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Transworld 2015 - New Rules Changes to Policy (what do you think)

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  • Transworld 2015 - New Rules Changes to Policy (what do you think)

    Well there are a great deal of new rules that might be considered for 2016. I personally think this show should stay totally professional across the board. I don't want to see the show become to much like MHC because that is not good for vendors and it may scare away professional buyers who merely want to do business. What do you think the problems are and how do you think it should be addressed?

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

  • #2
    Well.....to be honest, the show from a managerial standpoint was very well done this year, and I think has improved greatly just from the three years we've been vending. But one of the crucial things that I believe was an issue was wandering vendors. It is one thing to demo your products by having actors in them, it's another to leave your booth space in costume to walk around in the lobby area/line of buyers. It is unprofessional, and gives vendors exposure they didn't pay for. If you pay for a booth, you should stay in your booth. Make your booth as tall as you want, send lights everywhere from your booth, but don't send out employees in costume or with scare tools to areas in which you did not pay to be in. That's my only real gear to grind.

    Comment


    • #3
      Transworld was like MHC or Hauntcon this year. The Haunters Hangout group seemed to outnumber actual haunt owners. I think Transworld just opened the floodgates to ANYONE willing to pay $50.

      Jake

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      • #4
        1st year

        This was my first year at transworld so I have nothing to compare it to however, I agree the actors in costume representing a vendor need to stay in that booths area. The aisles are crowded enough.
        I was also frustrated particularly on Saturday when I couldn't get to vendors because of the amount of, I'll call them gawkers, lined up, asking questions but with no intention of buying, then or now.
        I walked away. I don't have a large budget but not even speaking to the vendor cost him/her my dollars and possibly lost me a better deal for a great item.
        I noticed a very different, more professional, crowd on Thursday and Friday.
        My 2 cents.
        Jan
        greyhousehaunts.com

        Comment


        • #5
          When you attend other shows I think the rules are more strict and maybe at this point the same should apply here. I found it confusing to determine if some monster was an actor or vendor because they are roaming around everywhere. Even when the costume monster was from a vendors booth I still didn't know it because they are roaming around the whole entire show floor. More specific most of the costume monsters roamed right near the entrance in or out of the show. Vendors seriously this doesn't help me you because no one knows they are from your booth, and these monsters need to stay in your booth near your booth.

          Yes the show is great, incredible experience but more or less it appeared to be abused by certain people. I'm not going to disagree that the show is filled with way to many people who way to many actors roaming the floor. Since Larry brought up this thread let me mention I met several Darkness actors on the show floor in addition to people who said they just came to have fun. The show probably needs a new set of rules tighten up the show before it gets way to far out of hand.

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          • #6
            my two cents

            I tend to agree that the costumes (not affiliated and advertising a vendor) shouldn't be worn. It doesn't really have a place or a point, and causes distraction.
            Sat did seem super busy, but I'd like to know how the previous poster knew the people chatting to the vendors weren't buyers? You can't judge a book by the cover at these things. I for one, was gathering information on certain things for my new bosses, who due to conflicting engagements, couldn't make it.
            When our group takes people to Transworld, we discuss proper behavior, since this is a different world than MHC. We don't take flyers or magazines unnecessarily, we don't talk to vendors unless we have genuine questions pertaining to possible purchases. We act professional.
            If more owners followed this, and kept their own behavior in check, the issues would pretty much eliminate themselves.
            Do Vegan Zombies eat heads of lettuce?

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            • #7
              Everyone is talking about issues that happened at the show however they all blow over shortly after the show itself. Right now it's time to move onto other things such as build your haunt. I would agree the show had one two many people who don't belong. The car break in thing has now happened more than one different year. Yes their are a lot of events not sure if that is actually a bad thing or not. All things to debate I'm sure.

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              • #8
                Overall I thought the show went really well this year. It did seem as though there were a lot of people that didn’t look like buyers, but as Katie said you can’t judge a book…. My wife and I took two of our build team with us. Mostly to take classes, but also to help us look for items to purchase for the haunt. We had the conversation with them about this is a professional show, dress appropriately and act respectful. They were very helpful to us gathering information on vendors.

