Did anyone see this... yet another new haunted house show

[drfrightner]

Jared,

Any and all entertainment experiences are worth what you think they are worth... Kiss concert was getting $500 plus a ticket, a plunge down to see the Titanic will set you back $50,000 and the list goes on. But you are right as an educational experience these tours are worth every penny. If you don't agree your haunt is probably one of those haunts who do about 1000 people and open only on Halloween and your pissed because you can't figure out how to get over the hump with your own haunt. Wake up there is a way to get it done just start with not being sour 24/7. If this is what you want to do jump in with two feet and do everything you can to learn... buying some animation that will break the day after you buy it won't get more customers to your door!!! WILL NOT HAPPEN!

What will get more customers to your door is being a good business person, someone who knows more about running the business, than making people scream... now when you can do both then you will be a huge success! That I can promise you!

It starts with the business side, and rolls down into the haunt the event itself. Trust me!

Learn everything you can and make part of your budget to invest in education be it videos, magazines, seminars, tours, taking trips to see places and things and or doing seminars out of this industry like sponsorship to whatever. It all adds up and makes you a better business owner, smarter business owner, and a more successful business owner. All the people who cry like babies about what something cost will never make it because they are not tough enough to do what it takes to make it... take the risks, make the sacrifices they just want everything handed to them on a silver platter. Sorry doesn't work that way.

Lastly Jared I LOVE TO SEE THINGS... I just don't go around and see haunts anymore. I go to all attractions no matter what they are I visited several recently in Myrtle Beach, additionally went to LA and saw tons more. I've passed seeing haunts, I'm looking for the moon the stars and the galaxy. I'm looking for the big over the top next big thing idea's... I go to Disney's California Adventure and marvel at the place! Trust me I get out a lot just haven't been visiting haunts.

Larry

[mindtumor]

Now actually I'm the hypocrite because I don't leave my bat cave anymore, I'm an old hermit, you never see me at these shows anymore. But that doesn't mean I don't know I should be and would in a second and I know one thing for sure... if I did go I wouldn't be crying about what they charged to get in. When I go out of town I'll pay pay pay to hit as many places as I can to see new things and take lots of photos.

Life is too short to be a hermit, even for someone that has been everywhere and thinks they have seen everything.

I think a lot of the people that complain about the tour prices are the people that see these tours as entertainment, not a learning experience. Yeah, $150+ is too expensive to pay for entertainment unless you have a lot of disposable income, but its not that much to pay for a business/learning opportunity.

[drfrightner]

I guess I misunderstood there... sorry! Anyway let me defend tours in general and honestly I don't care who's tour it is. Apparently all these tours people are doing are really expensive at least in your opinions. I disagree. You want education, you want idea's, you want some inspiration, you want to see other haunts, you want to see something different, experience something outside your market, whatever, whatever, whatever.

For someone to rebuild their show, spend all that money, hire all those people, get insurance, go through all that stuff for one night and you think they should let you in free or just whatever they charge during the normal season is an outrage. What you are basically asking them to do then is work their ass off, and flush a lot of their money down the drain just for you just because you are a haunter. That is nuts! Why don't you do the same during the season... why not let all your guests in free? Look and this is just being honest here... many of these haunts out there are totally ripping people off and I mean totally. Some of you guys are charging $25, $35 and yes I heard the other day a haunt in GA is charging SIXTY DOLLARS ... I've spent millions on the Darkness and I finally raised my price to $23.00, when some haunts in yes believe this or not in my own market are charging $25.00. There is one haunt so bad filled with blast plastic particle board walls, and everything else and they charge more than I do.

There are a lot of haunts out there in it for the money grab... then we have haunts like 13th Gate who will be opening for the industry later this year and they have spent several hundred thousand dollars to rebuild this year. I know they spent all that money because of the industry tour not because he was concerned about what the local customers would think. See he's gone over and above because of this tour, and he's staying open longer, adding some special things just for this and yes it cost more money. Oh well... if you don't like it don't go but don't be a baby and cry about it. Some of you guys that cry about this stuff also charge $30 $40 bucks with a speed pass to enter your haunt. Do you think that is a rip off... for the same price I can go to Six Flags. Will there be people saying that wasn't worth it... ahhh yeah! But does that stop you?

This whole industry has way to my hypocrites honestly, we want more more more and we want to pay less less less... look this is the only industry on the planet who thinks everything should be free! Why... because you have a lot of information rolling around out there and that is because you have some very wonderful people out there like Allen for example or Haunted Overload guys for example who will share information without a second thought. These guys are great for this industry, because we I would agree also have an industry where more people share info than any other industry. So this is good and bad, because we've created this black hole tunnel so to speak where people think things should be free, while on the other hand there are business people who value the education of what is being offered. This is an industry of many do it yourself people, and this is a business of many who want to buy those props, or buy that information. If this was the amusement park business they just buy they can't build a 30 million dollar ride... they must buy.

