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  • #46
    even though we are a small haunt the $50.00 we will pay to go will save us in the long run because of the TW vendor deals. I'll even pay my $50.00 out of pocket so we don't use haunt money. not the first time we have used our own money for the haunt and Im sure it wont be the last ...
    please forward all complaints to my mother, after all i'm her fault.

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    • #47
      To FEE or Not to Fee, that is the question

      The TW show has been free for customers for many years. Thank you. In the early days (before 2000), we would have to qualify for entrance or get an invite from a vendor. The show had two other shows, Halloween Costume & Party, going under the same roof and entrance badge. The Haunt show grew into its own as the industry did. The haunters caused many headaches for the vendors of all three shows. First, by wasting their time talking about products and not being interested or qualified to buy the minumums. Secondly, the haunters caused problems by grabbing all the catalogs, flyers, and other printed material up in huge quantities. The haunters grabbed way too many as well. The first couple of shows we went to, each person would grab printed material. With time and problems that were highlighted on internet boards, we made it a policy of our haunt team to only take one copy for the group and share it to help the vendors. We now have a pre-show meeting with our team to give them an orientation about show etiquette and our policy regarding the shows. In time the Halloween Costume and Paarty shows have been split off for various reasons mainly to get better qualified buyers attending.

      Like some of the rest of you, I have been to IAAPA, TW, MWH, Hauntcon, and others. The cost of attend these shows is free to moderate to possibly high and to be a vendor at these shows can be steep. The Transworld HAUNT show is unique in that there are many vendors that are small custom shops providing exactly what we want in respect to that. There are no quantity minimums, but there are costs. I think it is great for vendors to offer to reimburse the $ 50 for an order, but I don't think it is needed. Keep your money vendors, it is yours.

      It doesn't matter if attendees are from a charity haunt or one of those million dollar gross big city shows. Paying $ 50 or even $100 to attend is a small price to pay to get access to all the buying oppotunities that are there. By the way, some of those charity shows send some large groups to shows and other conventions. I have seen them and talked to them. Our haunt started as one as well.

      The fee is peanuts folks. Jen has upgraded the admission with a great package, too. If you have attended a seminary that was subpar, tell her, Ben, or the Gavinskis. Be constructive and specific to help improvements be implemented. They are very willing to listen and work hard to get the topics and speakers that appeal to the attendees. Ben has even asked on many sites for ideas.

      While many have said they weren't surveyed for the fee, you now have Jen's email as posted in an earlier post. So if the location of St Louis is not what you want. then give her your feedback NOW. I personally feel that St Louis has been good for many inlcuding those local to it that have used the opportunity they helped create, but it is time to go to another location for a few years. I have and will again suggest Indianapolis, IN. They just hosted 50,000 FFA members, have hosted the NCAA Final Four, Indy 500, Brickyard 400, and have the Super Bowl (with my Packers looking like they will be in it again) coming up in Feb. The city can handle TW. Nashville is another city I have on my list. Both cities are even more central to the haunted houses in America and have good airport prices and other reasonable costs.

      Let me address the union blaming. There are some who have in the past bashed unions, but have yet to show the cahunas to advertise to their customers their anti-union sentiment because it would affect their sales. While I can understand that prices increase, the unions have in most cases the last several years taken concessions in money and work rules. The following link and verbage comes directly from the St Louis Americas Center website. As you will read, the union in April 2008 before the TW show, agreed to be more flexible and reasonable for vendors. In the case of TW, the costs paid are to Americas Center, which probably has blamed the unions for their price increases, and she is reiterating that info without knowing otherwise.
      http://explorestlouis.com/meetings-c...r-information/
      "The Good News about Labor Relations at America’s Center®

      Convention and tradeshow industry magazines – and their readers – have taken notice of positive changes at the America’s Center convention complex in St. Louis. Today, customers and labor unions are working together to create win-win situations that are making the flexible facility in the heart of the downtown St. Louis hospitality district an example for other venues.
      Significant changes have taken place for the benefit of customers at America’s Center. Exhibitors now have the freedom to set up their own booths of 300 square feet or less using hand tools. Exhibitor company employees can also hang signs and graphics in their booths.
      Materials unloaded from a privately-owned vehicle may be brought into the facility through a designated door and exhibitors may move their materials through the building with handcarts. Exhibitors also may pack and unpack their own computers and overtime rules have been modified to step up to time and a half rather than double time in most situations.
      America’s Center’s labor relations manager, Melanie Donnelly, is responsible for the positive changes that are winning rave reviews from clients. Donnelly works to establish a mutually beneficial relationship between the convention center’s clients and the trade unions at America’s Center® before the customer arrives in St. Louis and acts as a liaison between customers and unions in a variety of ways."


