Its Official: Transworld Halloween and Haunt Show is Moving

[drfrightner]

Adam,

I see I miseed answer or responding to one of your questions...

An amusement show can bring in FEC, small amusement operators, bowling alley owners, etc. Thats why!


Secondly let me remind you I changed my opinion to some degree because we WERE all wrong the show starts on SUNDAY its NOT all on a weekday. Thats why I had a change of heart... I think its okay not the best but okay now.

FAST FACTS:

Vegas

1) Its warm
2) Tourist Spot
3) Tons of things to do
4) Cheaper hotels
5) NO UNIONS
6) Will draw more qualified buyers than cold Chicago (due to party town)
7) IAAPA even moves to Vegas in 2009 (that should tell you something)
8) Travel in and out of Vegas is CHEAP
9) Able to hook up with other amusement shows
10) Vegas is the convention capital of America (why, figure it out, read above).
11) Unlimited Convention space

Chicago (FEB)

1) COLD COLD COLD
2) Nothing to do
3) Major amusement parks have skipped TW for years, no reason to come to Chicago too cold.
4) The UNIONS in Chicago are expensive and abusive to vendors product
5) Hotels are out of control expensive
6) Travel into Chicago has been interupted many times due to snow storms, ice storms and worse.
7) The convention center is no longer big enough for the Halloween industry (thats a good thing)
8) Not many places to eat


Chicago has many plus on its side such as:

1) Tradition
2) Central location

But to be honest thats about it.

When you weigh the plus and minus Vegas wins out. Period.

This is what's funny... for years people cried about how expensive the hotels are, and yes they are way too expensive. We've heard people complain about how difficult it has been to get to Chicago if the weather was bad, we've heard people say move the show to a place warmer, and no doubt Vendors have been screaming about those Unions and their fees.

Now its changed. To tell you the truth people got what they asked for.

Now we'll see if it works!

Larry

[Ken Spriggs]

Hmm

Larry I don't have the time to blow holes through most of what you just posted.

WHO CARES THE SHOW IS MOVING.....in 2008 TW will have it's worst turnout in years.

I don't have to be Hanfadomous to see what is going to happen.

[xxxdirk]

AUUUGHHHHH all you whimps that keep whining about the cold in Feb-March, grow a pair will you! Geesh it's not like you are having to walk around outside for an extended period. You get out of your cab, walk 3 feet to the door of the convention center and thats it. Worse case you park in the ramp across the street and walk to the center. The way you make it talk you are setting up your haunt outside and are working in the elements. I mean, next week they are talking about wind chills of -9 or so sure but by that weekend, it could be back up to a balmy 35 or so......

[Matt Marich]

Also an added plus Larry is legalized Prostitution just miles outside the city and some of the finest Adult Entertainment in the world. Hmmm..., Haunters and Hookers, on second thought, maybe not such a good idea, forget I posted.

Matt

[MMManiac]

xxxdirt im with you! Bring on the -9 weather. (All I know is in October in WI it can get pretty cold. Even with heaters going in my haunt it's COLD! I feel bad for some of my costumed actors who don't have on much.) Even if TW moves to Vegas we have the Midwest Haunters Show and who's to say someone wont develope their own show in WI or IL... (That last line was ment for Tattoo)

Sean

[drfrightner]

Ken,

There is nothing to blow holes through... facts are facts!

Look let me say I agree that the attendance may be down slightly, because we might lose BUS loads of people who don't buy anything anyway.

You know actually we're just going to see a switch from the bus loads of non buyers from the east coast to the non buyers from the west coast.

There is NO doubt that more people from the WEST coast will now attend, and ANYONE who owns a haunt from the east coast will attend. Due to the show being in Vegas more amusement facility owners may now attend, I don't think you'll see a decrease in sales, but maybe overall attendance but that isn't a bad thing.

Its like my friend in Kansas City once said to me...


He raised his price in the middle of the season to $20.00 and I was LIKE what in the HELL did you do... didn't you lose a bunch of customers.

He said Larry what would you rather have 40,000 people at $15.00 or 30,000 people at $20.00? When you add up the numbers the end gross is the same...

He said... I'll take 30,000 and 10,000 less headaches.

Same money, just less problems.

Larry

[Jim Warfield]

Because the actual numbers are not made public, nobody except the people who are Transworld really know how that show is doing from year to year. Is it my business to know? No.
Positive propaganda is a fact of the business of promoting anything, "How is your business doing?"
"Great! Fantastic!"
I don't know? Most people I know and businesses have suffered since 9-11.
I can easily see Transworld suffering as many trade shows have gone the way of the Doe-doe bird since on-line shopping.
If you have a business and the business takes a decided dip, for whatever reason, you had better be trying to fix it somehow and maybe that is what Vegas is all about, nothing more. It's called survival.
If someone had a hidden nasty agenda to make Transworld-Chicago fail, just keep moving the date up the calender to discourage travel to Chicago. Wasn't Transworld once at the end of March?
It would be as predictable as sitting on a freshly painted park bench.
"Gee!? My pants now have paint on them?"
"Gee? Northern Illinois is cold in the winter months?"
But then maybe Transworld was forced to have Feb. this year?

