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SouthEast Halloween Enthusiast Convention & Seasonal Attraction Leadership Symposium (Interviews with the Creators)

In this PODCAST EPISODE, we chat with the organizers of SEHEC (Southeast Halloween Enthusiast Convention) and the Haunted Attraction Leadership Symposium.

Philip Hernandez: Business Director for Gantom Lighting and Controls, a reputable company in the attraction space known for their quality lighting and controls.

William Ramsay: Also known as Dr. Terror Eyes, has taught his Haunting skills in various conventions all over the United States.

Seasonal Attraction Leadership Symposium

The Seasonal Attraction Leadership Symposium is the one event for industry professionals in Southern California where you can learn and network with the best and the brightest in the themed entertainment industry.

Philip Hernandez

The 2nd Annual Leadership Symposium is July 30th, 2018, aboard the historic and haunted Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. The theme of this year’s event is “First Impressions.”

haunted attraction leadership symposium

Besides presentations by leading industry professionals on this theme, the day’s activities will include a tour of the Queen Mary and a preview of the upcoming “Dark Harbor” Halloween event.

Dive Deep into the Theme with Industry Experts & Moderators

Crafting Memorable First Impressions using the key elements of Elevation, Insight, Pride, and Connection is the touchstone for presentations at this year’s event.

Added to this year’s symposium will be discussions following each speaker’s presentation. During these discussions, attendees will meet and share their thoughts about what they just learned and use workbooks to integrate this into their experience and vision for their own attractions.

Deepening the learning using the discussion and workbook format assures the information goes home with the participant and becomes part of their reservoir of knowledge.

queen mary haunted attraction

Experience The Queen Mary

Enjoy an exclusive preview of “Dark Harbor” and Q&A with the team.

Plus, tour the ship with The Queen Mary attractions team and enjoy the opportunity to discover more about the ship’s operations directly from the team.

Not Convinced?
Watch the Talks from for Last Year

haunted attraction leadership symposium

Last year’s Symposium, titled, “Innovation in Interactivity,” was held at Knott’s Berry Farm on August 1.

Watch the trailer here.

This symposium featured keynote talks by:
Ricky Brigante of Pseudonym Productions
Jon Cooke and Ken Parks of Knott’s Berry Farm
Quan Gan of Gantom
Sociologist/Author Dr. Margie Kerr
The Queen Mary’s Brian Luallen
Industry Veteran Scott Swenson

 

Southeast Halloween Enthusiast Convention (SEHEC)

The Southeast Halloween Enthusiast Convention (SEHEC) is both a Halloween fandom-based educational event and a charitable fundraiser dedicated to the largest portion of Halloween-lovers: the Halloween Enthusiast.

It’s for folks who share their love of Halloween (and the Paranormal) with others and just wait until October!

Southeast Halloween Enthusiast Convention (SEHEC)
CHARITABLE CAUSE: A portion of the event’s proceeds go to the Tampa Shriners Hospital for Children to help pay for necessary medical care for afflicted young patients.

HISTORY: Born out of eight years of make-n-take (instructive prop building) gatherings so popular, they outgrew the venue! SEHEC is the next masterful step to bring Halloween enthusiasts together to learn, share and grow their love for all things Halloween.

This event features a variety of educational seminars (Halloween-related and Paranormal), instructional demonstrations, Make-n-Take courses (learn-how-to courses where you bring home the creation you made with guided assistance), guest speakers, product vendors, master artists – even from hit television shows, and provides a welcoming atmosphere for Halloween socializing.

Dr. Terror Eyes
William Ramsay

SEHEC’s producer and Halloween zealot, Dr. TerrorEyes, has been involved with Halloween and prop creation for 44 years. He has been a presenter at all major Halloween industry conventions since 2010. This includes popular conventions such as: HAuNTcon, TransWorld, Midwest Haunters Convention, HauntX, Halloween Extreme, ScareLA, National Haunters Convention, West Coast Haunters Convention, Halloween & HauntFest, Canadian Haunted Attractions Conference, Midsummer Scream, Chicago Frights, Lakeland ZombieFest, and Florida Haunters Annual Ocala Make-n-Take/Social.

LOCATION: The SEHEC show is in Central Florida and is conveniently located about 75 miles from Universal Studios, Disney World and Sea World.

THE EVENT:

-Friday night: Ocala Ghost Walk Tour: 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM and away from the event venue.

– Saturday day is the Convention Show and Courses: 8 AM to 6 PM

-Saturday night is the “Haunted Eye Ball” adult costume party with food, freshly-brewed beer and local vineyard-produced wine, 8 PM to Midnight.

– Sunday in the Convention Show and Courses: 9 AM – 2 PM.

REGISTRATION: – Registration will only be available ONLINE at www.SEHEC.com – AFTER JUNE 30th, ALL prices are at-the-door purchases and are higher at the venue. – No 2018 T-shirts will be available for ordering after June 30, 2018 as they are a Limited Edition run. – You will receive one T-shirt (valued at $20) with your paid admission ticket purchase online. You’ll receive it upon check-in at the show on July 14th/15th.

