Lochmann Filmtheaterbetriebe (Traumpalast)

What Lochmann Filmtheaterbetriebe (Traumpalast) does

Lochmann Filmtheaterbetriebe GmbH is a privately held, family-owned German cinema operator headquartered in Rudersberg, Baden-Württemberg, founded in the mid-1990s by Heinz Lochmann and now led across generations by his son Marius Lochmann. The company operates 11 cinema venues — eight Traumpalast locations, Das Metropol Stuttgart, Passage Kino Hamburg, and Löwenlichtspiele Rudersberg — with 65+ screens and approximately 10,000 seats, employing roughly 450 people. Its core proposition is premium-format exhibition anchored by exclusive technology partnerships: the world's largest IMAX screen (44m x 23m, opened September 2021 at Leonberg via IMAX Corporation), Germany's first Samsung Cinema LED Screen (Esslingen, 2018), Dolby Cinema and Dolby Atmos installations, D-Box Motion Seats, and a Bed Cinema concept using Hülsta-branded double beds.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix: cinema ticket sales (primary), food and beverage concessions, corporate event rentals (minimum 10 persons), cinema advertising sold via Kinowerbung.de, bowling and leisure operations at BOWL & CO. centers in Leonberg and Esslingen, restaurant and bar concepts (GIOIA, Erwins, KOLLWITZ), a credit-based Kinopass loyalty program, and film distribution through the wholly owned drei-freunde Filmverleih arm. The go-to-market is regional and direct-to-consumer, concentrated in the Stuttgart metropolitan area with a northern beachhead in Hamburg, supported by online ticketing via kinoheld GmbH, a ticket call center, dedicated corporate event sales, and a multi-channel community-led marketing presence across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp, and location-specific newsletters. The company operates through multiple wholly owned subsidiary GmbH entities and has no external investors, parent company, or stock exchange listing.

Name

Lochmann Filmtheaterbetriebe (Traumpalast)

Legal name

Heinz Lochmann Filmtheater-Betriebe GmbH

Website

https://filmtheaterbetriebe.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lochmann Filmtheaterbetriebe is a family-owned German cinema operator running 11 Traumpalast-brand and affiliated cinemas with 65+ screens across Baden-Württemberg and Hamburg, serving individual cinema-goers, corporate event clients, and bowling/leisure guests through premium-format exhibition (IMAX, Dolby, Samsung LED, Bed Cinema).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Movie Theater Services

NAICS

Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Cinema Chains & Multiplex Operators (MPADAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cinema Concessions & On-site F&B Operations (MPADAKAN), Alternative Content Exhibition (Live Broadcasts, Concert Films, Sports, Opera) (MPADAKAG), Private Screenings & Venue Rentals (Corporate, Parties) (MPADAKAJ)

Keywords

• Cinema exhibition services
• Movie theater operations
• Film distribution services
• Premium cinema formats
• Bowling entertainment centers

Headquarters

HQ city

Rudersberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Cinema Ticket Sales: Primary revenue from admission tickets for film screenings across all cinema locations. Tickets sold online via kinoheld platform, through call center, and at box office. Premium formats (IMAX, Dolby Cinema, D-Box, Bed Cinema) command higher ticket prices.
2. Concessions and F&B: Food and beverage sales including popcorn, snacks, and drinks. Restaurants and cafés operate at multiple locations including GIOIA (Italian restaurant with rooftop terrace in IMAX Leonberg), Erwins (bar in Schorndorf), and KOLLWITZ (café-bar in DICK-Areal Esslingen).
3. Corporate Events and Private Screenings: Cinema venues rented for corporate presentations, product launches, and private events. Minimum 10 persons required. Revenue from exclusive foyer use, customized catering, and technology rentals.
4. Cinema Advertising: Screen advertising sold through Kinowerbung.de GmbH & Co. KG. Options include screen-specific or film-specific placement, plus foyer advertising, cinema magazines (abspann, abspann for Kids), website, and social media advertising.
5. Bowling and Leisure: BOWL & CO. bowling centers in Leonberg (opened March 2022) and Esslingen (opened July 2024) feature 18-19 bowling lanes, billiards, bars, and restaurants. Revenue from bowling sessions, food, beverages, and events.
6. Kinopass Loyalty Program: Guthabenbasiertes (credit-based) customer card system. Prepaid card with bonus points and discounts. No personal data collected until linked to email for online bookings.
7. Film Distribution (drei-freunde): drei-freunde Filmverleih is the company's film distribution arm, distributing films to other cinemas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lochmann Filmtheaterbetriebe operates the Traumpalast cinema chain—11 cinema locations across Baden-Württemberg and Hamburg—showing films with premium formats (IMAX Laser, Dolby Cinema, Samsung Cinema LED Screen, Bed Cinema, D-Box Motion Seats). Revenue also comes from on-site concessions (food and beverages), BOWL & CO. bowling centers, in-house restaurants and bars, corporate event hosting, screen advertising sales, and film distribution through the drei-freunde Filmverleih subsidiary.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Traumpalast-IMAX: IMAX cinema experience featuring the world's largest IMAX screen at Traumpalast Leonberg.
• Bed Cinema
• BOWL & CO.
• drei-freunde Filmverleih
• Kinopass

