What is going on with HHA???

[Speculo]

Let me try to cover some of this...

- Having every member vote on every thing is impractical - ? don't really know how that could be done. If you want to be more involved you could certainly ask to be in some committees to get closer to the operation. Or just communicate with the board as a member and share your thoughts.

- The board minutes and Treasurers info is total transparent, just speak to the Secretary or Treasurer and they could share them with you I would guess. I did attempt through Constant Contact to email the members frequently as to what was going on, I am sure too often for some.

- Yes links on the OLD site were a mess - Yes Haunted House.com and HAM should have had better coverage, I totally agree. Frankley this was a problem. I feel certain with the new site this issue will be gone.

I was able with the blog to get all of these guys press releases out, at least it was something.

I served my year I signed up for and now I am off the board. I am very proud of the work we all did and all the things that were accomplished from scratch - Bylaws featuring strong Haunt ownership rules and term limits for the board, Driving traffic with the Hauntfinder, a Crisis plan, our Saftey outreach, a Directory, Participation in a PR program, all of the member benefits, and possibly helping our brother orgainzation IAHA get over the hump and change its bylaws and to have for the first time a Haunt owner BOD.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, perhaps a good path would be for you to get involved.

I am sorry if you thought my being a part of this board was a problem, I certainly could have spent a better year on other things. I can assure you that I did what I could to make this an association worth joining for our members. I do regret that some of our marketing partners didn't get what they deserved, but this is being addressed hopefully to their satisfaction.

Thanks

[Spookyfinder]

Also, I've spoken my peace... that's how I feel. I hope to (insert deity of preference) that the HHA pulls together and becomes stronger than anything we have ever seen. I think the PR program will work and should work for ALL haunts... but agree with me or not it's how I feel.

I'm done with this... more important things to worry about. See you all at the show, it's going to be awesome! -Tyler

[Speculo]

Haunted Attraction Magazine

Not addressing you Tyler but other stuff...

I don't think John Kennedy or Haunted Attraction Magazine was trying to hurt HHA, I think they were trying to let the Board know that they were unhappy with last years program, with reason.

Lets just take this all down a notch and just be cool.

Re : HHA and IAHA - Once again I say they are both worth looking into... You can't go wrong - do both or check out the info and work with what fits. Hey I worked very hard for HHA and yes I would like folks to join, but other people worked just as hard for IAHA - so there you go.

As to Haunted Attraction Magazine, and Hauntworld Magazine everyone should be getting both!

Listen everyone - I have a lot to do before the show as do we all I really need to get to work and get off these boards.

I cannot speak for the board of HHA but I can pretty much assure you that they have no problems with Haunted Attraction magazine or IAHA and wish them only the best!

Therefore let me implore you all to let these Mags and people and associations alone, lets take a deep breath, lets consider the 99% we share in common not the 1% we are different and lets go to this convention and have a great time.

Thanks!

[drfrightner]

Tyler you are listening the wrong people and you are not digging deep enough... you can't listen to one side only. Couple things...

Tyler you've been on this site and learned more from this site than any other... you have made several hundred posts. We don't delete people for their opinions for the most part, unless someone goes over the top nasty.

HHA is open its very open ... I've already asked you POINT BLANK... you say it should be open... how many posts have you seen about HHA? How many board members have posted about all the things they are doing... what how many? I can tell you hundreds over the past year.

Now I ask you point blank FIND ONE from IAHA. They don't communicate at all they dont' tell you SQUAT probably because they aren't doing anything but trying to figure out ways to rid themselves of HHA.

So be fair to both sides.

Secondly to your suggestion about links... the sites you mention ARE linked from the HHA website and have been this whole entire time. So lets keep facts straight here... the bottom line Tyler is the website needed a lot of work it needed to be rebuilt from scratch.

I didn't have the time, I had my own problems. The site was created by Rogues Hollow based on a template of the old HHA website which was strickly a Hauntworld thing. Many of the banners or links where never removed pages couldn't be updated because the static pages where PHP and we had NO ONE to update them. The haunt finder was COLD FUSION... the only thing I did was the HAUNT FINDER which I might add WORKS and WORKED ALL HAUNT SEASON.

I felt that was most important. I was trynig to keep my own sites up and running all October I have to admit didn't really have the time now was that concerned about trying to rebuild the HHA site into total cold fusion with a content management system to update the site.

LIke you Tyler I had a haunted hosue to run but in addition to that I had a haunt directory ... I was busy.

Bottom line is I told the board I did not want to be involved in the website ANYMORE EVER AGAIN... I PAID the board to develope their own website free and clear of any involvment from myself.

That is what happened ... so everything you are bitching about is MUTE because HHA has a NEW website without links to every tom dick and harry.

So look dude this is about MOVING forward not looking back...

So either get on board or you get left at the train station. Nothing is perfect was your haunt perfect this year did you have any problems did you ever make a mistake or make everything perfect from day one.

We've done more in one year than the other one did in 15. Now we are going to get this thing totally on track... so Tyler serious your complaints or your concerns are valued but dwelling on them is worthless because today is a new day. You are either on board or you are not.

