m NZD.

Since Vista Group's share market listing, it has continued to acquire stakes in a number of companies operating within the film industry.

In August 2016, Vista Group completed a transaction with movie ticket booking platform Beijing Weiying Technology (WePiao), establishing Vista China (previously a 100% subsidiary of Vista Group) as a joint venture company between the organisations. This investment from WePiao, and the extension of distribution rights from Vista Group to cover all of its existing software (Vista Cinema, Veezi, Movio, MACCS and Numero), positions Vista China favourably to increase its footprint in the rapidly expanding China film market.

Vista Entertainment Solutions (VES)

VES designs and develops cinema management software for the Large Circuit Market (cinema exhibitors operating more than 20 screens). Vista Cinema, the company's core product, supports Point of Sale (POS), box office, and back of house operations. Other VES products facilitate head office administration, online ticketing, loyalty clubs, box office analysis, and mobile apps for both cinema staff and patrons. VES provides software to over 4000 cinemas in more than 70 countries and their global market share in the large cinema market is calculated at 38%.

VES launched Veezi in March 2012 as a cloud-based cinema management software option for smaller, independent cinemas. Veezi is based on the Software as a Service (Saas) model in which users pay a subscription fee to access the product. Veezi also supports integration with internet ticket aggregators including Fandango, USA's largest online ticketing website.

VES launched MovieTeam in April 2016 as a cloud-based staff scheduling application for cinemas. MovieTeam was developed and trialed in conjunction with Harkins Theatres, one of the largest independently owned cinema chains in the United States.

Movio

Movio provides SaaS marketing data analysis and campaign management software for cinemas and film distributors. Movio gathers real-time data on the loyalty activity and transactions of cinema-goers, which is used to create targeted marketing campaigns and measure their effectiveness. Movio maintains data from 32 million active cinema-goers, covering 25% of cinema screens worldwide.

MACCS International

MACCS International provides software for film distributors and exhibitors. MACCS software facilitates film rights and royalties management, as well as advertisement and distribution via theatrical and non-theatrical sales channels (home entertainment etc.). MACCS software operates in over 45 countries and manages theatrical distribution for over 100 film distributors - the largest provider of this type of software outside of the USA. In July 2015, MACCS secured its first customer in the USA, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Numero

Numero provides box office reporting software for film distributors and cinemas. Numero is used to extract data from cinema point of sale software, which can then be used by distributors for insight into box office revenue and admissions trends.

Cinema Intelligence

Cinema Intelligence specializes in cloud-based business intelligence and predictive analytics software for cinema exhibitors. Cinema Intelligence solutions use an algorithm to predict attendance and optimize film schedules to maximize admissions. Cinema Scheduler, the company's flagship product, automates the creation of daily film schedules based on the exhibitor's historical box office.

Powster

Powster provides film marketing products, music videos, and creative content globally. Their platform is a global solution for movie distributors to direct audiences to purchase tickets at cinemas.

BookMyShow

BookMyShow is a cinema ticketing website operated in New Zealand. It primarily acts as a service to small circuit cinemas. BookMyShow is a joint venture between Vista Entertainment Solutions and Bigtree Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, a VES partner company.

Flicks

Flicks.co.nz Limited (Flicks) is a New Zealand-operated online movie publication, featuring film news and reviews, booking referral links, and a comprehensive cinema registry.

Awards and Recognition

Philanthropy

In February 2015, Vista Group International launched the Vista Foundation, to support the continued success and growth of the New Zealand film industry. Film producer and director Roger Donaldson is the Patron of the foundation.