      Lastly, I will disclose a conflict of interest in that I am a member of the UAW and IBEW unions. Interesting that so many never disclose conflicts of interest, isn't it?
      .
      .
      .
      Brett Molitor (aka ~ JamBam) Member of HAA

      Haunted Hotel-13th Floor (est by Huntington Jaycees in 1968 8) )
      Longest running Haunted House in the WORLD!!

      Hysterium Haunted Asylum (old Haunted Cave), Fort Wayne Indiana

      Hysterium Escapes - 4 rooms with 3 themes


      www.HauntedHuntington.com

      www.facebook.com/hauntedhotel

      www.Hysterium.com

      www.facebook.com/HysteriumFtWayne

      www.hysteriumescapes.com

      www.facebook.com/hysteriumescapes


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      • #48
        The way I see it...

        ...This may have already been said by someone else but I didn't take the time to read EVERY single post regarding this issue. The way I see it is as long as the $50 is going towards a good cause, whether it be to improve upon the show somehow or whatever I'm fine with that. I don't mind paying the extra $50 then.
        John Elks - Staff
        ______________________________
        Death Row- Sanitarium of Slaughter
        Nashville, TN 37211
        615-833-1433

        www.deathrowhauntedhouse.net

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        • #49
          I'll throw my two cents in. I used to attend Transworld before the big split with Houston. When the split happened, as a retailer I stopped going to TW since all the vendors I needed to see were in Houston, while many of them were no longer at TW. My business partner and I also attend another show each year - Rubies own show which has been in Vegas for years. Last year we went to TW to see what we've been missing for the last few years. It was great to see all the haunt products and to hit Larry's haunt for a great night out. I knew this would not really be a buying show for us... so few vendors sell at wholesale pricing. Any vendors at TW we do business with, we had already placed orders with them in Houston. We placed only one order at TW for about $4,000 with Fearscape Studios who doesn't exhibit in Houston. Needless to say, they never delivered the merchandise, but we did finally get a refund of our deposit in October. So the show was really a total bust for us (besides the good time).

          I have to look at it as we're already paying to fly out to two other shows, pay for hotels, and then spend well into six figures on buying costumes, masks, and props. We don't HAVE TO attend Transworld, so to me the fee is just one more reason to skip the show. I totally understand that this is primarily a haunt show and you want to weed out the lookie loos, but at the same time I keep hearing that TW wants to get the costume side of the show back. I don't see this as a way to do it. If we can attend the other show, which is huge in comparison, and do all of our buying there with no admission fee, why would we pay for more flights, more hotel rooms, and now a fee just to walk in the door of a show we'll only do a fraction of our business at? It's not about the $50 itself, but like someone else said I feel like I'm being nickeled and dimed here. I think if every attendee was spending thousands of dollars, this wouldn't be an issue. But you've got such a mix up people there for different reasons. One of the ways to qualify to attend the show is to send copies of invoices from companies within the industry... why couldn't this also be a measure of whether you have to pay to enter? If I can prove that I spend at least $10,000 (or some set number) with companies that exhibit at this show, then why not waive the fee? If you're just a lookie loo and want to pick up catalogs and go to free parties, then you should pay $50 to help defray the costs.

          It takes us 5 days at the Houston show to see the whole show and place all of our orders. We were able to see all of TW in one day and place our one order. We're not going for the seminars or the opening party. So from the viewpoint of a retailer, I'll probably go back to skipping Transworld.

          Comment


          • #50
            As a designer and actor for a small 2nd year haunt, the new fee definitely affects me and my group. It won't deter me from attending by any means, but it will force me to drop a seminar that I would have attended. I guess I'll just spend some extra time picking peoples' brains at the hotel.

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            • #51
              Couple things... I am at the IAAPA show and seeing a lot of haunt owners.

              Two... I wanted to say that we will probably NOT exhibit at TW outside of just grabbing a booth for HW. I think we might be done for a while. As of right now we have no plans to sell anything to haunt owners right now. I know I said I bought a vac form machine, and we did but I mostly bought it to use for my own projects. We are so busy we don't have the time to make anything for sale.00 So I don't have a huge dog in the fight perse because we are not the guys buying big booths and more.

              Additionally I can say honestly I'm considering getting out of the haunt business all together in terms of owning and operating haunts. I'm looking at something else all together. So again as for myself I'm actually in the middle ... but I've been in this business long enough to know that when the price for booths goes up vendors buy fewer booths which means less new products.

              I also know that TW is planning parties, events and more... you paying $50.00 just isn't that big of a deal. Its not really worth discussing it for another 4 months... just pony up and pay it if you plan on going. Nothing is going to change its $50.00 so its $50.00... some haunts out there are charging MORE than that for ONE ticket so it is what it is.

