Oh those nutty people from Transworld. Ya, its Vegas :(

[Barry]

Why don't you take the lead in the industry and move your show to the top spot, I'm sure, with the right dates and location you could surely accomplish this, and why don't you ask all of the vendors that will be attending MHC how they feel about this venture?

That has been the topic of many conversations! It cannot happen in '09 because of facility bookings. There is just nothing available at a good price (hotel and convention space). There is also Transworld. We are not certain we want to go head to head with them, and their deep pockets, unless all of the vendors supported it.

Christ, our second year I spoke to Barry and he told me himself that his show was small!

What a difference a few years makes Matt. I would not call MHC small anymore. You, however, are in the group of vendors that really benefits from the retail buyers. I still do not think any haunt only show will give you the results of Transworld over the past few years. As always, I am very up front with vendors as to how I think they would do at MHC and I do not over inflate numbers/projections just to try and get another vendor here.

[Ken Spriggs]

Larry?

Larry, I have had some severe head trama over the years but ........

MHC is a show.....a HAUNTED HOUSE CONVENTION of sorts
Why wouldn't we all stand behind MHC or HAUNTCON?

I know your going to say they AREN'T what we need and such

BUT why not make them what we want?

Tell you this much......after more than 15 years going to the Transworld show
2009 will be the first time I will not be going.

You guys are going to do what you want anyways.......

BARRY, need anything for the show? You covered with sponsors and such?
I am partial to this show for 1 reason.......2007 show came at a pretty bad point in my life. I had some realizations that weekend that have kept me from calling it quits.

Barry if you need anything let me know

[MDKing]

Matt,

FYI, the Mason-Dixon line is the line that divides the Northern States and the Southern states. This is on the border of PA to the North and MD to the south, as Maryland is known as "The Old Line State". Just wanted to clarify for Geography sake!

Allan

[drfrightner]

Ken,

MHC and Hauntcon are not a strict buyer seller show, as they focus a lot of their energy on actors, enthusiast, and such. Now there is NOTHING wrong with that however that is not what I'm talking about.

I think MHC and EHC are great shows, but we need a replacement show to the retail show known as Transworld, in early March or late February.

Secondly, Ken, it takes a lot of resources to promote a show of the size that I'm talking about...by my figures $40,000 to $50,000 to promote the show alone. I don't think these events have those kind of resources nor would they have the databases required to find the unique buyers that GROW the industry both for the buyer and seller.

You're talking about two totally different kind of shows here... one that focus on education, actor training, and all sorts of fun stuff, while this show would focus strictly on new products, buyers and sellers, and let me add 'qualified buyers'.

Barry would be the first to tell you they want MHC open to anyone who wants to come, they encourage you to bring everyone including the kitchen sink. Again nothing wrong with that but when you're a buyer seller show, you want to do business, the expense of a buyer seller show is very high and you want to spend your time selling. Additionally you don't want the tradeshow floor to complete with make up wars, or hearse rallies, or garage sales, and so forth.

You want buyers on the tradeshow floor with all of their attention on buying and selling.

Again just a different type of show.

Clearly, MHC has been able to thrive just fine even with Transworld being the big dog show... so it won't effect what they do one bit. This will only create a bigger, more successful show for vendors and buyers.

Ken, its a big plan that would mean a lot to your business on both sides of the coin...your haunt and your vendor business.

Larry

PS: Shane there is no set location for this show just FYI. I would love for it to be in St. Louis which is the most central city in America, but there are about 5 different cities being kicked around from New Orleans, to Orlando to Dallas, to Kansas City, and more. There is no city, so stop trying to make another issue for people to bitch about.

[Barry]

Barry would be the first to tell you they want MHC open to anyone who wants to come, they encourage you to bring everyone including the kitchen sink. Again nothing wrong with that but when you're a buyer seller show, you want to do business, the expense of a buyer seller show is very high and you want to spend your time selling. Additionally you don't want the tradeshow floor to complete with make up wars, or hearse rallies, or garage sales, and so forth.

