Haunt Season Attendance Numbers Up or Down... Follow this thead all season

[drfrightner]

I'm starting a thread for which I'm hoping everyone in the haunt industry will follow and report to as the season goes on... your opening weekend up or down? The season as a whole is going well is media stories up or down, are you flat with attendance what???

REPORT HERE as the season goes on... if your season is slow or down how much? What are you doing about it or what are the reasons why?

This thread can help everyone because remember your season is short and what you do in a quick timeframe could determine whether you do well or not.

Larry

[drfrightner]

We have opened The Darkness and Lemp now and attendance is down so far but I'm really not going to panic until after this weekend when Creepyworld opens.

Our marketing is now going strong and hoping with all three open we'll have a strong weekend. Either way I will continue to report everything as we go.

One thing I'm going to suggest to everyone is to try new media try and do things you haven't done before, mix things up, and spend more on marketing not less.

Even when things seem down spend more, cut something else but cutting marketing won't save your bottom line!

Larry

[drfrightner]

On another note... to all those who are SMART ENOUGH to buy featured ads on Hauntworld.com ... I know you are going to think this is a sales pitch but its not. I have put all my off season work into ONE PROJECT... www.HAUNTWORLD.com and I continue to work on it even today. I've learned so much about SEO, to everything between... I make changes to Hauntworld almost daily now and I'm determined to make this the biggest Haunted House website in the WORLD without any doubts.

I'm PROUD TO REPORT that Hauntworld web traffic is UP 60.1 % over same time last year. Just so we are clear its not up 60% over same day last month or two weeks ago, up 60% over the same weekend periods of last year. All the work we put into the site is now coming through... and now that our national PR program is starting to kick in on top of all the increased SEO work this site might go over 100% increases.

I'm happy that I invested over $20k to move the website to the CLOUD because we are going to need it... our biggest traffic days last year saw the site get over 100,000 visits in a single day. This year it could go to 200,000 visits in a single day. I keep telling you and some of you don't listen but oh well... UPDATE YOUR PROFILES because people are using this site to find haunted houses and you either have an attractive web page or you don't!

We are giving you the tools to promote your business you either jump on them or you don't. I would say anyone who can't find the time to update their profile is dropping the ball... and you can quote me on that one. Running a successful business takes a masterful ability to promote your business, so if you stick your nose into your haunt only and forget the elements to promote your business its hard to complain about lower attendance.

I've found that today its 10 times harder to market your business than it was 10 years ago... now you have to keep up with a facebook, websites, creating new content all the time for your website, you have to use more than radio to get the word out, you got google ads, haunt directory, all these other online sites you can list on... its tough. If you can't do it get someone to do it for you... full time! IT WILL PAY FOR ITSELF AFTER THE FIRST WEEKEND!

Lastly tell me if you think our site needs help or work or new features... i'm always open to new things. Let me know. I will keep you updated on HW traffic.

Larry

[wickedfarmer]

up ...for same weekend...same weather last year

Only corn maze is open now; haunt opens 30th. This last weekend; Sat was triple last year...sunday was on par. This is for same weekend and very similar weather as last year. Mind you we are between Michigan State University (15 minutes away) and University of Michigan (45 minutes away) This is even with Detroit tigers on fire winning something like last 11 straight games. Even Detroit Lions are making noise here in Michigan again! Real trend will be able to be seen in next few weeks.

Wicked Farmer

[Badger]

I went to Scarowinds in Charlotte last Saturday night and the crowds were WAY up from previous years. I spent at least 45 minutes just trying to get into the park. My sister-in-law who is a year round employee says there were close to 18,000 on Saturday. A few years ago when Paramount owned the park, they would shut the gates when 15,000 were inside. I can see them setting record numbers as they are open 2 extra weekends this year. I doubt I would go in 3-4 weeks because I couldn't take the crowds...

