Transworld Show Floor FOG or NO FOG... you decide

[freak 'n' stein]

I must not have been around during the "heavy use" moments Larry is referring to. I've been the past three years and really haven't ever noticed. You KNOW the fog is there but it's never to the degree you honestly can't see in front of you. Take a look at all the youtube videos. Worst case, how about vendors use fast dissipating juice??? Same effects without the lingering, right?? I'm not too sure a "fog zone" would be as practical as everyone would think. Between people constantly going in and out and the curtains not being air tight, you might reduce the amount on the actual floor but that probably isn't and end all be all. But I vote don't get rid of fog.

Not my video but this video is maybe the WORST I've ever experience in terms of fog.

[Tater]

I cant speak for everyone, but I'm shocked that this is even a thread....How can you sit there and say well lets have a halloween/Haunt show but not have any fog vendors. Thats like having a junk food show and outlawing anything fried. What if you did a Fast Dissipating juice and use all the vendors to use that for the show. Machines, Fog and everything must be at the HAUNT show...its part of the haunt industry.

[Capt.Chaos]

Fog

I have attended Transworld the last 3 years and will return again in 2013. I personally have never noticed any issues with fog. I also disagree with a fog zone.

Buck

[Jolly Pumpkin]

I haven't noticed it being a problem at Transworld. But if I was a vendor and heavy fog was causing people to not see my products then I would be pissed to say the least and I wouldn't return to Transworld. If a vendor is losing business because of heavy fog then they have a right to speak up. Losing a couple of fog vendors is better than losing hundreds of non fog vendors. I've attended Transworld for the last 5 years and I haven't seen it as being a problem, but I can see it being a problem depending on where the fog vendor's booth is set up. I have mixed feelings on this issue. It definitely needs to be worked out so fog vendors and non fog vendors are both happy.

[Novus]

Has this ever been an issue before? Were vendors warned by Transworld to be careful with fog/smoke before the show? If it's not a trend ... then obviously it shouldn't be dealt with as such. I've been 3 years and never noticed a problem with fog. As others have said, it's a haunt show and the noise, fog, and almost chaotic experience are all apart of the show floor. It's the nature of the beast, so to speak. I'm not sure a fog section would work, but Transworld should just make sure the fog vendors are spread around the trade show floor and not all bunched together, which could cause issues. Transworld should also contact the vendors themselves and let them know that there should be more discretion when using fog/smoke, meaning to not overdue it or hinder their neighbors ability to sell products. If it's still an issue after 2013, THEN show organizers can possibly take more drastic measures.

[Frightener]

I've been in the airbrush industry for some time, off and on mostly. Some of our venues even had the question "Airbrushing or no Airbrushing?"

Any artist or airbrusher knows or probably knows what Aqua flow paint smells like. It's stout and very VERY distinct. So this is what the main sting is. The smell. So the same could be said about fog. Don't lose your sense of smell, but you lose your sight with fog.

My opinion, is start small, like Allen said. What I'd suggest is maybe have a few vents available, or even ask vendors to build them. they can be VERY cheap and quiet. House Hold fans can help, they don't have to be super suckers to get the job done, just take an extra minute or so. Why not let some ideas flow around getting these vents made, maybe on wheels or light enough to just carry (house hold fans and luan!?) The vendors can have these for cheap and turn them on if the fog is so bad people can't see their stuff.


This is the only thing that pops into my mind. I'd say the fog will HAVE to be available to showcase products, plain and simple. We may as well look at ideas around keeping the fog, but managing it better without having to segregate everyone like smokers.

I'm sure someone's got a great idea for this. I've never been to a show, well actually this year I drove 15 ft from the building asking where Larry's place was haha but maybe next year we can go. Hence, this is only my .02 cents worth from an outsider.


Dewayne

[austind]

Yes, fog I would not have bought the two fogger I bought at the show if I did not like what I saw. I was not shopping for a fogger but liked what I saw and ended up buying two. The vender would have been upset if he lost a $1200 sale and I am sure I was not the only one to do this. Maybe we should tell Shot in the dark that they can't use there horns, or the flash crackers, I think I heard more complaints about those than the fog. Just my opinion.

