Conversational booking
Assistants that answer showtime, subtitle and accessibility questions on WhatsApp or the web, then sell the seat and the popcorn in the same reply.
Emanuele de Plano · Cinema technology & AI
Helping cinemas through their AI transformation
I've spent 30 years bringing new technology to cinemas across Europe and Africa: SaaS ticketing before anyone had heard of SaaS, cloud platforms in markets that weren't ready for them, and now AI.
About
Taking complex technology into regulated markets that weren't ready for it, and making them ready.
Cinema has always run on infrastructure built for a different century. In 2002 I co-founded TixOS, one of Europe's first SaaS ticketing platforms. Nobody wanted it, and most people had never heard of SaaS. We scaled it to 260 venues across three countries.
That pattern has defined the years since. At Veezi I built commercial operations across 18 African markets and certified the solution for France, Spain, Morocco and Sweden. At POSitive Cinema I ran global sales and closed multi-year agreements with major US circuits. Most recently at Cine Group I led France's leading cinema management platform: 360+ exhibitors, a 25-person team and full P&L.
Along the way I've built close relationships with Europe's top exhibitors and industry players, the kind that come from being in the room when hard decisions get made. Today I work where cinema technology and AI meet.
- English
- Français
- Italiano
- Español
Where I help
AI only pays off when it's connected to ticketing, POS and loyalty systems that already work. That's the part I know best.
Seeing demand early
Turning presales and booking data into earlier decisions: bigger auditoriums, extra screenings, staffing and concessions planned a week ahead.
Ticketing that holds up
Planning tentpole on-sales as the predictable events they are, with waiting rooms and capacity in place before the queue arrives.
Market entry & partnerships
Certification, local partners and go-to-market for cinema technology in regulated markets across Europe, Africa and beyond.
Career
Three decades in cinema ticketing and venue management software, from founder to general manager.
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2023 – 2026
Directeur Billetterie · Cine Group / The Boxoffice Company
Led France's leading cinema management platform serving 360+ independent exhibitors. Ran a 25-person team of developers, sales, logistics and support across three offices.
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2020 – 2023
Head of Global Sales · POSitive Cinema
Directed sales and marketing for a global venue management platform. Guided the cloud migration and secured multi-year contracts with major US circuits after COVID.
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2018 – 2020
General Manager EMEA · Veezi
Launched in Sweden through a partner now running 65+ sites. Certified for Spain and Morocco, rolled out across 18 African countries including Pathé multiplexes in Tunisia, and grew SaaS revenue 26% in a year.
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2015 – 2018
Business Development Manager · Vista Entertainment Solutions
Deployed Vista across Pathé cinemas in Switzerland and Belgium, leading to its installation across Les Cinémas Gaumont Pathé in France.
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2002 – 2015
Co-Founder · TixOS
Built one of the first SaaS cinema ticketing platforms, including CNC certification and go-to-market. Deployed across 260 cinemas, museums, theme parks and leisure venues in three countries.
Earlier: ticketingsolutions.com, OmniTicket Network (Best Union Group), Managing Director France at ICON Software, and Watson-Marlow France. Educated at Queen Mary University of London.
Recent writing
Regular notes on LinkedIn about exhibition, ticketing and what AI means for independent cinemas.
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Why do tentpole on-sales still crash cinema websites?
Odeon and Cineworld went down within minutes of Avengers: Doomsday tickets going live. Concert ticketing solved this years ago.
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How Spanish cinemas turned La bola negra into a record
Presales, screenings added in real time and live Q&As. Seeing demand early is what turns a hit into a record.
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What Accor's AI concierge means for your box office
A third of its conversations ended in bookings. The hard part for cinemas is connecting AI to ticketing, POS and loyalty.
Let's talk cinema
Running a cinema or circuit and thinking about AI, ticketing or entering a new market? I work in English, French, Italian and Spanish, from France and across Europe.