                I was disappointed when I saw costumed actors trying to scare children walking to the Lego’s show. It’s difficult to find a date to hold an event when there isn’t something else going on. Common sense would say you don’t try to scare someone out in public who isn’t paying money to be frightened at your attraction. Especially a child. Even with the few problems; I thought the show was one of the better TW’s I’ve attended in years.

                Kelly

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by drfrightner View Post
                  Well there are a great deal of new rules that might be considered for 2016. I personally think this show should stay totally professional across the board. I don't want to see the show become to much like MHC because that is not good for vendors and it may scare away professional buyers who merely want to do business. What do you think the problems are and how do you think it should be addressed?

                  Larry
                  I would like to see Midwest become more like Transworld.
                  It used to be .....many more regional "pro" or haunt enthusiasts than there are now. Not many really interested in the heavy equipment that you get at St Louis.
                  Personally (and this may not jibe with what others think) as a vendor I like seeing the long line stretching to the main entrance at St Louis at 9am REGARDLESS who's in it.

                  YES Transworld has become a cash-n-carry show, like it or not. I take orders from mom and pop costume shops in New Orleans and folks at St Louis are usually end users and like to pick it up there. Which means I need to drag a lot of stuff to St Louis but the client saves on shipping. With the advent of the Square it is easier for everyone to just buy it there. That does make it more like Columbus but I disagree that it's not good for the vendors. I like the immediate influx of cash into my account after the large hotel, food and travel expense. I don't distinguish between a professional buyer or non professional buyer. For me as a vendor everyone at the show is a professional buyer. Everyone's dollar is the same color (except the Australians..whose dollars are all different colors). For me the more people the better my chances of making a sale.

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                  • #10
                    Actors in costume...

                    Just a heads up. I brought a different builder with me this year who had never been to Transworld. He is a builder and actor for me. With all the costumes roaming I kept hearing over and over..."I'm wearing my stilts next year!" You got to love an actors passion and can't fault them for going through withdrawls of not "performing" for several months. But; if no rule is made against this; there will be even more next year. With no rule; my actor will be in stilts walking the floor. So; what I am saying is...make a rule. I'm a big enough ass to single out my own actor (who was wearing no costume this year ) and suggest preventing him from doing so...at least stilts. Costumes....maybe if a ban is put in place; the first year just place the ban on Sat. & Sun.

                    Wicked Farmer

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                    • #11
                      I would be in favor of NO COSTUME RULE and I'll tell you why. It felt like when you are lined up to enter the show there are people in costume, then right when you walk in yeah more costumes. When vendors have their costume monsters walk around you just don't know who they are from, and when you mix in the actors running around well you just don't know.

                      If I'm a vendor I'm keeping my costume monsters near my booth. If I'm a vendor part 2 I don't want people dressed up as monsters who are not with a vendor because buyers confuse them for vendors.

                      I found myself asking several times are you here as a vendor or merely an actor. GZ

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Since both St Louis and MHC are both TW shows, it would be beneficial to keep St L for buyers and decision makers and leave MHC to the "haunt enthusiasts". I agree that costumed characters of vendors should pay if they choose to wander outside the booth. Vendors pay to be on fliers, in the hallway display banners etc...it's not fair to rent a booth and wander across 100,000 sq ft.
                        By reducing the number of wandering creatures and cutting back on the "enthusiasts", this would open the aisles and allow the people with checkbooks and credit cards the space and ability to interact with the vendors on buying decisions.

                        Think it's not a problem?? I know one haunt for a FACT that brings up to 15 people with them to St Louis! Total abuse of what this convention/trade show should be !

                        I also know that as a vendor previously, I spent way too much time repeatedly explaining and demonstrating a product to people who had no power or buying power while potential buyers patiently waited in the background. there is alot to see, digest, and process when making buying decisions as an owner or manager at TW. It concerns me that while we are sales pitching the 'enthusiasts', the buyers move on with a "I will come back later" attitude. How many sales are lost to the "time consuming enthusiast"?

                        Something needs to change.

                        Peace!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          and what about Halloween Extreme?
                          For "haunters" or "enthusiasts"?
                          It's also a Transworld show.