Phattman

[TheCareTaker]

I like Shanes idea and Allens and think there is some compromise between the two to make it work out. I do have to say that i dont need to see a prop work with fog to be able to invision it. but at the same time do need to see a fog machine work and run with fog to have a good concept. i wish someone would standardise the fog machine outputs like density/continues run time for fog machines so as i could buy one just of stats but dont see that happening and it is just not fare to say this 1000 watter runs the same as that 1000 watter. best of luck on the final outcome but know Transworld will be a blast with or without.

[Dark Tiki Studios]

At MHC there was a decent amount of fog, but I thought it ENHANCED the other products at the show! Most haunts are dark and foggy. Fog makes the costumes look creepy and really enhances lights. Move the lighting vendors next to the fog booths. Use them as a barrier.

[tonguesandwich]

Next will be strobes... fog yes!

[BigT]

See through the fog!

I would rather have the fog there. It never bothered me personally. Plus it allows me to see how some of these things would look with fog. And it lets me compare fog juices and machines. I wonder if our patrons complain when we send them through our haunts full of fog??

[MovieRelics]

Coming from a vendor point of view of someone who is sitting on the show floor for a long period of time for multiple days, the fog can get a little bit annoying in my opinion. Larry is right that sometimes the fog can get a little to thick and crazy sometimes, especially if your only a few booth spaces away from a fog company that's got a mission to fill the tradeshow floor with fog. It's kinda hard to have a meeting with someone at your booth with what looks like smoke pouring in from the booth next to you, that you would otherwise think is on fire from the amount of smoke rolling into your space from under your booth's skirt. At this past MHC, there was one fog company that was just pumping a ton of fog just to pump it. There was no body around checking out their foggers or the quality of the product, they were just pumping fog out. After a while, the show floor looks worse than London on their foggiest day. Which is great if your wanting that kind of experience without spending the ticket on a plane ticket. You just need Tater walking around hurling insults at people with a accent like a hooligan and it's complete experience.

But, on the other side, it's a haunt show and I agree with the others that think the fog adds to the show's atmosphere. I'm sure many people would relate to feeling like Robert Duvall from Apocalypse Now when you first walk onto the show floor and take that first breath of show floor air thinking to themselves, "I love the smell of fog in the morning... Smells like scares." It's gets everyone in the right mindset and does add to something when seeing some of the animatronics and props.

So I would be more of a fan of the tradeshow organizers setting some kind of limits on the foggers to keep the air quality of the show not so thick with fog. With transworld being so large, I don't think it's as much of an issue compared to the others, but maybe just limiting them to product examples, no foggers on timers, and not just pumping fog trying to fill the showfloor with fog would be a start. Also, if your a vendor and your not wanting your booth to look like a set from the movie back draft, request being put away from the foggers like you can when you request being away from the noisy haunt vendors.

[terrormasue]

My vote is for fog in moderation. Last year it did get to me a bit. Got my throat a little sore. I love the fog but there is a point where it is too much. Moderation in all things.

Sue

[drfrightner]

The problem is you can't really moderate fog... with that many vendors spraying it there is just nothing you can do but NOT SEE ANYTHING!

The problem is the fog is great when there are NO OVERHEAD lights on and all the booths have colored lights, fx lights, blah, blah lighting up their booth. Then the fog is awesome!

But when you have HIGH POWERED lights on overhead, what happens is the it creates somewhat like a fog you can't drive through your headlights just make it worse. Has anyone ever drove through a foggy night with headlights on... the beams make it worse to see not better. A flash camera doesn't work because the light bounces off the fog...

The biggest issue with the fog is the VENDORS who want the buyers to see their products perfectly. Understand I'm NOT an ANTI fog person, I love fog but when you are on a show floor you want to be able to see the products better and due to the overhead lighting bouncing off the fog you create a fog that is hard to see thru... it was so foggy in there at times you couldn't see for more than 20 feet at a time. It was bad... personally and again I don't think there needs to be ANY FOG machines running during the show because a video is just as good. Otherwise they should be used in the dark zone because in the dark zone they don't hurt anything. You can' see thru the fog perfectly in the dark zone because there are NO OVERHEAD WHITE LIGHTS!

Seriously though... why do the fog vendors want to be out of the dark zone? Let me guess... because they want their customers to see their products better, well teh other vendors around the fog guys want the same exact thing. If you ask the non-fog vendors for the most part they don't want the fog, and I agree with them. Fog should go to the dark zone!

Larry

[Dreamreaper]

Told I can comment on who has to much fog... Not me for sure!