The Kinepolis Group was set up in 1997 following the merger of the Bert and Claeys groups. It was listed on the stock market in 1998 and has since grown to become Belgium's market leader and a leading player in the European market. Kinepolis currently owns 23 cinema complexes in Belgium, France, Spain, Poland and Switzerland, and employs 1800 people.The group entertained in 2006 23.9 million of cinemagoers.