              These funds are needed to keep the show growing and that is best for everyone.

              Larry
              Larry Kirchner
              President
              www.HalloweenProductions.com
              www.BlacklightAttractions.com
              www.HauntedHouseSupplies.com
              www.HauntedHouseMagazine.com

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              • #52
                No one wants to pay for something they get for free. In this case however the charge is nominal and totally justified. This show has been choosen by our vendors as the place they will be and they are totally behind this. Heck it seems like several of them are willing to cover the fee if you make a purchase from them. You might even make money on this if you purchase from multiple vendors! What vendors don't like is when people come to the show, take catalogs and peek behind the gags to see how they are made to knock them off. Just like we depend on ticket sales to put food on the table or pay for our charities, these guys need to SELL products to survive and to be able to create new cool stuff for us each year. Buying from vendors is not only getting you props and effects to improve your business, it is letting them grow and innovate every year to push us all forward.

                Just my thoughts...
                Ben Armstrong
                NETHERWORLD HAUNTED HOUSE
                www.Fearworld.com
                www.NetherworldNetwork.com

                Comment


                • #53
                  Tater, you bring up another good point - inadvertantly

                  Tater, you said "However, While I do attend Transworld every year (To get myself booked)". You are benefiting from the event as well as numerous others that act, train, etc as secondary vendors who are a part of the whole picture and come to network and book business/appearances. As I see it, you can either work/help a vendor dressed as granny, get TW to hire you to entertain, or pay the $ 50. Not bad options. Good luck!
                  .
                  .
                  .
                  Brett Molitor (aka ~ JamBam) Member of HAA

                  Haunted Hotel-13th Floor (est by Huntington Jaycees in 1968 8) )
                  Longest running Haunted House in the WORLD!!

                  Hysterium Haunted Asylum (old Haunted Cave), Fort Wayne Indiana

                  Hysterium Escapes - 4 rooms with 3 themes


                  www.HauntedHuntington.com

                  www.facebook.com/hauntedhotel

                  www.Hysterium.com

                  www.facebook.com/HysteriumFtWayne

                  www.hysteriumescapes.com

                  www.facebook.com/hysteriumescapes


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                  • #54
                    Just deal with it. If the fee is the worse thing that happens next year we are in for a good year.
                    Jared Layman

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                    • #55
                      I just wanted to chime in and say, while some don't like the idea of paying the $50 ticket price when it use to be free, I say if it helps the show to continue while keeping cost for vendors down, then it's only a good thing. If Jen and the TW crew are providing access to some more free seminars and other activities, then your just getting more benefit from it.

                      Just to put things in perspective, in my other professional work life in the game industry, I attend 2 - 3 other professional conventions yearly that tickets costs anywhere from $450 - $1,250 per show depending on how close to the opening of the show I get them! So in a single year, I can end up spend $2,500 - $4,500 just to get in the show! While those tickets provide access to all parties, seminars, and tradeshow access, it can still cost $400 - $650 just to get regular access to the show. I haven't even added hotel and travel cost yet. So compared to that, $50 for TW to me is really not that bad in the scope of things. Yeah it sucks paying for something that you didn't have to before, but if it helps the shows continue to grow, then I'm for it. I would love to see the haunt shows grow to be as big as the other conventions I attend!
                      News and event coverage from directly inside the Haunt Industry - http://www.hauntersdigest.com
                      Get a Website and/or Mobile App for Your Attraction - http://www.charlesterry.com

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                      • #56
                        The entrance fee really isn't bad. I mean we know we would all gladly spend a $50 bar tab at the Renaissance bar without even thinking about it.
                        Daniel Burnett
                        PR/Operator
                        Reindeer Manor Halloween Park: Est. 1974
                        13th Street Morgue/Dungeon Of Doom/Reindeer Manor


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                        reindeermanor.com
                        whenhingescreak.com

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                        • #57
                          We will gladly pay the $50 to have the privilage to see what amazing things the vendors have to offer this March. I don't, however, want to pay the fee and then have them change their mind and then have to request a refund. The only one who made any money on that last year was PayPal. That's my 2 cents, no, I mean my $50...inflation gets us everywhere!

                          Sue
                          http://www.GraystoneHaunt.com

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                          • #58
                            Just $50.00

                            $50.00 is nothing. Just be glad it is not like IAAPA. It is around $350.00 to get into that trade show. I wish it was only $50.00.

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                            • #59
                              Originally posted by MorgueofDoom View Post
                              The entrance fee really isn't bad. I mean we know we would all gladly spend a $50 bar tab at the Renaissance bar without even thinking about it.
                              Dan that is so true! GOOD GAME buddy..
                              Bart Butler
                              HobNob Productions
                              http://www.brainchowstudios.com

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