Products and services

• IMAX Leonberg (World's Largest IMAX Screen) Premium cinema experience combining IMAX Laser projection with 4K resolution, 12-channel sound, extreme contrast, and the widest color palette available in cinema, on a 44 x 23 meter screen seating ~600 guests. Available to general cinema audiences in Leonberg.
• Bed Cinema Traumpalast Leonberg Lie-down cinema experience featuring 20 Hülsta double beds with leather headboards/footrests, individual remote controls for positioning, personal storage with cup holders, privacy screens, Dolby Atmos sound, and an 11x5 meter screen. Available to general cinema audiences at Traumpalast Leonberg.
• Dolby Cinema Traumpalast Esslingen Premium Dolby Cinema screening format with dual 4K laser projectors, Dolby Vision HDR imaging, and Dolby Atmos immersive sound. Available to general cinema audiences at Traumpalast Esslingen.
• Samsung Cinema LED Screen at Traumpalast Esslingen LED-based cinema projection with 26 million LEDs, 4K resolution (4,096 x 2,160 pixels), 10x brighter than typical projectors (146 fL / 500 nit), DCI-compliant color space, HDR support, and True Black display on a 10.3 x 5.4 meter screen. Available to general cinema audiences at Traumpalast Esslingen.
• BOWL & CO. Bowling Centers Modern bowling centers with 18-19 bowling lanes, billiards, attached bars, and restaurants. Available to general consumers, corporate groups, and event customers at two locations in Leonberg and Esslingen.
• drei-freunde Filmverleih (Film Distribution) Independent film distribution arm of Lochmann Filmtheaterbetriebe, distributing films to other cinemas nationwide. Operates as drei-freunde Filmproduktions- und Verleihgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG.
• Corporate Cinema Events (Firmenkino) Dedicated corporate event service renting cinema venues for corporate presentations, product launches, and private events. Minimum 10 persons required. Includes exclusive foyer use, customized catering, and technology rentals. Available to corporate clients across all Traumpalast locations.
• Kinopass Loyalty Card Program Prepaid credit-based customer card with bonus points and discounts. Available to general cinema customers across all Traumpalast locations. No personal data collected until linked to email for online bookings.
• Traumpalast Cinema Locations (Standard Screens) Standard cinema exhibition across 8 Traumpalast locations (Backnang, Esslingen, Leonberg, Nürtingen, Schorndorf, Schwäbisch Gmünd, Waiblingen) plus Das Metropol Stuttgart and Passage Kino Hamburg and Löwenlichtspiele Rudersberg, totaling 65+ screens and ~10,000+ seats. Available to general cinema audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• World's largest IMAX screen at 44m x 23m, seating ~600 guests
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship/critical, core and minor.

