HHA Update: the interim board

[Darkangel]

It sounds like it was to first form the association with actual professional haunt owners, people who actually own their own haunt. Six Flags and HHN doesn't to my knowledge have an owner but is headed up by people who already work for the parks, which is not the same as being an owner of your own haunt independently. Those guys have huge amusment parks to fall back on where independent haunt owners' main focus, sometimes only focus IS their Haunts...

I'm sure reps from those companies will take part in it all before too long...?

Darkangel

[The Ghoulish Gallery]

Robert...Knotts is a member of IAHA.

Tim Turner

[Darkangel]

So are a bunch of enthusiasts and non haunt owners Tim. People have said you are supposed to actually OWN a haunt to be on the board, not work for someone who does...Unless I'm not understanding it as it is written...

Darkangel

[swampboy]

That brings up an interesting question. As I understand it, Home Haunters will not be allowed to serve on the Board of HHA as it is supposed to be just about Professional Haunters as the Pro Haunter has specific needs/issues and challenges that Home Haunters do not face. The large amusement parks are obviously haunt owners yet their circumstances are dramatically different from the Pro haunter who is unaffiliated with a major theme park.

So, will a Theme Park representative or theme park personnel be prohibited from serving on the board of HHA?

[drfrightner]

I think we've been protty clear from the get go and I have spelled this out already many times, still this is a good question just wish everyone could read the answer at the same time. LOL.

For one this will be spelled out in the bylaws, which are being written now!

Secondly, you do NOT have to be a haunt owner to serve on the board, merely be an owner or an operator with atleast five years exerpeince. This board will require anyone who wants to run for the board to supply documentation, references just like IAAPA does.

I've said many times in the past you may not OWN Ripleys entertainment however you might be one of the managers of the company, or you may not own Six Flags but you still run a professional haunted house event. So again this will all be spelled out in the bylaws for all to read but to answer your question NO you don't have to own a haunt merely be in the lead operational position of a professional haunted attraction event such as Six Flags, Ripleys, or whatever. Those are prime examples where there is no single owner ...

I hope this explains.

Larry

[drfrightner]

UPDATE:

I was just refered to Tim Turners SLANDEROUS comments on another message board. First and foremost I've NEVER told TIM TURNER my sole purpose of starting HHA was to destroy IAHA...what a LIE!

Secondly TIm Turner is everything that is wrong with IAHA, he's NOT A HAUNTED HOUSE OWNER NOR an OPERATOR and to say he's a full blown vendor would be a stretch but this guy is somehow the mouth piece of this organization. He starts more trouble than anyone I know, he tries to meddle in the Transworld seminar series although he's NOT a haunt owner, he calls the guys who want to start their haunt tour in Columbia and tells them they can't open their haunted house because the whole industry will be mad at them, he tells them TW will not support them in anyway, he tells them long tirades all on behalf of IAHA. First off who is this guy to tell anyone a real buyer what TW will or WONT DO?

So now moving on to the real issue at hand... why do I want to see HHA started?

Simply really!

Because our industry needs an association started by and for professional haunted house owners and operators. PERIOD!

We've seen IAHA for 12 years or whatever its been do what? Is that bashing them or pointing out the reality. I took over as president of this organization and I tried to change everything from their logos, what they spend their money on, the direction and its just unchangable. IAHA has bylaws that allow anyone to be a board member, anyone to be the president, and well anyone does. The very first year they had actors as board members. Who wants their actors as board members of an organization that speaks for people who really own the attraction? I have NOTHING against actors, or home haunts or anyone else... but people have different agendas.

If you want to build a home haunt its clearly for the passion of it... if you want to be an actor maybe because you love doing it or a second job, but its the owners who if the attraction fails loses everything, or if someone gets hurt gets sued, or when it rains all October wonders who he's going to pay the bills, or stresses over losing their lease or fights with city officials.

The problem and real problem with the haunted house industry is simple... there are several different groups at play here all with so much passion but all different idea's of how things should be done or what somene would want done.

Some people think you should be doing all of this for fun, others feed their familes by doing this job. There is a place for horror fans, there is a place for home haunters who love doing it more than anything, and there is a place for people who do this for a living, which is no different than someone opening up a bar, or a lawn care service.

There needs to be an association STRICTLY for those who share the same common goals or owning and operating a haunted house. IAHA and I've said this a MILLION TIMES despite ANYTHING Tim Tuner says...

LET THEM STAND ON THEIR OWN TWO FEET... if people embrace them, and want to support them they will. They need no handouts, they need nothing but to show people they are worth supporting. Are they? You decide with your pocket book. Every year around this time they want to throw another party to remind you they're still alive. Well now is the time we start all these debates again.

If you think they have represented you, your industry, and your profession well, and you think they deserve your future support write them a check because when you do write that check you are saying to them ... "WE THINK WHAT YOU DO IS WHAT WE WANT DONE'. You didn't like Bush so you voted for Obama... you wanted change because you thought the country needed a change.

HHA is a change of direction, HHA is a new direction, new leadership, new agenda, lead by those who own and operate attraction who share many common goals, dreams, and idea's.

HHA is NOT the Larry association, and over the next three months you will find more and more that it isn't... HHA's website will be totally changed, free from the HW blog, with all of its goals and information listed.

HHA will do everything it can to be ACTIVE, PROACTIVE, and not REACTIVE to what we are seeing now on other boards.

IAHA shouldn't be reactive and insulting to HHA efforts, no why don't they be proactive, why don't they show you what they've done, or show you point by point how they've spent YOUR money or should I say INVEST YOUR money in YOUR future, YOUR industry.

As far as I'm concerned IAHA can be whatever they choose to be, and survive another thousand years, but only if they EARN your support.

Same goes for HHA...

It's really a clear choice in my mind but you are the ones who have to make up your minds what you want, where you want this to go. It will be started correctly, with the right goals in mind, which is to simply make this industry GROW AS A TEAM!

I don't think there is ANY question that through America Haunts we've done more to make the industry grow, raise awareness and and put butts into the seats than any other group. We did that in three short years... and there was only 10 or so of us...now think what we can do with all 3,000 of us on one train, everyone with the same goals, and the same dreams.

That is what HHA's goals are NOT to destroy any other group or groups.

From here on out let the fighting STOP, and let the groups that you feel best reprsent your futures speak for you and with you!

Larry