Hauntworld Opinions for TRADESHOWS 2022 / THE DARKNESS HAUNT TOUR Updates  

Let's start with is Transworld a tradeshow or a convention?  Transworld is a hybrid tradeshow/convention.  Most people do not understand the difference between a tradeshow and a convention.  Transworld is NOT a Tradeshow because they do not limit who can attend the show.  A tradeshow is typically produced for an industry, by an association for the benefit of an industry.  For example IAAPA (Amusement Park) association produces the annual TRADESHOW in Orlando every November.  IAAPA is over 700,000 square feet of amusement, rides, games, food, and much more with tours of major theme parks and local attractions.  IAAPA is a TRADESHOW without question.  We strongly advice you to attend IAAPA at least once every other year learn more at www.IAAPA.org 
 

Watch everyone's favorite Carpetbagger give you a tour of IAAPA 2019.  IAAPA was canceled in 2020 but will return on November 16-19, 2021 with rumored tour of Disney's new Star Wars land.  Should haunt vendors exhibit at IAAPA?  Hmmm... maybe!  IAAPA is NOT a buyers show, very few people run around with check books buying things it's more of a get leads show.  IAAPA is hands down the biggest amusement show on planet earth.  If I was going to advice a vendor to attempt ANY show other than Transworld it would be IAAPA hands down.  As someone in the haunt or escape room industry, I would advice you to attend because you'll find many things at IAAPA you will not find at Transworld. 




Getting back to Transworld in my opinion Transworld is NOT a Tradeshow because there are way too many enthusiasts, actors, and fans of Halloween in attendance.  Allowing all these people into the show doesn't help vendors because vendors only have so many hours in a day to talk to REAL BUYERS! Let's face reality there isn't 10,000 haunted house industry buyers not today, not tomorrow not ever.  If we were to combine escape room and haunt buyers together we're talking maybe 1,000 to 2,000  buyers.  Vendors would benefit from Transworld raising the entry price to $200.00 per person to weed out a lot of the non-buyers and get the show back to a strict TRADESHOW!   A case can be made that Transworld is a Tradeshow because it brings real buyers and sellers together, it just needs to nix out all the non-buyers to be considered a real TRUE Tradeshow.  With all that being said Transworld is the ONLY show in my opinion that ANY vendor should attend if they can only afford one show.

Unfortunately most haunt vendors do NOT understand how to make money or run a successful business.  Vendors from the haunt community need to realize there is nothing wrong with making a profit.  Do not price your products based on what someone else is doing and never apologize for your price.  Vendors greatly benefit from having one show because that minimizes expenses and keeps you in the shop filling orders.  Furthermore we hear all this talk about creating multiple shows for vendors who can't afford Transworld.  So let me see if I'm getting this straight... Transworld GETS ALMOST EVERYONE to attend.  Transworld gets all the press all the youtube views, facebook views, its spread across the World via social media but you can't afford it?   What?  If you're trying to create a successful business then you have to jump in with two feet!  When a show as successful as Transworld which is perfect for your product line being a part of that show is vital!  You shouldn't be thinking about building up to Transworld by attending shows almost no one attends because over price.  That is ridiculous.  As I pointed out attending tradeshows cost the SAME no matter how big or small the only difference is the cost of a booth.  So attending Transworld might cost a bit more for a booth, but look at the benefits.  EVERYONE talks about the show all year long, they attend the show in force, both buyers and vendors, and the national press and social media hits are off the chart. Can other shows say the same?  What other show can bring that many buyers in one weekend to see your product? 
 

I would agree many vendors don't have a lot of money, which is why there needs to be ONE SINGLE SHOW, where you can expect to show your product to the entire community all in one shot.  Some delusional people mention how great it would be to have multiple events scattered across the country but those people don't understand the cost a vendor goes thru to do a convention/tradeshow.  It doesn't matter if the show is Transworld, IAAPA or MHC it all costs the same... hotels - food - transportation and your time away from your shop.  Instead of attending some smaller convention you could be in your shop answering emails, taking phone calls, filling orders, and getting work done!  When you break away you lose an entire week if not more not to mention money.  Why don't these people chatting away on Facebook understand or even respect how much money it costs to attend shows?  That same group of people whine about how they didn't get their order on time, how vendors need to buckle up and get things done on time as promised... but at the same time you want vendors to leave their shop to hop around the country to regional shows?  What?   