Coming Jan.25-27, 2019 in New Orleans. HAuNTcon!

HAuNTcon 2019

 

What to Expect at the West Coast Haunter’s Convention 2018 with Ed Roberts

In this podcast episode, we get Ed Roberts on to discuss what to expect at this year’s West Coast Haunter’s Convention in Portland, Oregon on April 13th through the 15th.

west coast haunters convention 2018

What: A haunters convention for all, whether you are a pro haunter, home haunter, or Halloween enthusiast. The West Coast Haunter’s Convention is a 501(c)3 organization that gives grants to professionals who work with children with hearing impairments and/or autism.

Where: Double Tree Hotel | 1000 NE Multnomah St. | Portland, Oregon 97232

When: April 13th – 15th, 2018

Website: https://hauntersconvention.com/

Contact: [email protected]

Thanks to Philip Hernandez from the Haunted Attraction Network, Dan Doble from Haunt Collective, and Ed Roberts from the WCHC for participating in this audio conversation.

haunters convention

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The HUGE HAuNTcon 2018 Episode

About HAuNTcon
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.

 

how to start a haunted house business

 

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

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We’re going to HAuNTcon 2018 in New Orleans! Meet us there??

Everything you need to know about the HAuNTcon: Haunted Attraction National Tradeshow and Convention and The Halloween & Party Expo in 2018. Located at New Orleans, Louisiana on January 12-15 . Well…almost everything.

 

HAuNTcon 2018

 

New Orleans…scary stuff….Haunters…costume ball…Haunt Tours…Haunt classes…oh and so much more!

In this podcast episode, we go behind the scenes of HAuNTcon 2018 with Liz Irving, the Vice President of Marketing and wearer of many hats behind the show.  We discuss new events for HAuNTcon, what’s included with each admission ticket, the new tours in New Orleans, and much more. Listen to this audio podcast by clicking here.

If you’ve never been to a HAuNTcon gathering, then this will be a great opportunity for yere.ou to visit the history of New Orleans and get your Haunt On during the show.

To see the complete lineup of events and pricing go here HAuNTcon.com. (Use code HAUNTOPIC to get a free show pass)

Overview of HAuNTcon 2018: a Haunt Show for all Haunters

  • 3 days of HAuNTcon education. Learn from the best in the haunt industry.
  • HAuNTcon and Halloween & Party Expo trade shows. So much ground to cover.
  • Show floor networking events. Meet new friends.
  • Live hands-on demonstrations. Get messy and learn.
  • Thursday pre-show inspiration tour. See the heart of New Orleans.
  • Friday Costume Ball. Party with other Halloween freaks like you.
  • Saturday night lights off tour at the Rise Haunted House
  • Sunday Garage Sale. Buy at huge discounts!
  • Monday advanced workshops. Dive deep into one topic.

-Come say Hi to us at Booth 110!-

 

This will be the second time that the crew of HaunTopic Radio will be together and we want you to join us at HAuNTcon this year. We will be in Booth 110 grabbing sound bytes from Haunters and any attendee that wants to say Hi. We will also be floating around the show floor capturing video and audio interviews from cool people like you.

What is HAuNTcon? (watch this video for your answer)

We hope to see you in New Orleans in January!

 

The Lost Audio Files of the TransWorld Halloween & Haunt Show

The forgotten audio recordings of the Transworld Halloween & Attractions Show. We got so busy with Haunt Season that we almost forgot part 3 of our compilation from the Transworld Haunt Show. We’ve compiled the last remaining interviews and stories behind the Scares…just for you! And some Scary tunes too!!

 

Transworld Halloween & Attractions Show

What is the Transworld Halloween & Attractions Show?

Transworld is the largest trade show focused exclusively on Haunted Attractions, Corn Mazes, Escape Rooms, and Halloween.

With hundreds of supply vendors, how-to classes, live demonstrations, and networking parties to meet other passionate scary people like yourself. Their website is http://haashow.com

 

Who is on this special audio podcast from the TransWorld Haunt Show?

  • Haunters Against Hate
  • Scott Swenson Creative Development
  • McKamey Manor
  • Don’t Be a Monster
  • VFX Creates
  • Mad Monster Masks
  • Doomsday Haunt
  • Robot Costumes USA
  • Pale Night Productions
  • Missing Finger Productions
  • Little Jars of Horror
  • Sinister FX

 

Haunt Music played in this podcast:

  • “Building the Monster” -Midnight Syndicate
  • “Halloween Night” -Sam Haynes
  • “Dark Vesper” -Music for Haunts
  • “Grim Grinning Ghosts” -Haunted Mansion at Disney

 

Haunted Attraction Events coming up:

 

More good stuff from HaunTopic Radio:

 

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