-By Sarah Sluis

Halfway through his term as president of the National Association of Concessionaires (NAC), Ron Krueger II has navigated through the pitfalls of the economic downturn and focused on ways to help NAC members, from the organization’s educational programs to this year’s convention in Houston, Texas.

In an economy in which “people are choosing where to spend their money,” the NAC organized a series of regional seminars called Concessions 101. Held in nine U.S. cities, the well-priced seminars drew in movie theatre operators and many smaller and mid-size concessions outfits, like those in parks and recreation. The program “touched hundreds of people around the country,” Krueger enthuses. “They’ve taken it back to their workplaces, and so we’re contracting for more delivery of that program. It’s really hit home nicely for us.”

The one-day session introduced budding managers to concepts such as budgeting, creating promotions, evaluating financial information, and developing leadership skills. The program also serves as a precursor to the Concession Management Certification (CCM) programs the NAC holds each year before their convention. Interested attendees could even deduct their Concessions 101 registration fee from the cost of signing up for the CCM program.

Growing membership, one of Krueger’s goals coming into his term, was a challenge. “I still have another year left in my term to fulfill that,” Krueger states humbly. “We view ourselves as a good educational investment for our members, but people are watching where they’re spending their dollars,” he explains. “Second, there’s been continued consolidation in our membership, whether it’s movie circuits or even foodservice contractors. Just when we think we’re growing, another one combines and we’re down to one less or two less members just because of the consolidation.”

To keep its members connected and facilitate networking, the NAC has expanded its presence on social-networking sites, and has both a Facebook page and a LinkedIn group. “Fresh out of the convention last year, some people were posting best practices they got out of the convention and photos,” Krueger observes. “Going into their year’s convention and even out of ShoWest, people were RSVPing to the events, saying, ‘Hey, you’ve got to be here.’” While still growing in popularity, Krueger sees the value in social networking. “It’s a way to build excitement for particular events, and also, for our regional seminar series, we’re using that as a communication outreach device.”

Krueger, who also serves as chief operating officer for Southern Theatres, has reaped the benefits of the NAC’s knowledge base himself. “Something I’ve continued to learn as I’ve gone through the ranks of NAC is more of what the other foodservice operators are doing, and how we can leverage that experience in terms of the theatre side of it. And, by all means, I’m sharing my experience with them.”

For Krueger, that meant learning from others while developing the chain’s premium theatre concept, something many peer theatres are pursuing. “I never designed a kitchen until we got involved in this current project. I had the expertise of a lot of other people that had been down the road before.”

In the NAC community as a whole, the economy has leveled off concession sales. “I think people are happy if they’re flat,” Krueger says of recent year-over-year figures. But he states his confidence in the theatre industry, echoing the general sentiment in the business. “We’ve always proven to be an economical way to spend two hours; concessions are always a little bit of a part of the escape and a snack that people indulge on. Speaking from my personal experience here at Southern Theatres, year-over-year on a per-capita standpoint, we’re doing well. People want to go to movies and indulge a bit on snacks at the concession stand.”

Along with fellow trade organization International Cinema Technology Association, the NAC is collaborating with the National Association of Theatre Owners on its inaugural year of CinemaCon, which will be held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Krueger’s team is working on ”securing tradeshow participants and convention programming related to the concessions side of our industry.”

This year’s NAC convention, planned by volunteers as well as a group at the headquarters in Chicago, received a helping hand from Krueger. “My contribution is to assist them on many different parts of the convention and cheer them on in the process.” He won’t be speaking at the convention, preferring to leave that to the professionals, but looks forward to informal one-on-ones with members.

According to Krueger, the NAC is “very early on in the process” of boosting international membership. The association has a Canadian presence, and even held a Concessions 101 session in Edmonton, Alberta. Inquiries by an interested member led to a concessions management course that was taught in Russia, and the class has been taught in a number of languages, often translated in real time.

After his tenure as president ends, “they don’t get rid of me too quickly,” Krueger jokes. He will remain involved with the NAC as chairman of the 36-member board. But he may have more time for his favorite movie pastimes: watching epics, thrillers and action movies like The Godfather, Dances with Wolves and Raiders of the Lost Ark, while indulging in a tub of hot, buttered popcorn.