In this industry you have so many creative people with so many different backgrounds you just never know what someone can or can't do by themselves... so the point here is we have a huge chunk of this industry who can do, then those who can't do, then those who can do but want to do better... and the list goes on.

Stop being so negative about everything and realize you if you own an attraction are trying to make money and some of you are charging way more than you should but if you think you can get it and that is what makes your business successful who am I to judge. If a haunter is running an event for the industry and they are going to put a lot of work and effort into it and they want to charge $1000 you can either attend or not attend. Its really not your place to judge unless you attend ... was it worth the $1000 or not? If Universal does a behind the scenes, which they do, and if I was in town and it cost $1000 I would buy the ticket, and not think twice about it. What is $1000 in the bigger scheme of things... if your goal is to become the best haunt in your town then a thousand bucks is a drop in the bucket. When I started in this business I flew around all over the country visiting 2 to 3 cities every Halloween trying to figure out what everyone was doing. How much do you think that cost me... let me tell you THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!

I saw some REALLY REALLY bad haunted houses let me tell you... and even in the worst haunts I saw there was always something that made all the effort worth it! So even if I was walking through the worst haunt I had ever seen, which I think I did see a few of those (LOL) I still experienced something to make my investment worth the trip. I never valued things by how much money I spent to experience something, I only took away what I experienced, learned, not what I spent.

This industry has made it fairly easy to obtain lots of good information be it from all the videos we've sold, someone else has sold, all the seminars, events, tours ... see none of this existed when I started. You had to do it the hard way... now that its so easy you have ten times the people expecting more more more and offer less less less.

Bottom line appreciate what people do, and seize it because those experiences are worth their weight in gold. Why do I know so much... I've been to 20 IAAPA Shows, 20 plus Transworld Shows, visited hundreds of haunted houses, talked to people, once spent $2500 to do a sponsorship seminar, flew all across the country to see things, and I've never ever put a value on education, experiences, or anything of the sort... it has always been part of the quest for knowledge. I've always been willing to try something new, even if it meant losing lots of money, if in the end it offered more knowledge to myself.

The most important thing you own is your brain... what is really cool is that your brain can store more things than a 1 million square foot storage locker! So fill your brain with everything you can and stop the crying! If you don't like something don't do it but understand the only one losing out in the end is YOU!

Now actually I'm the hypocrite because I don't leave my bat cave anymore, I'm an old hermit, you never see me at these shows anymore. But that doesn't mean I don't know I should be and would in a second and I know one thing for sure... if I did go I wouldn't be crying about what they charged to get in. When I go out of town I'll pay pay pay to hit as many places as I can to see new things and take lots of photos.

Anyway enough with the soapbox... the original point was the new show. If they have events I'm sure they will all be worth it for the traveling haunter who should be on a non-stop quest for knowledge and worth while experiences! And the two or three tickets it cost you from your haunt shouldn't be a worry especially if you can turn the experience into 1000 more tickets sold at your place the following year. That is how I look at all these things.

Larry

[Frightener]

Bobby, you're forgetting about mainstream internet. A friend of mine was showing me some videos one day. You know video you're playing and you have options to the right you click on and next thing you know you've gone from bikini bottom girls to star wars kid and zit popping. Well, we went from a few off topic videos and ended up with a transworld show video. If that show gets hard promoting, and videos taken by haunters, you betchya it'll be on the internet.

Lots of folks around here know what The Darkness is, only by youtube videos. It's gonna happen. Sure, it's still a smaller amount of people but the words gonna get out.

I agree. Especially with BigT's comment about magic. It's already happened. 20 years ago, scotch and soda was hard to find. Now you can just about drive an hour in any direction and find a store selling it. or order it off ebay. Look at everything as a virus. Any greatness will spread. The more technology is released, the spreading will happen faster and faster.

Music for example, back in the day you didn't see / hear of these music prodigy's like the 9 year old drummer that can play anything, and perfectly just about. But because of sources like the internet, it's nothing to see 12 year old Steve Vai's whaling on the strings of a guitar like a 20 year veteran. 25 years ago you wouldn't have heard about him unless he was "found" by a promoter and he took him to the world.

It's gonna happen, I guess. Just make the best of it and do what you can. That's another reason to keep innovative. The same will get old and boring and "ahh that's been done and we know how that works" So I guess we should just look at it like.. "well, it's a show for PROPS and decor... " So how much of your show depends on the props and decor? How much of your show is YOURS and NOT, Gore Galore, and Midnight Studios, and Scarefactory?

Sorry, drinking got started earlier than expected. Don't mind me if I rambled.

