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This week on Haunt Weekly illness is in the air as a severe case of stomach flu has crippled 1/2 of the team but we are determined to persevere. Unfortunately, we had to scrap our planned episode and, instead, we're pulling together a quick one as we talk about a topic we're hoping to turn into a conference talk down the road: Scare Tactics 101.This is going to be a pretty basic overview of how to place and use scares to maximize their impact. So, if you're a vet at this, it might be kind of boring. But it's a topic we're passionate about and have been eager to talk about for some time.So sit back and relax while we go through the world of haunt tactics.This Week's Episode Includes: IntroConference RemindersQuick Update About Our Haunt (and Illness)Spotting Haunts without TacticsRules of Scare TacticsEvery Scare Should Have a Distract and StartleEvery Scare Should Have a Visual and Sound ComponentNo Two Consecutive Scares from the Same DirectionNo Two Consecutive Scares the SameMake Your Scares VariableConclusionsAll in all, whether you're a newbie haunter or a pro, this is likely an episode you do NOT want to miss!

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This week on Haunt Weekly we're talking about how you, yes you, can give a talk that will help improve the haunt industry.With HAuNTcon extending the deadline for speakers, now is a great time to think about what topic you may want to speak on and how you can assemble a great presentation.To that end, there's a lot that you can do. You have experiences and knowledge that is valuable to the haunt industry and that's whether you're the newest home haunter or the longest-running veteran in the industry. As a veteran speaker, including 5 haunted attraction conventions, I will take you through the ins and outs of making a great talk and building up your confidence to speak in front of a crowd.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersQuick Update on Our HauntFollow Up on Last Week's EpisodeHAuNTcon Extended Its DeadlineChoosing Your TopicCreating the TalkGiving the TalkTopics We'd Love to SeeConclusionsWhether you're giving your first talk or your 100th, this is an episode you do NOT want to miss!

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This week on Haunt Weekly it's all about Computer Assisted Design (or Computer Aided Drafting if you're the older crowd).While many think of CAD as a highly-technical skill only achievable by those that have studied it for years, that's only really true for the upper echelon of CAD. There are plenty of CAD tools that are perfectly usable by anyone capable of clicking a mouse and those tools can be very useful in laying out a haunt.Best of all, many of those tools are FREE (or extremely low cost).There's literally no reason to not jump in. But, if you need convincing, that's what this episode is for!This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersUpdates About Our HauntMore Info on the Halloween and Costume AssociationWhat is CAD?How Does CAD Help?When to B ring CAD Into the ProcessTrimble Sketchup (https://www.sketchup.com)TinkerCAD (https://www.tinkercad.com)Sweet Home 3D (http://www.sweethome3d.com)Advice for Making CAD Work for YouConclusionsNo matter how tech savvy you are, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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This week on Haunt Weekly, we're doing the news and what a news episode it is!We have an update on our 2019 season and a possible danger to it happening. We also have the latest on the rather stupid petition to try and move Halloween (or at least Trick or Treating) to the last Saturday of month.In less annoying news, we have lots of great stories about haunt openings and a major announcement from a haunt that many thought had closed permanently. This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersUpdate on Our HauntAsinine Petition Seeks to Move Halloween (https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-life-saturday-halloween-petition-tt-0731-20190731-lxff6bdzmfgvjammt4mrxfd7gq-story.html)Bane Haunted House Leaves New Jersey (https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2019/08/top-rated-haunted-house-gets-the-hell-outta-nj-after-10-year-reign-of-terror.html)Blackout Haunted House Returns (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKYQPD90Rj0&app=desktop)Dark Horizon: Point of No Return to Open in Orlando (http://www.insideuniversal.net/2019/07/dark-horizon-point-of-no-return-haunt-to-debut-this-halloween-season-in-orlando/)Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood to Get Creepshow Maze (http://promotehorror.com/2019/08/03/creepshow-comes-to-life-at-universal-studios-hollywoods-halloween-horror-nights/?sfns=mo)Reindeer Manor Announces New 3D Attraction (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQmJGShexok&feature=youtu.be)The House That Inspired The Conjuring to Opened to Public (https://www.screengeek.net/2019/07/17/the-conjuring-haunted-house-public-opening/)Original Michael Myers Actor to Appear at Haunted Haven (https://www.mystateline.com/news/local-news/original-halloween-michael-myers-actor-coming-local-haunted-house/)New Zealand Warriors Visit Spookers (https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6304898/warriors-hold-no-fears-for-raiders/)Alamo Drafthouse to Host Clown-Only IT Screening (https://www.joblo.com/movie-news/alamo-drafthouse-to-host-clowns-only-screenings-of-it-chapter-two)ConclusionsAll in all, this is one news episode that you do NOT want to miss!

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This week on Haunt Weekly, we're discussing year-round haunting and we're doing it by sitting down with Shelby Rodwell. Shelby runs both The Haunted Mayfield Manor and Pirates! Legends of the Gulf Coast (https://www.piratesandghosts.com) in Galveston. The first is a year-round haunted attraction and the second an equally year-round pirate museum.We're going to talk about the challenges and opportunities in running a year-round haunt including how they keep it going and what some of the biggest obstacles they face are. It's a jam-packed interview with lots of great info about running such a haunt and more than a little talk about pirates. This Week's Episode Includes:IntroGetting to Know ShelbyThe Biggest Challenges in Running a Year-Round HauntThe History of The Haunted Mayfield ManorDiscussion of Being a Woman in HauntingConclusionsAll in all, whether you're thinking about expanding to more days or looking to get started year-round haunting, this is an episode that you do NOT want to miss! Special Guest: Shelby Rodwell.

