Your take on the St Louis Transworld Show 2009

[Spookyfinder]

"Rock Island" from the Music Man!!!! -Tyler

[drfrightner]

I thought it was beat like a dead horse before the show ever happened... I just talk to another guy today who said its much better as it is now!

My only point is MOVE ON... lets make the haunt only show better by adding a few retail vendors that maybe have something to sell us but more important add way more AMUSEMENT VENDORS!

GO TO IAAPA spread the word!

Larry

[Spookyfinder]

We'll be at IAAPA... SO EXCITED!!!! -Tyler

[Grimley]

For the record I never said anything against IAAPA. I think it is a great show.

[drfrightner]

Just for the record I said and still say we have more in common with an amusement show not a retail show. You want to combine with a retail show and I an amusement show.

What is best for our industry, retail or amusement? AMUSEMENT!

Glad to know you like IAAPA. Good show.

Larry

[SpookywoodsFX.com]

IAAPA wasn't great for us. I don't think anyone there was there to purchase Halloween goods (it was just a few weeks after Halloween). I'm sure it was pleasant to a handful to see the haunt vendors that WERE there. Allot of the people (buyers?) treated us as second class. We had to be in the "first time vendor" isle. It was like being put in 'time out'. If it was marketed properly for haunt vendors, I think it would be one hell of a show. I agree that it would be much better than combining shows, as it were, with Transworld. I will tell you this, I wont give my money to Transworld next year. MHC will get it (maybe even Hauntcon), not Transworld. This show cant even decide on where it wants to be or WHEN. And I sure wouldn't try to talk any of the vendors from IAAPA in to going to Transworld.
No one wants to say whose decision it was to split the show, I don't think anyone knows, who cares. Larry says it's because the retailers didn't like us (?). That's enough to split? I don't think so.... I DO know that it obviously couldn't hold itself together. Now the haunt side has split from the retail side. Larry, you want to invite retailers to the haunt side? That makes sense? You want the show as it was but under different regulations? You lost me... You push this show as if you owned it or have some serious stake in it. Ticket sales to your haunt? Popularity, maybe? Probably.
Fact is, Transworld is NOT the show it was, that is absolutely unquestionable. And no, the haunt show did not bring all the buyers with it. Now its a haunt show, mmmkay.

[drfrightner]

IAAPA is NOT an order writting show. The other problem with IAAPA is that the right people don't come meaning the people who buy things on the small scale for say Halloween. There are people who write a lot of orders at IAAPA, but generally you get leads and set up sales for down the road. IAAPA is also a place to do business and or finalize business.

The point is for a haunt owner they should go because they can find lots of things they need or can use to advance their business. The other point is we need to get some of those vendors to vend at Transworld.

As for you not doing well at either show (IAAPA or TW) simply put you didn't have new product and its understandable you were out of commission for what 3 or 4 months. But you did VERY well the first year, but more or less everyone who wanted those costumes bought them in year one. Year two, year three or whatever you have to create new stuff otherwise you will not do well.

I hope you stick with it, you should ask people what they want and work on new products not that you are back on your feat. Don't wait for next years shows do it now and use the site, magazines, mailings or whatever to promote new product.

Work day and night if you have because its not even close to being too late.

Either way vendors can't blame the show on how good they did or didn't do... not saying you are doing that but I've seen that before. Bottom line is you have to bring stuff people want ad if they want it they buy it, if they don't they don't. Price also matters if its overpriced people won't buy. The vendors who didn't do well need to come back stronger next year, talk to people on the ground see what they WANT!

That is the thing that amazes me because most vendors just DO rather to ask people the people who would buy it... WOULD YOU WANT THIS, DO YOU NEED THIS, WHAT DO YOU WANT, WHAT DO YOU NEED???

I've been accussed of helping Unit 70 or other vendors... hey I simply told them what I wanted, what I needed, they did it and its not my fault everyone liked it and bought them by the dozen. I'm always available ask me I'll tell you, ask your customers. Specifically ask the customers who didn't buy from you...WHY?