Dewayne

[screamforadream]

BigT,

I hear you on that, but if the convention is in Florida, and I have a place in Connecticut and you have one in another state as well, will OUR clients be going there? That's kinda how I think about it, in a way I almost am glad that there aren't any shows that close to us, because then I don't directly concern myself with that issue. But it is a valid point, but with most things nowadays be it magic or haunts, if someone is that interested in something, can't they just google or youtube it? I mean, I type in halloween props into google and industry vendors pop up, or if i type in how to make a dollar bill float into youtube, there's actual how-to's....it all comes down to how much our clients/the general public really want to know more about haunts (in which case they're probably acting at one anyway), i doubt many (if any) college jocks and their girlfriends are going to go out of their way to go to these shows like they would to come to our haunts....

so i agree and disagree at the same time, it may slightly detriment the local haunts, so they may need to really step it up, but overall it's a sign of industry growth.

[BigT]

Mixed feelings

I have mixed feelings about this show. It seems a lot of focus on the general public (our clientele). If I were a magician (I dabble in magic and have some great tricks, but not a very good magician) I would not want to see my tricks being sold at the local WalMart. It takes all the mystic out of the magic.

I think the same is true of Haunted Attractions. We spend a lot of money on effects, lighting, audio, and scares. The public comes and is terrified and amazed at the same time by those very effects, lights, audio and scares. But if they have the catalog at home, are they still going to be amazed?

In my day job, I have to attend many industry shows as a vendor (different industry). We HATE it when the general public attends these shows, because they waste all our valuable time asking us questions about how things work, and giving demos to people that are not buying. We spend so much time distracted by the public that we miss the real opportunity to sell to the professionals with the pocket book open and ready to buy. We even had to hide all of our "giveaways" (they were really nice canvas bags) because the public was raiding our booth, and we didn't have enough for the paying customers!

Just my personal opinion.

[screamforadream]

Thanks John! Haha nothing was ever meant to be so serious lol, yeesh, if we can't laugh at ourselves who can we laugh at? I'm sorry to have apparently started a mild riot everyone! Pitchforks and flaming torches are available outside the Rosen center ;P

[screamforadream]

March of 2010 isn't accurate either lol, I had an account before this since like 2008(7?)

[screamforadream]

Alright alright DA I'm sorry to make you so angry.

On the note, i'm only a senior member cause I've been on here for YEARS and there was a period of time when I was on here almost every second of every day reading as many helpful posts that dated as far back as possible.

As for selling, it's not a choice i have much say in, it's unhappy and unsettling but I can't do anything about it.

Listen the whole point of saying anything in the first place was to show excitement towards a new show, it means good things for us.

And Allen, you knew they would have to time it like that somehow! All of our shows are so close together, I don't like it mainly because I can't attend as much as I'd like. it'd be nice to have one a month or so from like February-May so financial planning could be easier....but I guess the haunt shows love to have competition lol.

I've been saving in a separate account tradeshow money for over a year lol so i really can't wait to go to one this year!
It'll come down to vendors, size, tours, and extras to me, but I may sponsors friend to travel anyway to test the waters for him as a vendor.

[john haines]

Anything at the rosen center, i'm there !!!!!!! Great location !!!!

How can you complain about a show in florida ? Perfect !!!!! See you there. I agree with bobby (as usual) for young man, he knows his stuff !!!!

[Darkangel]

Thanks Jared, and I must say you are one of the most sane people on here, never quick to pile on with the gang but be your own man. Much appreciated!

DA

[mindtumor]

the only negative you will hear is from the organizers of the St Louis Show....ignore...

It's presented by Transworld, not sure if they are going to be negative about something they are presenting.

[mindtumor]

Couple things...

First off DA what we charged to tour our haunts has nothing to do with this new show nothing at all. And really even though it has NOTHING to do with it and I shouldnt have to explain myself 50 times but ... look at these legendary haunt tours they cost like $250 bucks.

I think you misread DA. He wasn't the one complaining.

The thing with the tours or any of the extra crap you have to pay for to do is, you don't actually have to do it if you think its too expensive. The cost to do this stuff isn't that bad, but I guess everyone wants everything to be free.

[Darksidestew]

Im a 48 year old man and have gone to all the show for 11 years.
Im all in for a NEW Show. tired of the same old crap from the same people and the over charges for events that are not worth half they charge from the so called best in the industry. bring it on...its time to change and replace .....

the only negative you will hear is from the organizers of the St Louis Show....ignore...

The more shows the bigger the industry gets...period.....Dont like what I write....do not read it.....

Stew

[mindtumor]

And I don't think so DA, I know we haven't agreed in the past, mainly because you're known for being the least mentally stable person here lol (no offense). !

This may be the most ridiculous thing I've read this year on here.