Iaapa show... Updates

[drfrightner]

I'm here in Orlando, we spent pretty much all night at the show finishing our booth. We are in booth 651 if you want to stop by. Scarefactory is here, Creative Visions, Pale Night, Digital Sound and Lighting, Transworld, and several others.

There are some pretty cool booths here... one company built an ENTIRE Pirate ship and it is flat out awesome. When I get a chance I will upload some photos. I'm having a hard time walking because I hurt my ankle really really bad... so hopefully I'll be able to walk around the show more soon.

I took a bunch of pictures and will take several more here soon.

If I see something really really cool I will post about it each day.

Additionally Transwrold is hosting a party here on Wed night FREE FOOD and DRINKS for everyone.

Lastly, IAAPA is hosting a tour of Harry Potter World on Thursday we're going...

I'll get some photos of that as well.

If you are NOT HERE GET YOUR AZZ DOWN HERE... this show can't be missed.

Larry

[mindtumor]

Drink some milk, son

How did you hurt your ankle? Please tell us it was doing something cool and not doing something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHJXp4xhvYA

[damon carson]

Wish I was there, I would love to see it all. Please post as many pictures or video you can. Get you an air cast for your ankle. It will make it feel alot better and at least you will be able to walk almost normal. Plus it will help the healing process. Twisted my ankle once playing basketball and it really helped.
Damon

[ETHEREAL_FX]

Iaapa so far

We are in booth 274 and it's been a great show already! Hope to see you guys here!

[drfrightner]

Tonight will be our last night staying overnight here in Orlando... the show ends on Friday at 4pm. I'm on a flight at 6pm or so to head back to St. Louis and see my kids!!!

The show overall has been pretty lame... there isn't much here that you didn't see last year in fact most of the vendors booths have shrunk to nothing and other vendors have just disappeared. I'd say the show overall is like 20% smaller than last year, the economy must have taken a toll on this industry.

There are some good buyers here but not tons and tons of people like in years past...

Last night Transworld hosted a FREE party at a Mexican place and the food was great... KUDOS to TW. There wasn't nearly as many haunt owners at this party as last year or just in general to the show itself.

I would say if you didn't attend the show you didn't miss much from a haunt owners perspective, this was not the best show I've seen or maybe its just that I've seen so many (since 1995) that they are all looking the same I don't know.

Even though there are tons and tons of unsold booths its still a massive show overall... I know at its peak it was something like 750k sq feet... it has to be down at least 1/5 from its biggest hayday but its still a big show.

I walked like 80% of the show yesterday, lots of inflatables here, some really cool ones in fact, no big rides like in years past, mostly all the booths are one or two booth type of vendors.

You can find all sorts of cool products here some you'd never know you needed until you see them... its worth haunts seeing this show but at this point I would say if you came once every couple of years you'd be in good shape.

Transworld is here talking to all sorts of vendors about attending their show... so that is good news.

We are buying one thing we saw a waterfall screen... hard to explain but water pours down and you can project a video image into it. Its pretty cool they said they might come to St. Louis.

Scarefactory has some new animations I've never seen before all clown type stuff...

Not many haunt vendors here.

Kip from Pale Night said he's done okay, worth coming but nothing earth shattering ...

We've met some new clients and have talked to some people.

We'll see how it goes. I've taken photos and will upload when I get home.

Larry

[drfrightner]

BTW... tonight Universal hosts an event for IAAPA a tour of Harry Potter World and we all bought tickets. I will report back on that later tonight.

I can't wait... very excited!

Larry

[MDKing]

The Harry Potter ride is pretty awesome. Of course they copied Disney technology and combined a ride like Epcot's Soarin' , but they took it a step further and merged it with their Spiderman ride to make a very unique and intense ride. Great animations and brilliant foam work and perfect use of CGI as well.

You'll really enjoy it the one day I went it was an hour wait, two days later it was no wait at all rode it back to back really noticing the details! There was also lines and a wait to get in the stores there. One store was actually an interactive show with a talented actor that utilizes some cool animated effects in the very detailed room before sending you in to the gift shop, very well done!





Allan

[Banshee]

found some pix from the show:

http://www.insidethemagic.net/2010/1...10-in-orlando/

[ETHEREAL_FX]

our experience at IAAPA so far...

It's been a great show overall, Not as crowded as I thought it would be but the folks that are here are serious about getting some business done. I agree that haunt owners should check it our but it may not need to be a yearly attendance unless your really looking for some of the high end or larger equipment. Haunt owners may also get some good ideas that they can glean from the big themed parks. We have met a lot of new clients and continue to be impressed by the show.

www.ETHEREALFX.com

[drfrightner]

Got back from IAAPA and have been taking it easy... the show overall was okay, nothing really new on the show floor same as it always was just a lot smaller than in the past.

I don't think you missed anything if you went last year.

The highlight was the Harry Potter Wizard Word event which we attended... WOW.

The Harry Potter ride was the bar none best ride I've ever seen EVER... it blows away Spiderman and Indiana Jones ride. Its #1 rated ride in the World in my ratings.

BREATHTAKING.

If you can get to Orlando I highly suggest you go to Islands of Adventure and ride this masterpiece.

I will post photos later.

Larry

[drfrightner]

Here are a few pictures from IAAPA 2010... just the cool stuff. I really didn't see too much cool stuff there so this is really it. I'm actually heading out the door to attend a meeting about The Darkness so I gotta run... I will upload more later.

Larry

[drfrightner]

Here are a few more... now gotta run!

Larry

[damon carson]

Thanks for posting pics. Where is the pics of your booth? Is chips on a stick something like pizza in a cup? Strange! Damon

[Darkangel]

I hear the show is pretty much the same thing evey year and not many haunters really go. It sounds like many from IAAPA are trying out Transworld so you're better off just waiting until Transworld...

DA

[drfrightner]

Its more or less the same every year because there is seldom ever new products and the people who sell services they are the same year to year, the infatable section always has new stuff if you are looking for that sort of stuff... but the food people have the same food, blah, blah.

The theming comanies might have a different display to showcase their creativity or whatever... but yeah it doesn't change.

In fact this year it got SMALLER like 25% smaller than EVER! There where empty spaces everything, they cut a HUGE chunk of hall out of the show, it was just smaller.

A lot of the companies that display did smaller booths, many of the people who give away food was NOT doing that this year... who knows.

Larry