Paul Johnson, the CEO ofAustralia's Hoyts Cinemas Ltd, has been named international exhibitor ofthe year at worldwide exhibition convention ShoWest which is being held March4-7 in Las Vegas.

Johnson, who will receivehis award at the international day luncheon on March 4, joined Hoyts in 1982 asa financial accountant and in 1984 was named director of corporate strategy, astrategy which under Johnson's aegis would see Hoyts enter the NorthAmerican exhibition market. He promptly relocated to the US as chief financialofficer of Hoyts' US companies, returning to Australia in 1990 where hewas appointed to the board.

After Hoyts was taken overby Kerry Packer's Consolidated Press Holdings in 1999, Johnson wasappointed CEO of Hoyts Cinemas Ltd. Hoyts currently operates over 1,800 screensthroughout Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Brasiland Uruguay.