[Dusti]

Why is TW moving?; Fangoria = worth checking out

Another thought...

Conventions and trade shows don't change venues overnight. I'm very curious as to when the move to Vegas was actually decided upon, and what exactly prompted the decision. Was it not being able to get the traditional March weekend at Rosemont for '07? A financial decision based on which city is the easier to use to host a trade show/convention?

The press release I want to see would include an honest breakdown of what decisions were made when and for what reason.

I don't actually think it's a decision based on the desire to chase haunters away. TW has (IMO) put too much energy into catering to haunters with things like the Haunters' Pavilion and hosting their own costume ball for me to believe they're not haunt-friendly.

That said, of **course** this will affect attendance in '08. Contrary to what's been posted in this thread, *not* every haunt owner attends TW Chicago, for all kinds of valid reasons. The move will (I suspect) pump up attendance at MHC (which is a dang good "mini-TW" of sorts), and Hauntcon (and, really, let's support the industry events we already HAVE rather than talking about starting up MORE, shall we?), and possibly IAAPA (which is still where I think we as an industry fit in better than at TW).

As for lack of things to do: The Fangoria con (http://www.fangoria.com/special_events.php) looks to be WELL worth checking out, with lots of potentially overlapping guests - I know some of the people listed as Fangoria guests have attended TW in the past, and personaly I think having both events the same weekend is quite wonderful. (I wish they had a schedule posted - I'd love to run over and see Voltaire!)

(ETA: More details here: http://www.creationent.com/cal/fangochi.htm)

[Greg Chrise]

It would have to do with Transworld not owning the convention centers?

I don't know if they are in competition with other event orgainizers?

Or other events paying more to have the right schedule?

Or perhaps Transworld is movin on up and taking this event to Vegas?

Maybe the Douglas center is scheduled for a big remodel?

All I know is no one asked me.

I'm sure if it was considered a sucky event it would not be anymore.

[Jim Warfield]

When you built on a swamp you always dug less. (Or rather not at all!)

[Bonesaw]

WooHoo!!!!

Great news!!!! Of course, I am only one hour by air so the news rocks for me. But it is true, it is the convention capital of the world for good reason.
Give it a chance. After getting there, it is so much more convenient & fun!!!

I can't wait! I have that town so dialed in. I am the King of Vegas!
Hope to see ya all there!

[Jim Warfield]

So you are the King. Then the rest of us are the Jesters?
I personally could handle that task, it might not go well with some others though......
Answer me this King, just what are those "Ladies-In-Waiting" waiting for?
Do they all still congregate on the street corner and the truck stop parking lots?
What is the difference between a Duke and an Earl?
Duke is Earl's dog?
Can you tell one of the King's Henchmen just by the way they walk?
Step-Hench-step-hench-step-hench. Carrying a concealed sword in your pants was tricky, especially if it was a broad sword, and why such a big heavy sword just for a Broad? They move quicker than that, use a raphier on them, my suggestion.
Did the word "Dungeon" actually come from what that room was filled with? "Dung"? (Just my guess?)
"Castle", Hard "K" sound for "King", the rest tells alot about the big guy living there, owning the place? " Astle"?
I might be Andy Roonie's relative, oh no!

[brad]

This will be my third year to go to TW. Now having done a haunt for thew first time. So you could have classified me as a horror fan, and not a haunt operater. I live in Texas, and Larry is right. To me theres virtually no difference in going to Chicago or Vegas. Chicago is fearkin cold to me Vegas is perfect temp. Yeas I feel that the haunters feel in Chicago will be lost for the first year or 2, but, there are plenty of places to mingle in Vegas. We can all take over another Hotel bar. There's enough choices in Vegas to do so. The Crown bar was about the only good choice for us in Chicago, but theres so much variety in Vegas, we WILL find another place to hang out. It might be rough for the first year or 2, but it will move on, cause there's enough stuff to keep the ball rolling IMO.

[Tattoo]

No where has it been said that the move to Vegas is a permanent one, perhaps they are testing the waters?

If you want to get in on the bets, I will have a board with me at the Crowne EVERY NIGHT!

I'll bet this one pays off big time!

[MMManiac]

Count me in tattoo.. Buy the way I wanna buy you a drink in chicago. Keep an eye out for me

Sean