Larry

PS: Tyler it was MYSELF that told the new board back a year ago we should sell Haunted Attraction Magazine you would think I'd be against that but I was the one who said we should contact them. Bottom line Tyler I can't make anyone happy and I'm done trying. Period! Now that I'm off the thing totally people like you or anyone else don't have anything to bitch about you as a haunt owner either make it work or you continue to be another guy who just loves to complain but never picks up the hammer and fixes the problem.

PSS: Tyler you saying it was my association that is just the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say. Where you invovled? Where you on the board? No so don't say things that you have no clue about... the fact is if you CALLED ERIC from Haunted Overload do you like that guy? Do you trust him? Give him a call before you start saying things you have no clue about. Ask him. He will tell you NO LARRY WAS HARDLY IF AT ALL INVOLVED IN HHA. LARRY NEVER MADE MEETINGS, LARRY NEVER TALKED TO THE BOARD, LARRY DID NOT POST ON THE FORUMS, LARRY DID NOT HEAD UP ANY PROGRAMS, LARRY NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH ANYONE ON THE BOARD, IN FACT IT WAS EVERYONE ELSE WHO DID EVERYTHING AND LARRY DID BASICALLY NOTHING.

Before you say another word call Eric from Haunted Overload and ASK HIM! Then come back and post your reply. Just make sure you talk to someone on the inside first someone who has no agenda whos just a nice guy to everyone.

Larry

[elowther]

Tyler,

I agree with Ben,

The best way to truly know what is going on is to get involved in the process. If I was an outsider looking in I might have some of the same opinions as you. But after participating in many meetings by phone sometimes over 3 hours long you get to understand what really went on. The funniest thing was Larry hardly made any meetings so that is a huge misconception that the board was swayed by him on many issues. The reason he stepped down was so that no one would be able to say that it was Larry's association any more.

The best thing to come out of the recent events has been the speed at which the HHA has moved to correct problems and try to mend fences like inviting Steve in to the conference call to try to resolve issues. We made progress on that call and are moving forward. It would be foolish to think that a first year organization would be problem free, lol! If you look at the big picture and all we were able to accomplish in a year none of the recent events will matter. The goal of this first year in my opinion was to set the groundwork for future boards to take it to the next level. The only way the HHA can get stronger is by having more haunts join. Look at what the milk industry was able to achieve with their "Got Milk" ads. By banding together all of us benefit.

Even though I am no longer on the board, as an HHA member I will still lend a hand to the current board with any thing I can be of help with, mainly graphic related stuff like designing ads if they ask. I encourage you to do the same, I know they are forming more committees this year and could use the help of the membership to accomplish the goals set forth. The HHA Brainstorming meeting at TW will be great because that is when you can tell the board your ideas on what members would like to see done going forward. There is no way in hell to please everyone, you must know that from running a haunt. I am always flabbergasted when I get tons of great feedback from my haunt and then have one person email and say it sucked. I'm like, were they even at the same show as every one else? People have opinions, that's what makes the world go round. As long as everyone does their best and put's in %100, that's all you can ask for and try to improve each year. I can tell you every member of the founding board put in %110 to see this thing even launch.

With Shane on board, Randy as president and the new board members in place the future looks 10 times better than last year. You don't want to be kicking yourself when an great new program is launched and you can't participate because are not a member. You say you are bringing 12 people to TW to help your business. To me the cost of an HHA membership will help your business and is a drop in the bucket.

I myself will be renewing at the HHA booth and I might not even have a pro haunt next year. I lost my location in the blink of an eye and am searching for a new one. I have a meeting tomorrow with a possible new host. If I am able to pull off securing a new location and moving the haunt in time for this season, I need all the help I can get. The HHA is just one of the things that could help my own haunt flourish.

Eric

p.s Larry and I must have been posting at the same time. The last one I saw was Ben's post. Then I posted and Larry had beat me to it saying much the same thing. I saw the part about calling me, that's funny. I would tell you Larry did not do much because his son's baseball games were always the same time as the HHA meetings.

[spookologist]

I would like to add to what Ben had said. As a person you took lots of notes, spent a lot of time listening to the meeting recordings over and over again and providing the minutes to each meeting I cannot recall a single meeting that Ben did not comment on how important it was to have a good working relationship with IAHA, Haunted Attraction, HH.com and others in the industry. He wanted and to bridge the gap between the organizations and the differences of those involved and worked hard to get it done. He tried to get it done but only has so much time, who knows, maybe if the rest of us on the Board caught his vision things would have been different. It saddens me to hear some of the comments about his intentions and from what I have seen, I believe his heart was/is in the right place.
Thank you Ben for giving over of year of your life for this cause, your work should never be questioned and you should be proud of your accomplishments as President.

Wayne Barneschi (retired HHA Board Member)

[Haunts of Richmond]

- The board minutes and Treasurers info is total transparent, just speak to the Secretary or Treasurer and they could share them with you I would guess. I did attempt through Constant Contact to email the members frequently as to what was going on, I am sure too often for some.

Thanks, Ben.

This would definitely be my recommendation to the new haunt board - send complete minutes to all HHA members after every meeting.

