Transworld Press Release

[RoguesHollow]

There seems to be a group that really dislikes the idea of the move but I really believe this is going to benefit our industry. I enjoy going to shows like MHC and Hauntcon but those shows are conventions more than tradeshows. I'd say 9 out of 10 people I spoke to at MHC were either actors, musicians or home haunters. While its great to talk to these people they're not exactly looking to buy thousands of dollars in props or a cool website. So for many of the larger vendors or serviced based vendors the smaller shows can be hard to justify going to.

Transworld has alwasy been the only show major vendors needed to go to to find the haunt owners looking to purhcase large orders. However Vegas wasn't too great for many vendors. I know for me it wasn't as good as Chicago and the I never got to hang out with any clients at all. Way too many distractions! So I'm happy to hear the show going back to a venue without the chaos of Vegas in the background.

Also I think having our own tradeshow is overdue and this will only help to legitamize and expand our industry. Now seems like as good a time as any with the split happening in the Costume show. I guess its possible it could be bumpy for the first couple years but I doubt it. I think this is going to ba a very positive first step in growing OUR industry!

[Gore Galore]

Surprise

Wow,
I am really surprised by the split opinions on this.
Some really negative.
Some really positive.

Well all I can do is reiterate what has already been said.
Transworld polled many buyers and they indicated they didn't care where it was. All that mattered is that the vendors would be there.
You got that for certain. If everyone felt so against it then why did the poll not show it. So, Most don't care. It is only the ones who feel most strongly about it who are even going to post on Haunt world concerning it.

So, then transworld polled many vendors, and they picked vendors that could be objective about it. Vendors with as little vested interest in one location over another and allowed them to make the decision.
We chose St Louis.

If we want a great show we are going to have to make it a great show. We can't depend on anyone else to make this happen. We have to do all the leg work now. No one else to depend on to get this done. We can only rely on ourselves to make this all happen. And the vendors will do everything possible to create the best show we have ever had.
And all you as buyers have to do is show up and buy.
Pretty simple.

[graystone]

Ummmmmmmmm

Good Morning Kevin LOL how are you. This reminds me of the song Mr. Rogers always sang. Its a beautiful day in the neighborhood its beautiful day for a neighbor.... would you be mine???? could you be mine?????................. LOL. Shane and its Happy to be Shane.

[Empressnightshade]

This opinion is coming from someone who lives near Vegas (California), has a financially struggling haunt (on knees praying for this season to be "The One") and has only attended Transworld twice. In other words, this opinion is coming from me.

I'm no one special and I'm not a person vendors are overjoyed to see since I'm usually cassé (broke). But, I've gone these past two years to give me inspiration. Gore galore and their Zombiefied dudes, Distortions and their clan of tortured misfits, Unit 70...all of them just makes my jaw drop in awe. All of them keeps me going and pushing myself every year so that maybe one day I can walk up to Mark from Creative Visions and say, "Hey Handsome...rack'em up!"

If I had to choose between keeping the two shows together or start back with taking babysteps to continue a haunt only show, I'd choose the latter. Why? The disdain.....
When I walked into Transworld Vegas, I first of all could not believe where they had placed us -- clear in the back close to the alley where the trash is picked up and distributed. I walked with bad temperment because I felt we were being discriminated against. Someone heard another call us "freaks." Freaks? Yeah, lady we are, but let us call ourselves that...not you!
It wasn't until I saw Dan Faupel that all of that fell from me and I uttered out, "Aaaaah. My people!" That's what this show in St. Louis is going to be about....OUR people! No more tension. No more catalog books. No more of Rubie's dirty looks.

I for one am happy I will be amongst MY people and my people alone.

[Spookyfinder]

Gwen,

I love you... just so you know! -Tyler

[Empressnightshade]

Gwen,

I love you... just so you know! -Tyler

I love you, too Sweetheart!!!

[Ken Spriggs]

Hmmmm

Larry said .......
FACTS: This show will be 100,000 square feet! They have 100,000 square feet reserved for show floor and I will bet it will be SOLD OUT! That would be about THREE times bigger than the haunt show we saw in Transworld Vegas last year.



So your saying that we will have over 225 vendors in St Louis?

I am not starting anything with you.....BUT

I will bet my entire years salary against yours that it doesn't happen!

Anyone else want some of this action?

They claimed to have talked to a ton of vendors at MHC
Yes they were there....most of us knew nothing about a meeting with TW.

