REVISED: What Tradeshows Will You Attend in 2009?

[Haunted Illinois]

Forgive me Larry, but perhaps it makes sense to revise the original poll, giving people the chance to vote for multiple trade shows. I personally may attend two or three this year.

[drfrightner]

Ah cool thanks Adam!

Larry

[Raycliff Manor]

We're attending TW in St. Louis and MHC. Quite honestly, I'd attend them all if I could!

Kel

[maliciousstudios]

Wow... looks like Transworld attendance might be down. MHC looks more appealing since Transworld left Chicago. I myself think that MHC might become the next Transworld HELL YEAH..

[virgil]

Midwest and Ironstock have been on our agenda for several years.
We'll be there again this year...

[drfrightner]

Any vendors that want to sell product, the most amount of product in one sitting, one event, if they miss this show they should shoot themselves right between the eyes. That is just a HORRIBLE business decision.

I can however undrestand where Virgil is coming from he's selling CD and he doesn't charge much for them... you'd have to sell a TON OF CDs to pay for ANY SHOW. If was virgil I consider going to Houston and buyinga booth with packaging for my CD's just like Midnight Sydicate does.

You can't buy a booth at a haunt show to sell cds' you need to go to a retail show where one person puts in an order for 4000 copies. So yeah I agree, however I don't agree going to Ironstock or MHC is better because its not... a RETAIL show with retail packaging just like MS is the smart move there.

Either way if you a vendor and you sell products you think a haunted house would buy you should be there period!

Larry

[drfrightner]

Id like to know who's going to Fun Expo... I see three votes for that show.

Larry

[Boni]

Larry, in your post to Vigil,you kept saying "miss this show", what show are you talking about?

You mention MHC and Houston but you never mention what show you are saying is a must. It almost sounds like you are dismissing MHC as a viable show yet nearly as many people plan on attending it as they do Transworld. Is Transworld the "this show" you were talking about?

[drfrightner]

If you sell props, animations, haunted houses, or stuff you'd use for a haunted house or services for a haunted house I'm going to say what is a fact...this is THE SHOW TO WRITE ORDERS, and I think EVERYONE knows that! That is not to dimiss any other show but if you need this cemented by someone other than myself just call Scarefactory, just call Gore Galore, or Ghost Ride or whomever else you want to call.

You know its really hard to talk about these subjects without saying something that might offend another show. Look MHC is a great event what do you want me to say...but the facts are that this show coming up in St. Louis is the BUYING AND SELLING SHOW! Is there any doubt about that?

It boils down to what are you going for... clearly it seems that MHC has a better lineup of entertainment, tours, things to do, haunt tours than Transworld. There is NO QUESTION...if that is what you are looking for its your show hands down. But when it comes time to buy new products and see everything in one place at one time the TRANSWORLD show will be THE YOU CAN NOT MISS THIS SHOW OR ELSE YOU SHOULD JUMP OFF A CLIFF SHOW!

Any vendor out there thinking they might not attend let me only say this... YOU ARE NOT SERIOUS about your business. Because if you do not attend you just made the WORST business decision any business owner COULD EVER MAKE! PERIOD!

Now some vendors who do not go I can undestand, maybe its because like Virgil you sell music CD's... he should go to a retail show. Period. Maybe you do build animations and maybe you are not ready, maybe you are not sure if your products are ready to for the scrutiny of the big buyers, maybe you're not sure this is something you want to do or maybe you are not sure if you coudl fill lots of orders just yet, yes maybe you should skip it this year.

But if you are SERIOUS about your business, if you want to do this full time, and if you think haunted house owners will buy your product and your goal is to make money...IF YOU DO NOT COME TO THE SHOW YOU ARE NOT SERIOUS YET!

It takes MONEY TO MAKE MONEY... end of story!

If you are not ready to spend the money to bring your product to market to the mass majority of buyers then again either you are not ready, are not serious or simply have a bad business plan. That is my view others may disagree but again its my opinion.

Here is the BEST advice...call Ghost Ride, call Gore Galore, call Scarefactory, call some of these companies that have been to all of these shows from IAAPA, to MHC, to Hauntcon to Transworld and get their advice. Leave it at that...

