{"id":11784,"date":"2024-03-11T19:18:50","date_gmt":"2024-03-11T19:18:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-backup-natoonline.pantheonsite.io\/?page_id=11784"},"modified":"2025-11-14T18:42:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T18:42:41","slug":"itoc","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cinemaunited.org\/itoc\/","title":{"rendered":"Independent Theatre Owners Coalition (ITOC)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Small Business Saturday Starts Here<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Small Business Saturday is coming soon on Saturday, Nov. 29. Below, you&#8217;ll find a full plug-and-play toolkit to make planning easy. But first,\u00a0we want to hear how your cinema is getting ready. Please take a moment to fill out this\u00a0quick survey so we can share ideas and promote what independents are planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/s.surveyplanet.com\/rm7p88sg?utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8PwADxefMzYllri0sf3TmxLA2CpzRnILqKauKeJOiKuxY7T0gSwC2-NJLTyLp6JHOlndYo\">TAKE THE SURVEY<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cinemaunited.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Small-Business-Saturday-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15808\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cinemaunited.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Small-Business-Saturday-1024x576.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cinemaunited.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Small-Business-Saturday-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/cinemaunited.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Small-Business-Saturday-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/cinemaunited.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Small-Business-Saturday-800x450.webp 800w, https:\/\/cinemaunited.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Small-Business-Saturday.webp 1120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This year\u2019s goal is simple: celebrate local pride&nbsp;and remind moviegoers that when they support their hometown cinema, they support their community.&nbsp;Inside this toolkit you\u2019ll find:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Steal These Ideas<\/strong>: A list of activations from fellow exhibitors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cinema Playbook<\/strong>: A simple playbook and staff checklist<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Local Partner Outreach Template<\/strong>: An email template to create partnerships.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Press &amp; Messaging Guide<\/strong>: Key messages and press talking points<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Posts &amp; Hashtags<\/strong>: Ready-to-use social posts and hashtags<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Pick one or two ideas and run with them. Independent cinemas matter to Main Street, to local culture, and to the businesses around you. Let\u2019s show our communities why supporting hometown cinemas on Small Business Saturday \u2014 and all year \u2014 makes a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dropbox.com\/scl\/fo\/xsjo3f1gb3k1yywieajpu\/AOMogh3VJE6YKgq5zCCgzyo?_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8PwADxefMzYllri0sf3TmxLA2CpzRnILqKauKeJOiKuxY7T0gSwC2-NJLTyLp6JHOlndYo&amp;rlkey=5ly4gym6dlik4958gzpsztkr2&amp;e=1&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;dl=0\">DOWNLOAD THE TOOLKIT<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Leading Voice of Independent Theatre Owners<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Independent Theater Owners Coalition (ITOC) champions the advancement of independent exhibitors as the backbone of the cinema industry by fostering collaboration and advocating for pro-growth policies that drive innovation, build communities, and advance the moviegoing experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Independents Bring People Together<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Small business and nonprofit cinemas are not just entertainment hubs that drive local economies, they\u2019re vital cultural beacons that bring people together by offering a window to the wider world and fostering a sense of belonging and shared experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From rural towns to urban centers, ITOC members are deeply rooted in the communities they serve. Cinema United represents hundreds of independent movie theatres that offer the only cinematic experience for miles in small towns across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Membership:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ITOC membership is open to all Cinema United member companies operating independently. This inclusive approach ensures a wide representation and diverse input from various independent cinema operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ITOC Leadership:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The coalition\u2019s volunteer leadership is at the forefront of discussions and advocacy efforts for independent cinema operators within the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Colleen Barstow<br>Chair<br>Cinema United Executive Board Treasurer<br>ACX Cinemas<br><a href=\"mailto:cbarstow@mainstreettheatres.com\">cbarstow@mainstreettheatres.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Paul Gunsky<br>Cinema United Executive Board Member<br>Cinelux Theatres<br><a href=\"mailto:paul@cineluxmovies.com\">paul@cineluxmovies.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lauren McChesney<br>Shankweiler&#8217;s Drive In<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Becky DuPuis<br>Polson Theatres<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ITOC Events<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ITOC convenes bi-annually, gathering in the spring during CinemaCon and in the fall at the Fall Summit, to discuss advancements and challenges within the independent cinema sector. Additionally, ITOC hosts monthly member webinars that are designed to merge in-depth studio marketing presentations on the promotion of upcoming films with informative sessions on essential business strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Contact Information:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For further details about ITOC and how to get involved, please reach out to Todd Halstead at <a href=\"mailto:ITOC@natodc.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ITOC@natodc.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Small Business Saturday Starts Here Small Business Saturday is coming soon on Saturday, Nov. 29. Below, you&#8217;ll find a full plug-and-play toolkit to make planning easy. But first,\u00a0we want to hear how your cinema is getting ready. Please take a moment to fill out this\u00a0quick survey so we can share ideas and promote what independents [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":12511,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11784","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Independent Theatre Owners Coalition (ITOC) | Cinema United<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/cinemaunited.org\/itoc\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Independent Theatre Owners Coalition (ITOC) | Cinema United\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Small Business Saturday Starts Here Small Business Saturday is coming soon on Saturday, Nov. 29. 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