Check out the Floor Plan for TW

[Haunted Illinois]

How does the old saying go??? Everything in life is location, location, location. I think it really matters. Why does an apartment in Chicago, IL cost more than one in a small town? The same logic goes for why certain companies choose corner booths and why Transworld charges $100 extra for them. Apparently, there is added value to these spaces.

Have I exhibited at Transworld? NO. Have I attended every year, for more than ten years? YES.

As an attendee of the show, I have observed that those booths at the end of aisles are more memorable to me. There are times when I travel along the outside border aisles of the show, whether it is to find a specific aisle or to grab a snack from the food court. Either way, I definitely notice those booths on the ends a lot more than those buried in the middle of the aisles.

As for the whole Dark Zone argument… Per Larry, we don’t need the Dark Zone, because apparently, companies are just trying to “hide their equipment in the dark“. While that is one way of looking at it (and a very cynical way), I have a completely different perspective.

1) When you enter the Dark Zone, you see things under show lighting. This gives you a more realistic idea of how these props will look inside your attraction. Not only that, but you have to admit that the props in the Dark Zone, under show lighting, have a much more dramatic impact than those illuminated under normal lighting on the convention show floor.

2) Some vendors need the Dark Zone to properly promote their products. Here are just a few examples: AtmosFear FX (light projection products), Dead House Designs (large & small scale projection systems), Tekno Bubbles (Blacklight glowing bubbles), Glo Cone (Glowing concessions products), Happy Glow (Glow sticks and other glow products), Babette Laser Effects (Laser projection systems).

Without the Dark Zone, many of these companies wouldn’t even be able to properly display and promote their products. Just my two cents.

[drfrightner]

Sorry to disagree but location just isn't that important at a small show... sorry but fact. The show just isn't that big and I can assure you every single haunter walks every single isle at least 10 times. Now location is EVERYTHING at IAAPA... that is total fact. If you end up in the wrong area you may only see half the people that come to the show. I think the Halloween show has grown by leaps and bounds no doubt but and its bigger than most of us ever thought it could be... however its still a very manageable show, easy to find everyone, and every vendor should be seen multiple times no matter where you end up.

Trust me!

And lastly... ADAM, please don't quote me wrong which you did! I said clear as day that I know why people want in the dark zone its because they want their stuff seen under haunt show like conditions please re-read what I actually said and meant. Additionally I NEVER said we don't need the dark zone because people are trying to hide their products... never said that and never meant that. I said the dark zone wasn't needed because it was started due to co-location with Halloween retail not so vendors could have a place to hide their products. Can you read?

And to be perfectly clear... the dark zone started because we co-located with the Halloween retail show. Complaints arose about noise, about fog, about everything so the dark zone was born. Now there is noise being made in and out of the dark zone and their might have been more fog out of the dark zone than in the dark zone. So I'm perfectly right when I say the dark zone was needed 10 years ago when we are co-located with the Halloween retailers but not needed NOW!

Lastly, I will say that I stand by what I said 110% that I don't care to see the props in the dark... DUH I OWN A HAUNTED HOUSE! I want to see them WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS SHINING DOWN ON THEM so I can really see what I'm buying. I don't need to see how someone lights a prop I know how to light a prop, I see dark lit rooms year around. I want to see what they look like and how they work not in the dark but under the real test ... pure lit room!

The dark zone is outdated and no longer needed and I'll bet 110% of the bank that the dark zone gets less than or about half the traffic as out of the dark zone. Just my opinion but its always fun to debate these topics and hear everyone's opinions that is good I think. The one thing that more or less proves everything I'm saying is IAAPA which is 10 times bigger than this show... they have guys doing video, they have guys doing everything under the sun and they have NO DARK ZONE! You build your booth to display your products the way you want them displayed. Period! As for me I want to see vendors products under normal light so I can see what I'm buying not in a dark fog filled overly noisy room. Again just my opinion.

Larry

[Deathwing]

I say keep the Darkzone today, the Darkzone tomorrow, the Darkzone forever...

I spend plenty of time in there in related time to the show floor. It's the most excited part of the whole show!

Jake

[wickedfarmer]

I say keep the Darkzone today, the Darkzone tomorrow, the Darkzone forever...

I spend plenty of time in there in related time to the show floor. It's the most excited part of the whole show!

Jake

I'm with Jake. To cast a wide net that implys that all those in the Dark Zone are there to hide shoddy props is in need of I say retraction. I have had a few Poison Props that have never missed a beat....AND I WILL HAVE MORE. And yes....we all know which company in the Dark Zone has a history of breakage everyone likes to gang pile on long after the fumble. Well I have had their Impaler, Scissor Serpant, Slayer on the Pediment, Tombstone Reaper, Corpselator (currently for sale), Floating Reaper (for sale as well), a few skelrectors, and borrowed a friends Hallway to Hell for a one year trade out. The breakdowns over 8 years from this company consisted of a problem with one controller....and the shredded optional add on kicker to the Impaler fell apart. Pretty damn good for an outside event in the elements for a month. Oh...the Scissor Serpant had a locking nut that was finger tightened and would have been major collapse had I not inspected the prop before plugging it in...it was a thing being filmed by A&E televison the day I picked it up at factory and too many cooks almost ruined the dish with the film crew and buyer breathing down their necks. Just use a little judgement when looking over props...maybe a little less air pressure...and stay away from the fast moving herky jerky.

Yes I like seeing things under dark conditions, unlike some I do not spend the year in the dark. My haunt goes up in a months period while fall harvest is underway. Not all of us are full time haunt. The same person who kind of slandered dark zone displays raised my eyebrows when I read a comment a while back that something to the effect 'we are not really in the business to scare anymore". Well...some of us are. Sure my Impaler did not scare anybody...it just looked damn cool their in the corn with red & blue flood lights. That is just the mood setting getting you ready for the guys who come out of the corn at you with cattle prods, chain saws, and other stuff. Neighbors down the road hear the screaming.

Now I am sure Gore Galore will be showing some new animatronics this year that sound like they will be putting a bearing in places where some would just drill a hole through steel tubing and put a bolt through it. And I really liked his his set up last year letting me operate the big actor assisted snake head and goat head so I as buyer got to experience what my actor is going to have to do for hours on end.

So I jabbed a little at comments made by a very prominent member. Well; I believe it is healthy to debate things a little. I have been on here and raked one major prop supplier over the coals on a problem I had two differnt times with them....a lot harsher than the comment made about hiding things in the dark. Their catalog last year had addressed and corrected the issue I sunk my teeth into. So I got on here and publicly praised them for such a great fix. Already in contact with them for 2013 and putting order in at the show. But; I believe such a broad statement about prop makers hiding in the dark needed challenging. Hey I'm bound to say something on here sometime needing challenging too. In fact it has happened before. I hear the gasps everywhere...yes it is true...even I Wicked Farmer will say say a bonehead thing from time to time. Like yesterday gettng out of the dentist chair after a cleaning. The dentist said "Well do you have a heavy work load today?" I answered "No...hardly working today; just office work." The receptionist on the other side of the open door gave me a raised eyebrow and slight glare.

Wicked Farmer

[wickedfarmer]

Yes I know he stated he is NOT saying anyone is hiding in there NOW...