                          Let's not forget about what makes Halloween FUN for us all. Without the "Enthusiasts" (who ever that is) Transworld would be just another boring show.

                          To me EVERY enthusiast is a potential buyer.
                          To me a worse distraction are casinos and non Halloween vendors (like paper plates and party store stuff) that compete with me for the same dollar.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Not distraction

                            The Halloween store has never been a distraction....nor stuff that I would not personally buy. That I am able to simply walk by and scan with my eyes. It in NO WAY POSSIBLE can be conceived as a distraction if it is held inside the boundaries of a vendors booth. Paper plates...SERIOUSLY??? A DISTRACTION??? Maybe if I had smoked some drugs I have never done and they were different colored floating around I might be distracted. But I have never had to wait for a mob of plates to finish talking to a vendor beofreew I could step up with my credit card. Wait around big costumes and lots of haunt "enthusisasts" yes I have. But I am not ready to say "haunt X can not bring 15 people" though I only bring myself and one other person.

                            Wicked Farmer

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                            • #15
                              WOW...we are getting the SAME complaints from Vendors that the Party Vendors complained about back in Chicago when it was a combined show!!!

                              A suggestion made back then (and never implemented before the split) was VERY SIMPLE. Any business signing up for TW has a set number of badges they can buy at the first tier level of say the $50.00 each. These are the people with the "power of the pen". Now if you want to bring "guests" in, people who maybe work at your haunt, but do not make the purchasing decisions they would have a different color badge that states "GUEST".

                              Now vendors have an option. They see the GUEST badge it is an option whether they want to hand out materials or spend time with that guest. They save their time and materials for the people with the power!

                              You can also possibly charge a different tier for the GUEST level, say $75.00 and even put a limit to each business. ( Say you are allowed 4 Attendee badges and 6 Guest badges).

                              I am sure there are those who will clamor to the position that we are limiting our show.... NO we are not and YES we are! We are limiting access to keep the "tire kickers" and enthusiasts to a minimum because the purpose of this show is a TRADE SHOW! Yes we can have some fun , but the sole purpose is to see new products and services and PURCHASE those products and services...PERIOD! That's what the Vendors PAY for, they don't care about actors or enthusiasts, they want QUALIFIED BUYERS. IF they don't sell, they don't return..period.

                              The big problem that started the whole break up of the show to begin with was the whole notion of attendee count. Our numbers start to climb because we start letting the actors and non-purchasing attendees in the show. TW points to these inflated numbers to justify vendors attending the show and also to help assess the cost of attending the show. But almost every vendor will tell you they would prefer FEWER more QUALIFIED attendees. Think of it in HAUNT terms, do you want to run your haunt with 25,000 attendees where 15,000 are free comps or 12,000 paid attendees only????

                              Also think of it in terms of YOU attending the show. We have trouble getting rooms (so room rates increase to cover demand), trouble eating at the local restaurants all because of the increased number of attendees. BUT if the show was limited to just the qualified participants, you would free up rooms and be able to actually get dinner!

                              I come from the "Land of Conventions" Las Vegas. All of the trade shows in Vegas are just that TRADE SHOWS. You MUST be a qualified attendee and be able to prove it or you don't get into the show. There are fan based shows and they cater to the general public. The TW Halloween Show has to make that choice. IS it a TRADE SHOW or a FAN SHOW? With TW also owning the MHC show have THAT show focus more on the enthusiast side of the business. Take your actors to THAT show if your point is you want to "pump them up or excite them for the season." Besides it is closer to the actual running of your attraction. I could never see the point of taking actors to pump them up when your actual show doesn't start for 6-7 months!! If you use the analogy of the TW show gets people excited since it's been 6 months since your season...that means it will wear off again BEFORE your season starts. So take to a show that is CLOSER to your operating date so that they ARE excited. We have an Actor Pool Party in September so everyone is hyped up just prior to the show!

                              So TW has to decide what they are, a TRADE SHOW or a FAN SHOW. They do have the perfect solution, they own TWO shows. so have one for each. Then you satisfy everyone.
                              R&J Productions
                              Las Vegas, NV
                              www.LasVegasHaunts.com

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