Clearly MHC is the cheapest show in terms of floor space, and yes Hauntcon is cheaper than Transworld's floor space but that isn't the real costs of attending a show.

The real costs of ANY tradeshow is the time away from your shop, hotels, food, shipping of the product, making the product, all of those things are the SAME for the three day MHC, or the three day Hauntcon or the three day Transworld. Correct?

So what you are really talking about is the booth space and maybe fees for booth stuff. From what I've heard a couple Hauntcons have been brutal on the service fees, I know Vegas was last year for Transworld.

Look there is always costs to anything, and the biggest isn't the booth costs but the time away from your shop. While you are out at a tradeshow you are NOT making product, answering phone calls and returning emails.

You loose a week of your life, not to mention the weeks you spend to get ready for the show...that is the REAL cost of a tradeshow no matter how big or how small.

When you realize that as THE FACT then you can evaluate tradeshows in a whole other light.

Look I think at this point clearly MHC has really taken root and people really like it so I have nothing bad to say. MHC is more popular than Transworld, the people who own and operate MHC are better liked than Transworld, I get all of that but Transworld is strickly a place where people come to buy and sell product.

Its the best show for this function. If this is what you are trying to then you can't miss it because it only comes around ONCE A YEAR! Does that mean you shouldn't go to IAAPA, or MHC or any other show you want to go to no that isn't what I'm saying.

What I'm saying compare things for what they are not what they are not.

If you think shows like Hauntcon are more for the haunter, while shows like Transworld is more for the vendor.

Larry

[JamBam]

Timing

The timing of the Transworld show is what makes it the "buying/ordering show". TIMING!

The only other show with prime timing would be IAAPA because it is in November, but that show is HUGE in vendors, trade group/s, and a wide range of buyers/industries. MWH has moved their show to early June Ealrier by a few weeks in comparison to their first year. They listened to the buyers and sellers whose feedback most likely is what we have heard and experienced. Earlier in the year is better. Hauntcon is May. Eastern/National is April. There are many vendors at all the shows. We have bought from each we have attended. The vendors that build props need as much lead time as possible and buyers want it early enough to install and debug. The vendors that are selling the costumes, nicknaks, and the rest of the chinese stuff have to order it and wait for the slow boats from china, unpack the containers, and reship to all their customers. So timing is critical to many of these vendors.


I have attended all the shows I mentioned, except Eastern/National. I have always found it is hard to understand how a restaurant critic can write about a meal they haven't eaten.

[drfrightner]

IAAPA in my view is the best show bar none... it has the most stuff, more serious buyers, and non of the drama. Too bad its wrong time of year for an all out haunt show otherwise the haunt industry should just slide over there that would be best for everyone.

Its not an option for every reason we need to make it work so thankfully we have our own show.

Larry

[mindtumor]

Does it have to be industry related? I plan on attending Wizard World Philadelphia and Wizard World Chicago for sure. There is a couple of other conventions I am eyeing as well.

[Mr Nightmarez]

I'm going to St. Louie (Same as Most)

And National Haunters Convention (Eastern Haunter's New Name BTW)
And of course CON NOOGA (Local Southern Convention w/ More than just haunt stuff)
www.ConNooga.com

I wish I could attend more, but w/ the economy and a lot hitting at the same time - it's tough!

If I could only get another 2 weeks of vacation on top of my 3 weeks now! I could do some more.

Look forward to seeing some or most of you...

[Dusti]

Larry, I think you might want to correct the name of the National Haunters Convention. Referring to it by its past name may skew your voting results - some people might not know it as Eastern Haunters Convention.

Just a thought!

[drfrightner]

Dusti,

I didn't create this poll but... you are right I think people know it as EHC.

This thread never seems to die huh? I can't even remember what I said I would or wouldn't attend. I will attend IAAPA and Transworld St. Louis.

I might also try to attend a Chiller Show.

Did anyone hear about this other new show called 'HorrorHound'?

Same weekend at the Transworld show in Indy.

Larry