• IMAX Corporationflagship/criticalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2019Partnership to open world's largest IMAX screen (44x23m) at Traumpalast Leonberg. IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) provides IMAX Laser projection technology, proprietary screen and sound systems. Opened September 30, 2021. The IMAX screen in Leonberg is the world's largest ever installed.
• Samsung ElectronicscoreTechnology or Integration · 4 July 2018Samsung installed Germany's first Cinema LED Screen at Traumpalast Esslingen in July 2018. The 4K LED screen (4,096 x 2,160 pixels, 10.3 x 5.4 meters) replaced traditional projection. Samsung's Cinema LED technology is DCI-compliant and certified.
• kinoheld GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline ticketing and booking platform provider. Handles ticket purchases, reservations, gift voucher sales, customer account management, and Kinopass card top-ups. All kinoheld transactions are subject to kinoheld's privacy policy.
• Kinowerbung.de GmbH & Co. KGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales representative for cinema screen advertising across all Lochmann cinema locations. Head of Sales Paul Eberhardt handles inquiries for cinema advertising placements at Traumpalast and other Lochmann venues.
• AWIN AGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate marketing network. Lochmann Filmtheaterbetriebe earns commissions when visitors click affiliate links and purchase from partner shops (e.g., Osiander book retailer).
• Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. (Facebook, Instagram)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media fan pages for Traumpalast-Kinos on Facebook and Instagram. Meta provides the platform for social engagement, with Facebook Insights providing anonymized visitor statistics to Lochmann.
• TikTok Technology LimitedcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTikTok fan page for Traumpalast-Kinos (@traumpalast) as part of multi-platform social media strategy.
• WhatsApp Ireland LimitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWhatsApp Business used for customer and job applicant communication via end-to-end encrypted messaging.
• HDF Kino (Hauptverband Deutscher Filmtheater)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman cinema association. HDF Kino representative Dr. Thomas Negele attended Traumpalast Leonberg opening in 2016. Participated in KINO HILFT charity initiative (2022) for Ukraine.
• AG Kino – Gilde deutscher FilmkunsttheaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuild of German art-house cinemas. Supported KINO HILFT charity initiative (2022) for Ukraine alongside major cinema chains and independent theaters.
• Architekturbüro Schuhmacher & PartnercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm that designed the IMAX entertainment center at Traumpalast Leonberg, which includes IMAX cinema, bowling center, and restaurant facilities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• IMAX Corporation: Technology partner and screen-network licensor that supplies the IMAX-with-Laser system used in Traumpalast Leonberg. Comparable as the upstream partner whose content pipeline and technology roadmap shape Traumpalast's flagship experience.
• Dolby Laboratories: Provider of Dolby Cinema and Dolby Atmos technology installed across multiple Traumpalast locations. Comparable as the upstream premium-audio/visual technology vendor critical to the chain's differentiation.

Direct peers

• CineStar: One of Germany's largest cinema chains, operating dozens of multiplex locations across the country. Directly comparable as a German cinema exhibitor competing for the same cinema-going audience.
• Kinopolis: German independent cinema chain operating multiple locations including premium formats such as IMAX. Comparable as a family-run-style cinema operator in Germany with similar premium-format positioning.
• CinemaxX: Major German cinema chain with multiplex locations including premium formats. Comparable as a competing regional/national cinema exhibitor in Germany.

Broad incumbents

• Cinemark Holdings: Large multi-national cinema chain investing in premium formats like XD and IMAX. Comparable as a broad incumbent exhibitor using premium formats to differentiate from streaming.
• AMC Theatres: Major global cinema chain with premium-format offerings including IMAX and Dolby Cinema. Comparable as a broad incumbent exhibitor with overlapping premium-format capabilities.
• Event Cinemas / UCI: Large international cinema operator with premium-format screens. Comparable as a broader incumbent exhibitor offering premium large-format experiences as part of a wider portfolio.
• Odeon Cinemas Group: European cinema chain operating IMAX and premium-format screens across multiple countries. Comparable as a regional incumbent peer in European cinema exhibition with similar premium-format portfolio.

Emerging players

• Kneipen Entertainment / Bowling-Concepts Germany: German bowling and leisure center operators. Comparable as adjacent entertainment venue operators that compete for leisure/entertainment spending in the same Stuttgart catchment area as BOWL & CO.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/Traumpalast-Kinos
• Facebookfacebook.com/traumpalast
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lochmann-filmtheaterbetriebe
• Instagraminstagram.com/traumpalast
• TikToktiktok.com/@traumpalast

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lochmann Filmtheaterbetriebe (Traumpalast)