The past year has shown that city financiers share the industry's faith in the future of cinema - even though it has also demonstrated once again that it is impossible to forecast the future in any detail!

More circuit ownership changes can be anticipated, but not many new openings. The main challenge now is to take care of the existing infrastructure and organically grow the business.

The 2005 conference therefore examines some of the ways in which both the world and the industry is changing, and provides a forum for the industry to discuss how to respond to these changes.

Speakers: Trevor Albery, Anti-Piracy Counsel, European Anti-Piracy Operations, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.; Debbie Chalet, Chief Executive, Carlton Screen Advertising; Ian Wall, Director, Film Education; Karsten-Peter Grummitt, Dodona Research, Danny Perkins, Head of Distribution, Optimum Releasing; Mark de Quervain, Marketing Director, VUE Entertainment; Barry Jones, Director, International Cinema Channel, Europe, Eurasia and Middle East, The Coco-Cola Co.; Lucy Thorniley, Retail Manager, UCI Cinemas, UK and Ireland; Duncan Reynolds, Director of Retail, UCI Cinemas UK and Ireland; Niku Banaie, Head of Innovation, Naked Communications & Paul Welham, Director, Telephonetics and Steve Gosling, Finance Director, Odeon Cinemas.

Chairs: Anthony Williams, Specialist Cinema Consultant; John Woodward, Chief Executive, UK Film Council; Michael Bach, ODPM; Keynote: Derek Malcolm, Film Critic and Author