[wickedfarmer]

more info

Only corn maze is open now; haunt opens 30th. This last weekend; Sat was triple last year...sunday was on par. This is for same weekend and very similar weather as last year. Mind you we are between Michigan State University (15 minutes away) and University of Michigan (45 minutes away) This is even with Detroit tigers on fire winning something like last 11 straight games. Even Detroit Lions are making noise here in Michigan again! Real trend will be able to be seen in next few weeks.

Wicked Farmer

This is with close to same advertising as last year...probably slightly less for same time period. My newer venues of advertising will be hitting next 2 weeks and will do more than last year. Group bookings on par with last year. My best advertising I believe...happy customers who have been elsewhere and disatisfied. Put flyers in a city with a newer big haunt. Everywhere I went people in that city were unhappy with experience..the more unhappy former customers of other haunt I ran into THE HEAVIER I LEFT MY FLYERS in that city. If you do this DO NOT...DO NOT... BAD MOUTH the competition; just explain what you do different.

Wicked Farmer

[DarkTikiEntertainment]

Only corn maze is open now; haunt opens 30th. This last weekend; Sat was triple last year...sunday was on par. This is for same weekend and very similar weather as last year. Mind you we are between Michigan State University (15 minutes away) and University of Michigan (45 minutes away) This is even with Detroit tigers on fire winning something like last 11 straight games. Even Detroit Lions are making noise here in Michigan again! Real trend will be able to be seen in next few weeks.

Wicked Farmer

Hey Wicked Farmer, what is the name of your haunt?? I will be visiting Michigan the last week of October!

Thanks,
TODD

[wickedfarmer]

Name you are looking for is Bestmaze Corn Maze. Look for bestmaze.com It is one mile from intersection of I-96 and M-52...one mile from Michigan Brewing as the bats fly. Haunt name is Trail of Terror but it is not found under that. Oh God; here comes the lectures for that tidbit. Caution...we stop selling tickets for haunt at 10:30. I know; that is just plain crazy hours! Well we farm all night long after crowds go home in October. Old man on combine and me running grain truck to our dryer and bins. It works for us.

Wicked Farmer

[DarkTikiEntertainment]

Should be interesting to see how the numbers were over the weekend for everyone!

[Spoils]

We have tripled our numbers from last year up to this date. If it keeps going this way we are in for one hell of a ride.

[MorgueofDoom]

Our numbers are up considerably from last years opening weekend. Looks to be a great season so far.

[MDKing]

As usual, the mid atlantic is getting all the rain this year, we had 3.19 inches of rain friday which was our opening night. My state has had record rainfall in both August and September and the hurricane devastated much of my trail haunt Creepywoods haunted Forest. Tough year so far, but the feedback back so far has been overwhelmingly positive so looking for a killer month, if it stays dry!

Good luck everyone!

Allan

[undertaker]

Name you are looking for is Bestmaze Corn Maze. Look for bestmaze.com It is one mile from intersection of I-96 and M-52...one mile from Michigan Brewing as the bats fly. Haunt name is Trail of Terror but it is not found under that. Oh God; here comes the lectures for that tidbit. Caution...we stop selling tickets for haunt at 10:30. I know; that is just plain crazy hours! Well we farm all night long after crowds go home in October. Old man on combine and me running grain truck to our dryer and bins. It works for us.

Wicked Farmer

I attended your haunt last season. Probably the best corn maze I've been to.

[wickedfarmer]

Thanks undertaker!

I attended your haunt last season. Probably the best corn maze I've been to.

I was jumping on here to say this last weekend was under last year; but we were under rain storms...so that was expected.

Since "powers that be" will be scanning this; and you said probably best maze you have ever been to; I will offer to do seminar on corn maze construction in St. Louis; if powrers that be contact me. Why you do not want to hire a national company to make a "pretty" maze. I would cover maze FLOW as most important. And how I manage maze from towers. Why...I have people coming from Nebraska to Michigan this year to go through THIS maze. What makes Bestmaze Corn Maze and what NOT to do.

Wicked Farmer

[wickedfarmer]

Feels like end of October

Friday night was a washout. But Sat. it felt more like the week before Halloween instead of first Sat. of October. I posted a few months back that theme parks were up over previous years so I was expecting larger numbers this fall.