Oh well I guess us being a vendor at TW for the last 5-6 years means nothing?
No lets talk to the guys that ...... NEVERMIND NOW I GO BACK TO MY CORNER TO PLAY WITH RAZOR BLADES....see ya


Starting to get tired of all the bitching and whining
Yes i know...then don't read it

[lurker]

I, like many others, don’t care where the show is going to be. I was just hoping that this shake up with Transworld was going to allow (force) our industry via IAHA or HHA or a vendors association to lay claim to ownership of the industry tradeshow. To me it is just a sad statement that after all these years we can’t organize for ourselves. I think I maybe the only person that believes this way, but even though this industry only show ran by Transworld is a good thing in the short term it won’t be a good thing in the long run. 3-4 years down the road booth space prices for vendors will go right back up to what they where before or even higher. Once this show gets established, and they get our cherries firmly back in the vise again, they will squeeze. And, that is what they should do, cause that is business. They have something we don’t, and we need it; a single-minded goal, and the organization to bring it about.
Okay, I’m a dreamer, but that is what I think.

[Frighteners Entertainment]

I have to agree with Louis.
It's too little too late. I see this show in the same fashion as MHC and HauntCon with exception that it is more expensive for vendors to show their goods. It seems as the finger gets pointed at Rubies for all the problems but everyone seems to forget that all of the complaints, I thought I saw were about how expensive it was, lack of security, union fee over charges and so on. I would say this reflects on the organizers of TransWorld. Looking at all of these shows for cost, TransWorld $1,200? @ booth, HauntCon $800? @ booth and MHC $400? @ booth. No union fees for MHC, not sure about HauntCon but is for sure with TransWorld.
So what makes any one of these shows any different? what am
I missing?

It's not "our" show. It's Transworld's hail marry show.

[drfrightner]

Louis,

I agree with you 110%. People kept asking me...why are you putting so much stock into this thing. WHY? Why I said, because I feel like if the haunt industry can finally get their own show they can finally might come together for the one goal, one cause approach. As for an association I personally own the best website for such a group, and if you compare IAHA site to HHA sites on www.complete.com you'll discover HHA's site gets four times the traffic especially in October. I'm more than willing to turn over the assets to a REAL association, but at this point one must start from scratch, because IAHA is just way too screwed up, with home haunters, or people not even in the business running the direction of it...that is how it has always been from day one. The bylaws are all screwed up, and the whole time I was on the board they talked about changing them year after year and never did. Lastly IAHA's name is just mud to most haunt owners, at this point you just have to start from scratch.

I personally sent out feelers through IAHA's current VP, to see how we can work together to form a new association, with new bylaws, but have heard nothing back. I'm hopeful. I really just feel the formation of this show is the start of ending sides, ending of everything and brings people together for a common goal.

I think it will finally happen!

That is my goal and I'm with you!

Larry

[drfrightner]

Ken,

I'm not sure but I think 100,000 square feet equals nearly 400 booths but I'm not sure. All I can say to you Ken, is we all including yourself need to make it happen and we can. I personally will do EVERYTHING I CAN to make it happen! Larry

[graystone]

Ken

Hush Your Mouth LOL you think thats something. They claim to have sent out letters asking the buyers what they thought of this. NO one and I mean NOT 1 buyer I know ever recieved any form or letter, email, call zip asking their opinion. I talked to Jennifer myself and suggested that they do just that thing and they never did. So there ya go!!!!!! I think the buyers they talked to was the vendors that bought from the concessions that would make them a buyer. I think? Shane

[MDKing]

I think the show in St Louis represents a fresh new start and direction for the haunt industry. If we are to be a fully fledged industry, then we should be able to stand on our own. St. Louis is a nice city and it looks like all the major vendors are excited to take part in it and if they are there I will be there as well.... We should be excited about this step!


Allan

[Empressnightshade]

....I feel like if the haunt industry can finally get their own show they can finally might come together for the one goal, one cause approach.

I'm more than willing to turn over the assets to a REAL association, but at this point one must start from scratch, because IAHA is just way too screwed up, with home haunters, or people not even in the business running the direction of it...that is how it has always been from day one.

Larry, pardon if I'm incorrect, but I don't think I am....

you speak of this show bringing us all "together for the one goal" and the "one approach." Yet in the same post, you write that one of the things that screwed up IAHA were "home haunters." How could you write those words? You have home haunters on this forum that look up to you. Shame On You!!!

Are we "pros" going to treat the home haunters in the same fashion Transworld's Party show treated us? You call for togetherness and unity -- well, this cannot truly be done unless you include everyone from the industry!

[MDKing]

Empress, I think there should be a difference between home and pro haunters, the only commonality is that we all scare and entertain people. Pros put tens or hundreds of thousands of $$ and our name, reputation, and more on the line every year. Home haunters do some amazing work but the differences are many. There needs to be a pro haunt association, as there is already a home haunt one. Should home haunters get the same treatment in the industry as pros?


Allan