UGC appoints Dome marketer

UGC Cinemas has appointed Helen Jones, former general manager for client services at the New Millennium Experience Company, as its UK head of sales and marketing.

Jones – at the NMEC for less than six months in 1998 – has joined UGC from consultancy Hare Carding Communications.

She will have overall responsibility for the cinema group’s sales and marketing strategy and brand development within the UK. She will oversee the company’s public relations, advertising, promotions and business-to-business activity.

Jones was head of marketing at the London Tourist Board where she joined in 1996. She left to join the NMEC in August 1998 (MW July 2, 1998), where she reported to marketing and communications director Sholto Douglas-Home.

Jones says her plans for UGC include broadening the type of films screened at the cinemas. She also intends to feature foreign language films which are normally shown at art-houses.

She says: “2001 is going to be a very challenging year as we are opening four ‘state-of-the-art’ cinemas. I am looking forward to further developing UGC’s position as a pioneer within the cinema industry.”

UGC, a French company, bought Virgin Cinemas in October 1999 for £215m, and announced plans to invest £50m, launching eight cinemas with a total of 100 screens (MW March 2 2000).