Vegas a bust?

[Jolly Pumpkin]

I agree, but it's called The International Halloween, Costume and Party Show and when most people outside of the industry hear haunted attractions they associate that with Halloween. It's always been that way and it always will be. I think it's great that the haunt industry has its own show, but when the press covers this event it will make the haunt industry look bad. They aren't going to explain that there's also a haunt show this year.

They are just going to show the small empty haunt section that is full of booths that have flyers and brochures on the tables. Most people who see that are going to think that the haunt industry is unprofessional and a small industry. I've visited enough haunts to know what casual haunt goers think of the haunt industry and the majority will always visit haunts more during October than September because it's closer to Halloween.

You can't seperate them and think it will work just fine. Why do you think hauntedhouse.com calls themselves the number one Halloween website or why do you think Knotts Berry Farm is called Halloween Haunt. People associate haunted houses with Halloween. Halloween came way before haunts and is one of the big reasons haunts are as popular as they are today. The worst night haunts have for attendance is on Halloween night because people are busy trick or treating, having Halloween parties, etc.

Halloween will always be a much larger industry no matter what and when you seperate the shows something like this is bound to happen. Halloween candy alone makes billions of dollars a year. Like I said before I think the haunt show is going to be successful, but not as successful as when the retail section was apart of it.

[Nightgore]

I've snuck in once with family... super easy to do. Hahahaha... but I'll stand by what I said... I will most likely not go to Chicago if the HAUNTSHOW goes back... Chicago SUCKS... with the exception of DreamReapers... I plan to never return. Now, I'm not going to stop my crew from going if they want... but I won't be there.

I don't support haunts... I don't support vendors... I support this INDUSTRY as one massive group! I only support what's good for this INDUSTRY, period. I could give a shit if they moved the show to Tokyo... but I wouldn't support it, it doesn't benefit the industry. Same with Chicago... yeah, you had fun... big show... nice haunts... but it's not nearly as good as what other cities could provide; so I don't support a Chicago move, period. There's no changing my mind so I'm not going to argue it anymore. -Tyler

[xxxdirk]

Sorry, those of you saying we do not need the halloween side have been sniffing too much spirit gum. These shows need VENDORS and lots of them to make it worth while to produce. The haunt show will have maybe 100 or so vendors in St Louis. Thats barely enough money to pay for the rental of the facility and marketing and all the other costs. The vendors need a LOT of people to buy stuff from them. The haunt show will be awesome and fun, but if anyone thinks it will be anywhere close to what Chicago was like with the two or three shows all running at once, they are on some serious drugs.

[graystone]

Tyler

My friend your 21? So at most if you went to TW in Chicago 2 times. I remember once in Chicago it was nice I been going for 8 or 9 years now. Now as far as the weather and I really don't think thats the problem. But would someone tell me If were in Chicago, Vegas, St. Louis, or where ever. I cant seem to recall anyone hanging outdoors in the woods or a tiki bar. Everyone hangs indoors always. So what does the weather have to do with it one damn thing. Now don't jump and say its a travel thing. Most roads are cleared and flights come and go in snow, rain, fog. Shane and its lets stand outdoors in the rain and party! Shane this time

P.S. AMEN NOAH!

[Nightgore]

Noah,

It's not seperating Halloween and Haunts... WE ARE HALLOWEEN!!! It's seperating the retail crap from the haunt stuff. Our hauntshow is going to be insanely awesome! We don't need the retail, big business BULLSHIT to support the season... people GO TO HAUNTS... they LOVED to be scared... and more and more, it's being called the HAUNTING SEASON instead of Halloween. I mean, we've far surpassed just one day of the year; we're viewed as an entire season... just like Christmas!

Again, we don't need the retail side... let them rot. I'd much rather have people enjoying haunts during the season! -Tyler

[Jolly Pumpkin]

Whenever you separate Halloween and Haunts, one is bound to fail. And it's Halloween this time. This really does make the haunt industry look bad since both Halloween and Haunts are associated with each other. Even though the haunt industry has its own show, it doesn't matter. In my eyes this is a bad omen for both industries and I hope the haunt show doesn't have the same fate.

If you think the failure of these Halloween and Costume shows isn't going to effect the haunt industry think again. Once again I think the haunt show will be successful, but I don't think it's going to be half the success it was when it was in Rosemont and Vegas next to the Halloween, costume and party section. I hope I'm wrong. I really do. Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad sign?

