Haunted Attraction Network

Here are a few recordings from the Hauntcon trade show in New Orleans from January of 2018. Scott chats with a couple vendors and walks down Bourbon Street while he discusses why New Orleans is a great city for haunters.

HAuNTcon, the leading event for starting and growing haunted attractions, is a trade-only event that brings industry professionals together each year. Owned by Urban Expositions, the event provides a platform for sourcing, learning, and networking. The next event will be held in New Orleans, January 25-27, 2019. For more information, visit hauntcon.com

Our experience at HAuNTcon 2018 in New Orleans, LA
We could smell the cajun cuisine as we entered the heart of New Orleans. A bustling city full of ghost stories and a rich history dating back to 1718. Some parts of the landscape appear to be stuck in time due to the preservation of many of the buildings. Just like we had remembered...

We have been to New Orleans several times, the last time being 2014, but never to a Haunted Attraction convention. This trip was going to be a little different for me. I had to think about travel logistics to the convention center, schedules, first-time vendor stuff, entertaining my wife (who opts out of many things Haunt related), meeting up with friends, staying safe in the French Quarter, the various food options, and maintaining enough energy for the 12 hour road trip back to Missouri on Sunday.

Our expectations were exceeded in every way. It was easy to get to the convention with the Haunt Shuttle and the friendly Uber drivers. Once I found the check-in area and our vendor booth, the show floor was easy to navigate. The HAuNTcon management team were very organized and made sure we had everything we needed. The host hotel, Staybridge Suites, was located next to the Harrah's Casino (which my wife appreciated) and there were plenty of quality eateries close by and free breakfast. And it seemed the French Quarter was much cleaner than last time we visited.

We also appreciated the over-the-top Costume Ball that had excellent finger foods, amazing entertainment & costumes, and FREE drinks until 11:00pm! This was the first year that the party was included with your general admission ticket. And those light-up ladies dancing on the stage!! WOW.

Granted, the HAuNTcon 2018 product and vendor area is only a fraction of the size of the Halloween & Party Expo area, HAuNTcon really shines when it comes to their educational workshops and demonstrations that focus on practical advice you can implement in any haunt. And it's all included in the ticket. All-you-can-learn haunt education.

Overall we had a great experience at HAuNTcon 2018 and plan on going back next January 25-27, 2019. This was the first year that the event was produced by Urban Expositions and they plan on expanding the event next year. Now that they have their first year under their belt, they can listen to the feedback of the attendees and continue to make HAuNTcon a yearly stop on every Haunter's list.

Here are the Haunters that we chatted with:
Nightmare Harvest
The Pumpkin Geek
Haunt Shirts
Scared of Your Shadow
Top Dog Halloween Madness
Woodley Special Effects
Haunted Attraction Network/Leadership Symposium
Gantom Lighting
Big Scary Show
Magic Wheelchair

Tyler brings the main topic of how attractions use Public Relations to protect, enhance, and build their brand. Philip discusses the news: 'Facebook, despite information that their audience numbers have been inflated, continues to evolve their platform. Here are 3 surprising changes that attractions should be aware of and strategize for.' We want to know what YOU want to hear and how we can help. Let us know here: http://hauntedapplication.com/

In this podcast episode, we chat with HAuNTcon Speakers Scott Swenson (Scott Swenson Creative Dev.) and Todd Patton (Ruby Falls Haunted Cavern) about their personal experiences at HAuNTcon conventions in the past and how HAuNTcon is a different show than many other haunt conventions. The Haunted Attraction National Tradeshow and Conference (HAuNTcon) will be held at Sheraton Music City in Nashville, Tennessee from January 26 to 30. HAuNTcon is an expo and conference for haunters of every age and level of experience. HAuNTcon brings together people who love haunted houses, Halloween and scaring people for a fun-filled four days and nights of haunted attraction tours, more than 50 hours of HAuNT education, a Halloween tradeshow, a haunted garage sale, FX makeup, and prop-building make-and-take demonstrations, topped off by an amazing costume ball.

Tyler and Philip discuss list building, the Fake News Epidemic on Facebook, Instagram's growth, and the death of Vine- all in the context of Themed Attractions. For 2017- We want to know what YOU want to hear and how we can help. Let us know here: hauntedapplication.com/

Tyler and Philip discuss their upcoming season and shift to Themed Entertainment Marketing, Google's new Pop-up Policy, and interview Scott Swenson. We want to know what YOU want to hear and how we can help. Let us know here: http://hauntedapplication.com/

We recently sat down with Ben Dewitt, the entertainment project manager for Howl-O-Scream, one of Bush Gardens’ flagship events, and asked him to talk about this event and what guests will experience.

Adrian Noriega is the executive producer and creative director of Blackthorne Screamfest. The Screamfest is held at the Pico Rivera Sports Arena (October 28-29) and features music—with six stages scattered around the main stage arena—as well as food trucks and vendors. Outside the arena, gate is a huge campground in which there are two mazes, each individually themed, with monsters wielding weapons and chainsaws running around entertaining guests throughout the night. So, for one price—$25 in advance or $30 at the door—guests enjoy an evening of music, food, and unlimited access to the haunts. All ages are welcome.

We recently sat down and talked to Julie Lamb, who owns The Cromwell Estate along with her partner, Evan Greggory. The Cromwell Estate is a new escape room located in a nondescript warehouse in the Anaheim, California area. They’re planning some special treats for guests visiting during the Halloween Season.

Stowed down a dark Frontage Road between Tampa and Lakeland lies the estate of Sir Henry; guests visiting can choose from two haunted trails and even meet the specter himself. Recently our team made the trip down to Plant City and sat down with Zach Glaros, the owner of Sir Henry's Haunted Trail to get the who, what, when, where, why, and other details of his 2016 event. Photography by Amy Jo.