Vendors and buyers should ONLY SUPPORT ONE SHOW TRANSWORLD because our industry doesn't need MHC or anything else.   Haunt Tours aren't a reason for vendors or buyers to attend a show, its a benefit but not a reason to spend thousands of dollars to travel across the country.  Bringing buyers and sellers together in one place, at one time, putting everyone on the same page this is what this industry wants and demands!  The industry is small and not overly wealthy and many are do it yourselfers who want to get back home and get to work.   Lastly, Transworld is PERFECTLY positioned for both vendors and haunt owners.  There are only THREE buying seasons for haunted house owners, dump cash before December 31st, the Transworld buyers who wants to buy at the mid-year point, and the summer buyers who need to use credit cards.  Haunt shows have been tried outside of March and all have failed including IAAPA.  Vendors need enough time to make new product, and enough time to fill orders (MARCH is the PERFECT month).  A haunted house show in any other month than March doesn't work for the industry as we know it.  


TRANSWORLD IS THE ONLY TRADESHOW YOU SHOULD INVEST YOUR TIME AND YOUR MONEY INTO if you're a vendor expecting to grow your business. Don't get me wrong there are other options to find new eyeballs, as I pointed out the second show you should consider is IAAPA.  If your company wants to branch out into family fun centers, bowling centers there are shows specific to those industries. The question is if you're companies focus is HAUNT PRODUCTS -  then putting most ofo your marbles in the Transworld basket is the smart move.   In 2021 Transworld moves back to March giving both vendors and buyers the right amount of time to conduct business again.  However I have some suggestions for Transworld...  1)  Expand the show into an Amusement Show to find vendors new customers and buyers new amusement options to expand  2)  Ditch the multiple websites and the name HAASHOW and rebrand into the Transworld Attraction Show highlighting Halloween - Christmas - Escapes - Axe Throwing - Amusement.  3)  Re-Draw the floor plan even though some vendors have already purchased booths.  The show started off as a haunt show and morphed into something bigger.  Transworld needs to create sections just like IAAPA so that they can attract more amusement vendors, food vendors, business to business.  What food vendor wants to sell food next to a bloody body?  The show needs a Halloween - Christmas -  Escape -  Amusement sections so during sales meetings with possible new clients they can clearly see the zone for their business.      Learn more about Transworld at www.haashow.com 

Midwest Haunters Convention

MHC is a clear cut CONVENTION.  MHC should be rebranded into the National Halloween Home Haunt and Enthusiasts Show.  Midwest implies its a regional convention, so why not open this baby up to the entire country of home haunts?  I  believe this will help the exhibit floor as well because now vendors can choose to purchase booths and bring products for that market.  If Transworld rebranded MHC into a national home haunt show, they could transform the main attraction show into a full fledged TRADESHOW, raise the price on buyers, and invite all the actors, home haunters and everyone between to THEIR OWN SHOW!  Makes sense right?

To be clear I've ALWAYS advocated for ONE SHOW because this industry can't afford to trot around the country.  We need an attraction show to be clearly different than the home haunt show.  Transworld should make these updates.  Just my opinion.    

 

Lastly, we haven't produced a Darkness haunted house tour in TWO years, and in 2022 it would be THREE seasons of renovations no one has seen.  After getting a ton of emails and phone calls expressing how important opening the haunt is to the show we've decided to open The Darkness one last time.  The Darkness will open during Transworld 2022 for ONE LAST SCREAM!   Thursday night will be an escape room behind the scenes tour with seminars.  Friday will feature The Darkness behind the scenes tour with seminars.  Saturday will feature LIVE event with actors.  At some point we might try and open Creepyworld.   

 

The Darkness will showcase THREE SEASONS of NEW SCREAMS in ONE LAST SCREAM TOUR!  New scenes will include a human sized doll house, and an all CNC created Devil's Domain complete with video mapping special fx.  The escape rooms will add their 7th and last escape room Jurassic island. 
 

Tickets will go on sale January 2022.  Tickets will be limited and sell out.  Stay tuned to Hauntworld.com for details. 

Have a great Halloween season 2021 and stay locked into Hauntworld for more how to articles.   Please update your haunt profile on Hauntworld.com