You want buyers on the tradeshow floor with all of their attention on buying and selling.

You are exactly right about MHC and as I have told you numerous times, I think without the social activities the show you are talking about would have empty aisles.

[drfrightner]

Barry,

As I've told you many times I don't agree that without those thing you would have empty isles. Again I think what you guys do is awesome, and yes it is 110% more fun than Transworld, and NO one is saying otherwise. I've said it myself before I'm sure Hauntcon is more fun than Transworld. Transworld this past year finally got it right when they dumped that haunters pavilion, which did nothing to benefit the vendors who paid for the show.

At Transworld the vendor share NO burden with the buyers because TW doesn't charge the buyers an entry fee. If I'm correct MHC and Hauntcon charge an entry fee for the show, which In my opinion is the right way to go. This lowers cost for the vendor, increases them buying additional booth spaces which mean more new products...win win for everyone.

Transworld was doing great before they tried to duplicate MHC stuff, and they did great when they finally got it right and stopped trying. Transworld is a buyer seller show, and buyers show up with money, and sellers show up with check books. I've told Transworld for years SAVE the social events for MHC, Hauntcon and now the new and exciting EHC.

You know the haunter better than they do, they know tradeshows, so let everyone do what the do best.

Some haunt vendors at TW do high six figures in orders right there on the spot, while even the average vendors will do or can do HIGH 5 figures and or low 6 figures. Some just take a lot of leads and make tons of sales later...its a buyer seller show.

MHC is a show for buying and selling but more commitment is put towards social aspects, or education, while things like Hauntcon put most of their stock in tours. Transworld has always been for buying and selling.

What I'm talking about is a replacement to Transworlds haunt section, something that has 110% focus on VENDORS and BUYERS, with NO social functions, dances, and all that stuff. Educations sure, if there is a haunt to tour great, but 90% of the stock is put into bringing new buyers to vendors, and vendors bringing new product to the industry.

It's just a different type of show, but a needed one for sure!

Larry

[graystone]

Well here....

Is my opinion maybe Larry wont delete it! I am for Transworld and will continue to go there. Do I go there to buy? Not really thats what my phone is for and the big 5% discount is not enough to get me to spend money on the spot. I mean I usually spend a few thousand but not more. Now when I get back and think about all the cool things I seen I pick up the phone and call Unit70, Distortions, Oak Island and a few others. They can tell you when Shane calls Shane spends the $$$$$$$ and I can get the same discount and sometimes more right on the phone. I will also start buying from Gore Galore, ScreamLine, CreepyCollection,BodyBagging, Xtreme Creators and several more because by coming here I have made great friends with them as well. Also if I can ( remember I too own my own company) I will attend MHC as I think thats another great show. Personally 2 big shows a year should be more than enough for vendors. As long as they have phones and are not afraid to answer it then they should stay busy!! Guys you all know who you are and keep up the AWSOME WORK YOUR DOING!!!! If I did not call your name forgive me as everyone knows I think for the most part 90% of you guys are hard working and honest! Again I say 2 shows maybe 3 if you include HauntCon or EHC! So another show is just a waste of time and effort on someones part. I dont see that ship sailing. Shane

[Barry]

Larry,

No, MHC does not charge admission for the tradeshow floor. We never have and never will. I cannot see taking money out of attendees pockets that they can spend with my vendors. I can do this AND still keep it affordable for the vendors to be here.

Personally, I take offense that you seem to think that we place more emphasis on one aspect of the show over another. If you would ask any of the vendors that have been here you will find that to not be the case. There is a fine balancing act that needs to take place with a tradeshow. If you cannot attract the vendors, then the attendees will not come. If the attendees do not come, the vendors will not return. You cannot have one without the other.

As I have told you, it is my opinion that the haunt industry is looking for a social event in conjunction with their tradeshow. That is why the crowd grew to what it was at TW. People like to bring along their employees, their makeup people, etc... They want to make it a vacation. I firmly believe that without the social aspects to draw smaller to medium haunts, a strictly buyer-seller show would be severely limited in expected attendance.

