The Explorer Winter 2018 Explorer_Fall_2018 | Page 13

By Teresa Chien, Executive Director
Jurassic World sold out in theaters
across the country in its opening
weekend and continued to be a
juggernaut for many weeks, eventually
grossing $528 million in the box office
overall. It would have taken a miracle to
get tickets opening weekend…unless
you were a patient of Dr. Mark Niemiec.
For the last seven years, Dr. Niemiec
and his wife, Cheryl, have been treating
patients with “Movie Night” by buying
out entire theaters and giving away
complimentary tickets to their patients
and patients’ guests. According to the
Niemiecs, they have Movie Night for
two purposes: they want to show
appreciation to their patients for their
loyalty and they want to meet their
patients’ family and friends.
Movie Night began in 2011 with
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.
Dr. Niemiec’s dental team sent out
letters to all their patients inviting them
to call in for their tickets.
The Niemiecs’ staff wore fluorescent
green shirts during the event. Some staff
members asked trivia questions while
moviegoers waited to enter the theater
and after they had been seated. “At first,
nobody was calling and later on we
found out they were like, ‘Oh, we
thought you were kidding!’” Cheryl
Niemiec said, recounting the
organization of the first Movie Night.
“People didn’t believe we were serious
and actually had trouble giving away all
the tickets for one theater. By the next
year, they knew we were for real, and the
Los Angeles Dental Society Explorer
momentum picked up.” In its
second year, Movie Night tickets
were claimed within one week.
In 2014, the Niemiecs added
trivia to Movie Night, asking
the audience questions related
to the film they would soon be
seeing. Those who answered
questions correctly were rewarded with
a coupon for popcorn, drinks and other
theater snacks. It was so popular and
well received that it has now become a
staple of Movie Night.
Today, the Niemiecs have Movie Night
down to a science. They begin notifying
patients as early as January to vote on
one of five films they have picked out.
The voting is even available on the
practice website. The film that polls the
greatest votes is what is shown on
Movie Night. Movie Night has become
such a phenomenon, that “For the past
three or four years, we have bought out
two full theaters! The manager of the
theater told me when a big new movie
comes out, he often has people call to
see if there are tickets available, or if Dr.
Niemiec has bought them all already”
Cheryl explains.
Movie Night has not only been an
unique way to thank their patients. It’s
become a great way to market the
practice and acquire new patients. The
Niemiecs encourage their patients to
obtain tickets for their non-patient
guests who may consider becoming Dr.
Niemiecs newest patients. If a new
patient signs up for a first-time
appointment on Movie Night, they
receive a coupon for concessions and are
entered in a drawing for a new iPad.
The drawing is held at the end of film
to end the evening with a bang.
“Each Movie Night has been
subsequently more fun because there’s
more people,” Mark Niemiec shared.
“When we added the trivia, it was really
fun just because we got to interact more
with everybody.”
In addition to Movie Night, the
Niemiecs host several other patient
appreciation events such as barbecue
picnics, drawings, and even monthly
newsletter recognition. They are truly
passionate about engaging their patients
in their marketing and hope this will
inspire other dentists to get creative and
fun in their own marketing.
Dr. Mark Niemiec and Cheryl currently
practice in Taos, New Mexico. 䡲