opening a pro haunt

[hoffie08]

hey there,
i got a few questions about opening a pro haunt,
how do you get sponsors, donations
what kind of insurance do you need
how much does it cost
how big should it be
how did any of you out there that do have a pro haunt how did you get started.
thanks
any help will be great

[soultrkr]

I would suggest checking out Kelly's book
http://www.hauntbook.com/products.html .
for starting a haunt "So You Want To Be A Haunt Entrepreneur" is probally one of your best resources and is full of information you will probally need to reference over and over again. This book is a must have for anyone thinking of opening a haunt up as it really delves into the business aspect of it.

[extreme evil]

As far as insurance goes the cheapest I've found it is $2500.00 per month seasonal and full coverage for a year round haunt is $60,000.00 a year. The $60,000 covers everything.

[freak 'n' stein]

I would suggest checking out Kelly's book
http://www.hauntbook.com/products.html .
for starting a haunt "So You Want To Be A Haunt Entrepreneur" is probally one of your best resources and is full of information you will probally need to reference over and over again. This book is a must have for anyone thinking of opening a haunt up as it really delves into the business aspect of it.

...just ordered mine yesterday!! I'm excited.

[haunterx]

If you haven't already, go volunteer at a pro haunt and learn all you can. Learn about city codes, fire and safety codes, advertising/marketing, employee cost, because, we all love the product (our haunts) but in reality this is a business just like any business. There is plenty of overhead and without proper management, the best haunt could fail. Contact me sometime and I will be happy to discuss with you how we did it.

Vinny
www.ArxMortis.com

[hoffie08]

thanks everyone for the help so far. gosh insurance sounds like a lot of$$$$. yeah i have worked and a pro haunt and i have my own home haunt right now.

[terrormasue]

I get my insurance through the company that insures everything that I have already. The only insurance I take out is liability and that is only during the days we are actually open. My homeowners covers everything else. My haunt is on my personal property. I can get 4 million dollars in liability coverage for 16 days for $650.00 Again that is only liability for people not props or sets or anything else. Again that is only the days we are open. Remember I have my haunt on my own property and I am an LLC. I have no idea about a huge building that someone else may own and you are renting. Call your insurance agent. Mine was extremely helpful. Good luck.

[chuck weber]

hoffie08.............

where are you located ? different areas have different insurance rates.... don't get scared off. gimmie your location...... PLUS- every state has different codes for fire marshall stuff and saftey standards...(townships, towns, etc. also) and licensing (for business, etc). Need more information so we can help you. Good Luck going after your dream!!!!!

[hoffie08]

so it will be located in northeastern wisconsin

[hauntman666]

where in northeast wisconsin you looking at doing this? and where have you worked before?

[chuck weber]

Kyle, don't worry............

If he's anywhere near the RFR studios, he'll get a discount!

[hoffie08]

where is he located?

[Bradenton Haunted Trail]

thanks everyone for the help so far. gosh insurance sounds like a lot of$$$$. yeah i have worked and a pro haunt and i have my own home haunt right now.

I am currently working on a Pro Haunt for 2011 and my Budget is 650K if you think the insurance is a lot wait to you do a budget for the whole thing.

[hoffie08]

i know a group of guys that just built a whole haunt for under 20k
650k how big is your haunt?

also im not going to have any cheesy moving props because those do not do the job of a real actor.

[Bradenton Haunted Trail]

i know a group of guys that just built a whole haunt for under 20k
650k how big is your haunt?

also im not going to have any cheesy moving props because those do not do the job of a real actor.

The proposed space is 24,000 Sq. Ft. and the cheesy moving prop budget is only about 22k and the marketing budget is twice that. And as far as the cheesy props they create great distractions and if done right they can be a great addition to any haunt.