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Pretty much every haunted house has a merch booth or a gift shop. There's almost no reason not to. It's a fairly straightforward way to make extra money from your haunt and, in many cases, do some great self-promotion. However, as an industry, our merch game is often times pretty weak. Many places offer t-shirts and hats and not a lot more. There's a lot of room for many haunts to elevate their merch and gift shop game and that's what this episode is about. Finding ways to make more money by selling more stuff.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersInformation on Upcoming Galveston TripHat Tip to Roberta McCllenPrevious Episodes to Check OutDifference Between a Gift Shop and a Merch Booth6 Rules for a Successful Gift ShopDiscussion on MerchElevating it to a Gift ShopAdditional AdviceExamples of Good Haunt Gift ShopsConclusionsWhether you already have a gift shop or are looking to set one up, this is an episode you do NOT want to miss!

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When Midwest Haunters Convention left Ohio to head to Chicago, the Ohio Haunters Association (https://ohiohaunters.com) found themselves without a conference in their backyard. So, they had a crazy idea, why not create one.Thus the Ohio Halloween & Haunters Convention was born!So how did a team of great haunt activists and organizers become a crack team of event planners and conference hosts? Well, that's exactly what we're talking with Maximus Bryant about on this week's episode of Haunt Weekly.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroBackground on MaximusHow the Convention Got StartedChallenges and Process of Putting it TogetherOvercoming Unforeseen DifficultiesAdvice for OthersConclusionsWhether you're planning a conference or just planning on attending one, this is an episode you do NOT want to miss! Special Guest: Maximus Christian Bryant.

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This week on Haunt Weekly, we're doing the news and, despite it being in the doldrums of summer we have a surprisingly large amount of news to go through.We have updates about new haunts, new escape rooms, a haunt getting a beer license and a triple update on Halloween Horror Nights.So while the temperatures are rising outside, why don't you cool off for the next 45 minutes or so with us and catch up on all the goings on in the haunt industry.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersMysic Manor Opens at OWA in Alabama (https://www.al.com/life/2019/06/mystic-mansion-ride-opens-friday-at-owa-in-foley.html)Erebus Opens New Escape Game (https://www.theoaklandpress.com/news/local/art-of-the-escape-erebus-opens-new-detective-adventure/article_63043590-976e-11e9-b00c-5b572d8c9bda.html)Wisconsin Haunt Gets a Beer License (https://journaltimes.com/news/local/abandoned-haunted-house-gets-beer-license/article_c636ad13-af7f-5c8b-ba22-343715446753.html)Iowa Haunt Opens for Midsummer Event (https://kwwl.com/news/top-stories/2019/06/21/evansdale-haunted-house-opens-for-special-summer-haunt/)HHN Announces New Yeti-Themed Haunt (https://www.insideuniversal.net/2019/06/yeti-terror-of-the-yukon-original-haunted-house-announced-for-halloween-horror-nights-29/)HHN Also Announces All Of Its Scare Zones (https://attractionsmagazine.com/scare-zones-at-halloween-horror-nights-hollywood-2019-will-be-toxic-evil-and-fallen/)HHN Announces Fan Preview Night (https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Halloween-Horror-Nights-Summons-a-Fearsome-Fan-Preview-511924241.html)Dallas to Promote First Day of the Dead Parade (https://www.narcity.com/things-to-do/us/tx/dallas/dallas-first-dia-de-los-muertos-parade-will-be-this-fall)Ireland to Celebrate New Samhain Festival (https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2019/06/06/puca-festival-halloween-ireland/)Artist Transforms Herself into Parodies of Haunted House Characters (https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xwnyvd/this-diy-artist-transforms-into-haunted-house-icons-in-this-hilarious-series-v26n2)ConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode you do Not want to miss!PS: If you're still in the dark about the WCW Yet, here you go (https://youtu.be/ELl3TTeGwek?t=140)...

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Last week, we talked about what we wished we'd known when we started haunting, this week, we're looking at it as customers and talking about things that big haunts forget to do.However, we're not really focusing on things IN the haunt itself. Instead, we're talking about the things that impact the customer experience around the haunt and help keep the haunt safe. All of these things are simple, easy-to-execute elements that make your haunt experience better for customers but that often get left out by haunts. Luckily, they're all super easy to fix.So if you're looking for some fast and easy way to improve your customers' experience, this is the episode for you!This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersApologies and HousekeepingThe Rules of the EpisodeBathrooms and Trash CansSignageOther Things To DoClear RulesNon-Costumed EmployeesAdequate Security CamerasFeedback and Customer CaptureConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode no haunter will want to miss!

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Haunting is a learning process and, no matter how much you know, there's always more to learn. However, there are still some things that we really wish we had known before we got started. We made some major blunders simply because we didn't know what we were walking into.So what do we wish we had known? There's a lot but here are just seven things to get you started.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersUpdate on The RoofHow to Build a Proper Panel/Don't Cheap Out on MaterialsDon't Cheap Out on ToolsHow Scared People GetHow to Properly StaffHow to Build a Haunt FamilyHow Horrible People Can BeHow Amazing People Can BeConclusionsAll in all, whether you're a new haunter or a grizzled veteran, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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