Larry

[Ken Spriggs]

Hmm

Come on Larry....you sell something on this site.....I know I have paid money for something.
BANNERS???? YOU HAVE HAD MY ARTWORK FOR YEARS I USED TO SEE SINISTER SCENT BANNERS.....now can I see one of my banners again since they are free?
My company advertises in your magazine and not just the last issue.

The arguement is about bringing shows together........WHY?????
Just get more vendors to the show we have....plain and simple.

Each one of the shows offers something different now.....most have cross over vendors.
I would almost bet money on vendors getting together and deciding themselves what show is going to survive. Then we can blame no one but ourselves if it fails!

No other shows really fit with haunt related shows.....yes some have a cross over vendors and buyers or fans but none are an exact fit.

[SpookywoodsFX.com]

I didn't expect to blaze a trail at TW but I WAS hoping to see some of our 'bigger name' past buyers. However, they did not show. I'm working on some new things, I'll post pictures soon.
Problem with asking haunters what they want is everyone wants a little something different (for the most part), and at different price points.... Yeah?
My open heart surgery was a pain, that's for sure... I hate to blame anything on that but, damn, that slowed me down.......
IAAPA was 'OK'. Didn't expect to sell ANYTHING but we did You're absolutely right, more haunters SHOULD go. LOTS of goodies to utilize in/at a haunt. As haunt vendors, we were not well received. Maybe in the future, we'll have to wait and see..
Now, why try to get those IAAPA vendors to TW? Wouldn't it be easier the other way around?

[drfrightner]

Who did you see one year but didn't see the following. I thought pretty much everyone showed up and lots of new people to boot! Who did you want to see that didn't show? It couldn't have been that many. I would say like I say everyyear... they should have marketed more to amusement parks, more to year around attractions, blah, blah. But other than that there was over 5,000 people who walked through the door.

They might have been there you just didn't see them because there just wasn't enough HOURS on the show floor, which is why Thursday is being added giving buyers and vendors an additional EIGHT hours of show time, face time!

Larry

[xxxdirk]

LOL< Tyler, you da man... Now the question is who is the bigger nerd. Me for posting it, or you for answering.... Actually MM is one of my favorite musicals.

Back to my "defending" myself. Ok, maybe I am beating a dead horse, but the original question was posed and I answered. What I would like to see happen is a combo show in Chicago. Furthermore, I am gonna pull my own "Rondinidamus" and predict that in 2011 or 2012 we will be back in Chicago with a combo show. Do shoot the messenger. "So let it be written, so let it be done!"

[MMManiac]

Amen Ron, Amen.... I do have a question for ya though... I heard rumors you sleep next to my autopsy body prop in bed at night.. I hope it doesn't come back with more then fake blood on it! j/k

[xxxdirk]

Hey Bob makes a great cuddle pillow.... Ill wash em off with the power hose if you want....

[Ken Spriggs]

whoa

Larry?

But other than that there was over 5,000 people who walked through the door.


My honest opinion on these 5000 people who walked through the doors?
They represented about 100-200 haunted houses.......maybe

I saw groups of 15-20 people walking the streets all in the same shirts.
So are they legit buyers?

[michaeldavy]

Thers was a place for TW.
Halloween USED to be a time when that little costume shop around the corner would come up with some really unique stuff.
Stuff you couldn't get anywhere else.
There used to be a time when Dick Smith was the only one who knew how to make foam latex (not really but go with me on this).
It use to be that haunters had to buy retail to get stuff. Then TW came along and there was a PLACE to get it.
Haunters began coming to a show that was set up to cater to retail buyers. My point is that IF TW REALLY WANTED TO KEEP IT A RETAIL SHOW THEY WOULD REQUIRE A RESALE TAX NUMBER AND BUSINESS LICENCE TO GET IN.
The thing is that TW really doesn't care who comes. They will take your money to get in even though the retailers complain and deny haunters sales.
Me? I don't care I cater to anyone but TW just cares about one thing MONEY - in their pocket. I saw that plain as day in Vegas.

Isn't it kinda fraudulent or misrepresentative to take your money to get in and then you cant buy whats in there? It's not even bait and switch, it's bait and NOTHING.