[graystone]

Barry

I would not let it bother me everyone knows the hard work you put into your event! And its no secret the Vendors and buyers are happy. I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD GIVE BARRY A BIG THUMBS UP AND A BIG THANKS! You have made it a vendors/buyers market and theres no where to go but keep going up. Shane

[actiondeath]

Thumbs up, Berry!

I can't wait for the MHC. "Zombieeeeesssssss... We're surroundeeeeeeeddddddd!!!"

[Grimley]

While I have never been to MHC I have heard from two different vendors that say the no admission policy hurts the vendors. Every Joe blow can walk in and they sometimes don't have any real interest in the haunt world. So you end up talking to someone with no inclination of buying anything.

[screamline studios]

I Call Bullshit!!!

LARRY,

You say transworld knows tradeshows this maybe true, but do they really know the people?? i would say not, most of them are stuck behind a desk or golfing while all of the hard working people bust there ass just to make them rich, i personally have a hard time with this. Again to me MHC is the future of tradeshows, living there lives around halloween and haunts, and it shows in there events!!! no corporate bullshit, no cigar smoking bigwig living high on the hog drinking only the finest sherry laughing all the way to the bank... you say that you have never been to MHC so my question to you larry is how do you know there is a better show that could be put together, because a couple of vendors did not sell that much?? or maybe those vendors did not have what the consumer wanted that year? who knows, I sure as hell dont. I do hope you have a great idea for a haunted tradeshow, i am positive that screamline would vend there so bring it on and in the end we as vendors or buyers will decide which is the best show.....

These are just my thoughts

Jason Blaszczak
SCREAMLINE STUDIOS

[Barry]

Grimley,

I have had vendors express this opinion as well but the overwhelming majority have not. It is a difference of opinion. I have done many tradeshows in another industry and personally I do not want someone "pre qualifying" people for me. Put the faces in front of me and let me determine who I need to spend time with.

But I can, and do, value the other opinion. My question for you is, what is the dollar amount that "weeds out" non buyers and do you then hurt your seminar sales? If I had not made it clear, it is our seminar registrations that keep the vendor booth prices lower as we don't support the show on the shoulders of the vendors or the buyers. Like I said earlier, it is a balancing act.

[toothtwister]

Ain't no biggie

While I have never been to MHC I have heard from two different vendors that say the no admission policy hurts the vendors. Every Joe blow can walk in and they sometimes don't have any real interest in the haunt world. So you end up talking to someone with no inclination of buying anything.

The same argument can be made to apply to Transworld. Vendors are looking to land the big buyers and often times spend too much time talking with folks who may only be interested in buying onesies and twosies (i.e. the Haunters).

Transworld is a TRADESHOW and as such, they are not open to the general public. The vendors at these shows primarily expect to write good-size to large orders; they typically offer wholesale pricing since the buyers are purchasing in bulk.

Larger buyers traditionally operate on narrow margins which is why they buy in bulk. Vendors know that their products cannot be undersold in the market with this crowd.

At the other end of the spectrum, we have MHC, EHC and HauntCon. These are all CONVENTIONS (they are not Tradeshows). Generally speaking, conventions are open to the public (usually with and admission fee), and they are geared towards everyone and anyone interested the haunt industry. This is where you will see the make-up wars, costume contests, outrageous parties, scream queens, fan boys, etc. On the vendor side of the conventions, you will find items tagged for retail sales.

The problem that Transworld has had is that over the years it has been evolving into a convention and this has alienated a lot of it's sellers.

Transworld would be smart to consider keeping the Tradeshow in Vegas (since they are now commited), and hold a Transworld Halloween and Haunt convention in Chicago in April or May.

But what do I know?

Thad
DentalDistortions

[graystone]

Jason!

LMAO you done went and did the throw down!!!!!!! Whooooooooooooo! Got to love this! I think we all need some professional help! Just havin fun with ya bro! I will always back ya! Shane