While I'm practically a baby in the industry and the haunt I work for is apart of IAHA, I still am trying to follow the progress of HHA very closely and I appreciate the hard work that has been put forth thus far. I went to the first open HHA meeting last year at Transworld and have thought about joining as an Associate Member at some point in the near future (possibly after all the trade shows are done this year). The simple fact is, there are a ton of egos at play, and hopefully the dust will settle and everyone will be able to move on.

Just remember actions speak louder than words... or as Batman once said, "it's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me."


- Ryan

[graystone]

I will say this once more!

Guys this is the last time I am saying this PLEASE LISTEN TO ME. Your opinions are all welcomed and much needed but at this point to call names and say your glad this one and that one is gone is crazy and I will tell you why. If we were 5 or 10 years into the HHA and there was all kinds of drama, name calling, and finger pointing on why things were done, were not done, should have been done and so on YOU ALL KNOW I WOULD BE RIGHT THERE WITH YOU IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE! BUT where not were still young and growing and learning.

If it were not for Ben, Larry, and the other guys getting the HHA off the ground and spending their OWN money and time to do it there would be no HHA. I say on this lets say THANK YOU GUYS instead of all the attacks. I am sure Larry, Ben, Scott, Eric all spent hours working on this for US all. Hell all we were doing was working on our haunts, chilling here on HW and on HA and spending time with our families these guys could not do that as they were trying to get this off the ground and still run their haunts! So to say things like I did not like them, or I am glad their gone is just down right WRONG and disrespectful as I did not see one of us stand up and offer our money and time!!!

Now moving forward I respect everyone , will I always agree? heck no but that's how it is in life we all see things different. I respect everything these guys has done and am honored they have did this for me and you, yes YOU! I also respect John Kennedy for bringing HA back to life, I respect Scott and Eric for the hours they spent helping launch the HHA, I respect Steve Kopelman for having a great site to where it sends me customers, Ben and Larry for their hours they spent and the money they forked over again without them stepping up to the plate there would be no HHA and I am sure in thinking about it they are saying hell had I knew this piss on it its not worth it. But I think its worth it just like they did and still do just as I do.

Can we please come together and move forward? Ok I admit it and see that there are problems but lets all stick together and work on them we can even talk about them at the show. Guys I will be honest I told Larry I would take on this role when I should have slept on it and I am really really stressed here. I am opening a new haunt dealing with all the stuff that that brings all before the first board goes up. I am still running my Christmas and Easter Company, I am still dealing with old Graystone Bullshit! I got tons of animals to care for and now I am helping with the HHA board and helping Larry moderate this site! Damn and you thought you had it bad Larry LOL! I am serious here guys I am stressing more than I ever have in my life but I told Larry I would and I will! I am begging you guys look at the hell I got going on now and I am sticking it out! Will you do as a friend would and should and stick it out with me and not turn your backs? Can we stop the he said, she said, they said name calling and finger pointing and move forward to correct it all in a way everyone will like even though I assure you theres no way in hell that will happen! There will always be disagreements but all we can do is try and get everyone back on track and positive again PLEASE GUYS FOR ME? I am serious I am on the edge here please lets all come together. Shane and its from the heart! Shane this time.

[MDKing]

Tyler,

You make some good points, but you do not know everything about the HHA and what has been done or said at this point.

The one point I wanted to correct is that you said the HHA is in Shane's hands now. That simply is not true at this time. First of all, the HHA has a board, and IF Shane is voted in he would be an equal member to the board to serve the membership and industry. You cited one or a couple people had all the power then you hand the reigns over to Shane?

Larry may have jumped the gun by appointing his own successor there needs to be an official vote before anyone gets in on the board. Once that happens Shane becomes a part of the team, not the coach and I hope Shane you agree with this statement.

Allan

[graystone]

Allan

Very much so. Larry asked me to take his place and if the board agrees then I will be one of a group. I told Larry I would do this but if there are others out there that want's to throw their name in the hat I promise I have no problems with that either and I don't see Larry or the board having a problem with that. You got Randy as president and all the other hard working officers. But lets keep the vision and stay the course of what these guys started! Shane and its you are correct! Allan Shane this time.

[MDKing]

Shane,

I think you would be a good asset for the HHA. I just wanted everyone reading these threads to know and make clear that details need to be worked out before any changes like this would occur, least of which an actual vote by the board. It's already been stated prematurely, but I don't think you'll have any problems.

One of the points we need to work on is having one voice that represents the entire association, so that any individual opinions and statements will not be misconstrued or misinterprested as the voice of all of us as a board, and as an association.

See you guys next week!
Allan

[drfrightner]

Shane,

I think you are PERFECT. At this point I'm looking foward to stepping off the HHA board and letting the NEW board take over and create the benefits and do what they can to bring people together.

Given my position I own a magazine, someone else owns a magazine, I own a directory someone else owns a directory... I don't want to be at odds with any of these people. You have to understand if they are on the board or I'm on the board it can heighten accusations.

I think it best I am not on the board because those who compete with me can't say anything...its best for all.

Shane you compete with NO ONE!

You are perfect.

Larry