The National Association of Concessionaires has named Anita Watts of Cinema Solutions as the 2009 NAC Bert Nathan Memorial Award honoree. The award presentation will be made on April 1 at a breakfast sponsored by Nestle during the ShoWest theatre exhibition convention in Las Vegas.

We are pleased to honor Anita for her innovation and leadership in the theatre concessions industry as well as her continued and steadfast support on behalf of NAC," stated NAC President Maria Angles, ECM, Hollywood Entertainment.

Watts began her career in theatre concessions in 1993 with Ricos Products Company, developing an export division for the company's nacho products. She was with the company for five years, leaving as vice president of international sales with relationships in 12 countries.

In 1998 she started her own consulting firms, World Around Trade Services, still active today brokering U.S. products to overseas cinema clients. In 2000, seeing the potential for an online community for information and trade in the cinema industry, Anita, along with husband James Watts, Phillip Day and Tony Kylitis, formed Cinema Solutions. Cinema Solutions became the electronic marketplace for the industry to source and exchange information, products and services across all categories of spend. The company services approximately two-thirds of the U.S. cinema industry, both buyers and sellers, with fully integrated procurement services and other software services to improve and build efficient operations.

In 2006, Cinema Solutions created a wholly owned subsidiary, ReactorNet Technologies, and branded its software platform as ReactorNet. It was created for the purposes of marketing and licensing the software to companies outside the cinema industry. Key clients include Home Depot and Office Max.

She has been an active attendee of NAC conventions since 1996, and joined the association in 1998, where she has been a sponsor of NAC conventions and events. Watts also serves as concessions editor for Film Journal magazine, and is a member of the International Cinema Technology Association and the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

Watts and her husband James have three daughters: Olivia, Sophie and Abigail, and reside in San Antonio, where she is active in the PTA and charitable fund raisers.

Previous winners of the Bert Nathan Memorial Award are Maria Angles, Norman Chesler, Charlie Cretors, Gina Troutman DiSanto, Larry Etter, J.C. Evans, John Evans, Jr., Evan Gordon, Wally Helton, Dan Kroeger, Ron Krueger II, Jack Leonard, Peter Leyh, Frank Liberto, Libby Mauro, Mike Mosher, Bruce Proctor, Bill Rector, Krista Schulte, Robert Scribner, Skip Stefansen, Bruce Taffet, and the late Bill Chaplain, Len Marsh and Bert Nathan.

The award is named for the late Bert Nathan, a past president, leader and great supporter of NAC and the concessions industry. The award is given annually based on nominations from NAC members and a vote of past award recipients. Criteria for the award include involvement in NAC, providing positive leadership direction; significant contributions to the development and professionalism of the concessions industry; and current involvement at the executive level.

The National Association of Concessionaires, founded in 1944, is a trade association representing the recreation and leisure-time food and beverage concessions industry. NAC is comprised of owners and operators of all types of public assembly facilities including movie theatres, stadiums and arenas, colleges and universities, amusement parks, park and recreation departments, ice and roller rinks, and other leisure-time foodservice operations, as well as the companies that provide products and services to these facilities.