Admission fee for TW next year?

[robert]

Is TW considering an admission fee for next year? Most mainstream tradeshows charge around $50.00 and up for non invited buyers. Transworld should do the same. TW is a trade show and not a convention (Hauntcon). If you are there to do business it's a small price to pay if you do not already have a relationship with at least one of the vendors. And yes, the fees for the seminars would have to drop but still be a separate charge.

[Motograter]

I guess I would pay a fee if I had to but not no $50.00 to walk around and buy stuff. It would be like your local mall's starting up an admission price just to walk around and shop.

[drfrightner]

Yes for good reason. Our show isn't really a show where there are two zillion vendors. Every single show we attended in 2009 or even before has a fee to get in... every single one.

Transworld has to make money, and we also need to keep booth costs down for vendors. Buyers need to pay part of the way so vendors don't share the full burdon.

IAAPA charges like $300.00 I think... Fun Expo was something I don't remember, Hauntcon charges like what $80.00 or something. I'm not sure... most tradeshows cost money.

I don't know how much they will charge but it won't be much.

Larry

[Spookyfinder]

I think this should be a per haunt fee... not per person. I know ALOT of haunts bring large groups with them... and yes, they ALL have an influeance (sp?) on what to buy! I know next year we plan to bring a large group with us... and if they charged a fee... we probably wouldn't go at all!

This would be the death of TW I think, our industry is not big enough to start doing things like this... we're NOT the amusement industry! I guarentee MHC would quickly become THE BUYERS show! -Tyler

[Grimley]

I would agree to pay the fee IF it benefited the vendors in some way. Lower booth fees for instance.

[Infoamtek]

Nobody charges per haunt. Everybody else charges per person. If you want a big crowd of your people there, as a bonus to them or as a help to you, pay for them.

[brad]

$50 or so won't break the bank or anything like that. But it's deffinately something I'd have to get used to. Just cause I'm used to going in for free.

[Boo Crew Production]

In all reality the vendors don't pay. The people buying their products ultimately pay. It is called overhead and the cost of doing business, does this come out of the vendors pockets? NO it comes out of the customers pockets.

As for the comment Transworld has to make money; I believe they already make their share. If they were not making money, why would they consider putting the show together.

[xxxdirk]

That is complete Bullcrap. TW makes money at this. They charge $13 for a meal that should only cost $4. They get a cut of the hotel rooms. They get $ from the vendors. If they want to cut down their cost, combine the tow shows into one again.....

[Motograter]

Before you know it places will start charging you to use the restroom. $5.00 just to take a crap!

[robert]

The fee would apply to attendees that do not get an invitation from a vendor. Don't you guys know any vendors who would invite you???????????

[Spookyfinder]

Hopefully, vendors would invite people who bought from them! That just seems like the logical thing to do! -Tyler

[spookhaven]

I certainly would not have paid 50.00 per person for this show. There wasn't enough vendors there for us. We were somewhat disappointed in the show size. Vendors that showed were good but I thought we were missing some key players.

Now put it on ice for a minute, I know it was the first haunt show and totally support it, but I would really hope that it's twice as large next year.

What these retail vendors need to do is charge 50% more and show at the haunt show. If someone like me who has a retail store separate from the haunt, they could provide us with a wholesale price and minimum order. They are VERY foolish to not come to this show and sell above wholesale but below retail with a 100.00 or so minimum order. Heck I should set up shop next year. Morris was there and they gave us better customer service than Rubies did this past year. I would support them 100% if I was a haunter. They already showed us (as haunters) that we are important to their business. We need to keep this in mind when all these other retailers show up next year wanting our business back. Oh and don't forget Wolfe FX showed as well. There are a few that get we need eachother.

I just wouldn't pay that much to get into a show. I didn't even have to pay to get into the New York Toy Fare so why would we have to pay to get into another show? If we do, my vote is 20.00 and no more if not invited.

[SteveR]

Not likely to pay

I don't think I'd go if there was a $50 pp fee, if the seminars are also the cost they were.
What I consider acceptable is a $50-100 pp if it includes a couple seminars.

[Haunting Copy]

Doesn't the whole concept of "invitations" put undue pressure on the vendors' customer relationships? They risk pissing off some customers while appearing as though they "favor" others. Then there is the bureaucracy of the whole thing.

Personally, I don't mind paying a fee, nor would I want to see the price of seminars go down. You get what you pay for. Keep in mind that you can demand more from a function that is charging high prices. Demand your money's worth, and that's the way to make the industry grow.