[lurker]

So, allow me to make an analogy...I so love making analogies.
It’s like Rubies and all the other retail vendors are our older brother. The older brother finally had enough of mom and dad (Transworld) telling them what to do, so they have moved out of mom and dads basement. This is good news for the haunt industry, the younger brother, cause now we get to have the basement all to ourselves. We can hang our favorite posters on the wall, and dance around in our underwear to AC/DC. The only drawbacks are that we have to still pay mom and dad rent, and well…it is still living in your parents basement. Oh well, crank up the stereo and slip on the Fruit of the Looms cause it is time to dance….just not too loud.

[xxxdirk]

AAAAUUUUGGHHHH! those of you that are bitching about Chicago, I keep going back and thinking about how busy the convention was there. Larry, you think Vegas was so freaking great in 2008? Maybe but that was 2008, this is 2009, and obviously Vegas was like a fart in the wind. Houston this year sucked according to posts on this board. Also, yeah, the weather in Chicago can be rough in January or even early Feb. If TW moves the convention to late March like this year, the weather in Chicago and St Louis is almost EXACTLY the same. My prediction, TW and Rubies will both understand they screwed up, they will come to terms and realize that they had a good thing going in Chicago and they will be back there with BOTH shows in 2010. I predicted this two years ago, and it will happen.

[drfrightner]

Adam,

By this time next year I think we are only going to have ONE retail show just one...

Why?

Look around Houston was chopped liver. Vegas is as bad or worse. Rubies didn't go to Vegas and they won't go to Chicago either. Here is what is going to happen, and you can just call me Mr. Prediction...

Rubies is going to do what they did this past year and start calling all the big retailers and tell them 'look there can only be one show, so lets just all get behind Houston'. Retailer vendors will have to take a long hard look at that because they don't want to exhibit at TWO SHOWS!

Then what happens is they tell Transworld thanks but no thanks and then what do you have ... NOTHING a show that is even WORSE!

Here is the other possibilty... Transworld goes to Rubies and works all this mess out with them and Rubies comes back and then you are back to one big show.

One or the other will happen but if Rubies tells Transworld to take a hike then Houston will be the ONLY SHOW NEXT YEAR MY FRIEND!

And we can ALL be thankfull that the haunt industry isn't caught in the middle and has their OWN show in a DIFFERENT CITY!

This will get messy really messy!

We are gone and will stay gone!

TYLER,

I will not go either. I'm done with retail shows. I will only attend a HAUNT ONLY SHOW! It took to much to get our own show and our show will be a successful one we can't go back now. We have our own futures to think about not retail show. I will not go back to Chicago ever again for a retail show... haunt show only or nothing.

Larry

[Nightgore]

Adam,

Actually, weather and location is a HUGE factor for conventions across several industries... not just ours. If TW did move the hauntshow back to Chicago... I probably would not go... I'd make MHC our main convention; which I wish would happen anyway.

To me... I would move the Hauntshow more south... Orlando? Nashville? Louisville? Atlanta?...

Chicago + Hauntshow = DEAD convention within 2 years! Promise! -Tyler

[Haunted Illinois]

I always thought it was funny how people would bitch and complain about Chicago weather during Transworld. Were they really going to let outdoor temps detour them from seeing the biggest Halloween show on Earth (at that time, anyway). If so, they must not be serious about the haunt business. Besides, if you’re that thin-skinned, just buy a coat! Problem solved. LOL.
And I agree with Greg. “WooHoo” for Dream Reapers!

[drfrightner]

One a different note do you guys think Chicago is going to solve any problems for TW? You guys are FREAKIN NUTS if you think so wake up!

The problem isn't the city its Rubies and all the other vendors that dumped Transworld and started their own show. No point in being part of a dying show, when you can be a part of your own and very own thriving show.

Larry

[drfrightner]

Ah Kevin, that isn't the problem... ET PHONE HOME!

If you don't recall or maybe you didn't attend Vegas last year but that show was PACKED! WALL TO WALL PEOPLE... so how do you explain that one? Oh let me tell you it was called BEFORE HOUSTON!

It was also called ... BEFORE ST LOUIS! IS ET PHONED HOME YET? LOL

Houston was dead, Vegas is dead... those two shows killed each other.

In fact if you didn't know Girls Next Door was even in VEGAS filming for their show...

The problem here isn't the city its the fact that Rubies is tying to cut Transworlds knees off but it looks like they will only get one knee while Rubies cut off one of their own knees.

I think the Vegas show last year was the busiest Transworld I had ever seen personally! It was wall to wall people.

Larry

[N2SPOOKINU]

LOL thats funny guys . I have a coat, I dont mind going to Chicago. Even though St. Louis is much closer and Fearfest is open on Friday nite for the show I would be happy to go to Chicago. WOOHOO Dreamreapers!!!!
Greg

[Nightgore]

Hell no... unless it's moved more into Spring... it'll be hard to get me to go back to Chicago, as I'm sure other haunters as well! -Tyler