Haunt Shows & Events Archives - Page 7 of 11 - ScaryVisions: We build your Haunted House

The California Haunters Retreat and Talking Haunts with Dave Enloe

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:10:05 — 96.2MB)

Subscribe: Apple

In this episode of HaunTopic Radio, we get Dave Enloe from The Chamber Haunt/Scream in the Dark/The California Haunters Retreat on the mic to talk about Why Haunt Gatherings are Important, Advice For Starting Up our Haunt, and How Important is Marketing for Your Haunted House?

Rich Christensen fills The Haunter’s Toolbox full of foam and foam tool goodness with “Foam Wars: The Tools for Carving Foam and Which Type of Foam to Use”.

We also strap Dave to the electric chair and bring in another NEW segment we called The Electric Chair Round. This is where we fire some questions asked by you and us and get Dave’s quick replies.

What is the California Haunter’s Retreat?

We are a Haunted Attraction Gathering, not a convention.. (There are plenty of awesome conventions out there.)
We have no vendors.. (again there are plenty of places to go around the US to see new products for purchase.)
There are no fees at all.. (all you do is book a room, feed your face, and buy your drinks.)

So why come hang out with us? If you are serious about the haunt industry, this is the place to meet people that have been doing it on all levels for a LOT of years. This is the one on one grass roots gathering of the West Coast!! Going to the big conventions as most of us have, it is hard to meet good people in a one on one situation without being sidetracked by so many other things going on.

If you are not into the working side of a Haunted Attraction you will probably be bored to death. We are a group of people that are home haunters, semi pro haunters, and pro haunters that understand information and knowledge about our industry, which is the most important asset you can ever have.

Oh yeah.. And it gives us a reason to have a party at our costume ball!!!!

Haunt Topics in this episode:

Congrats to Todd Francis who won this mask!

A hand crafted Clown latex mask from Face Factory FX

The winner of this calendar is “cotyrs123”. Please contact us to claim your prize!

A 2014 Haunted Halloween Calendar (with Haunt Photos from all over the world!)

Sign Up Here (FREE) So You Don’t Miss the Next Giveaway! If You Are Not Currently a Haunter’s Toolbox Member.

HAuNTcon 2014 and Making Your Haunted House Successful with Leonard Pickel

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:23 — 73.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple

HAuNTcon, The Haunted Attraction National Tradeshow and Convention, will be held in Houston, TX on January 23-28 and has teamed up with the Halloween & Expo Show for 2014! That means more Haunted House Tours, an Interactive Trade Show for Haunters, a weekend full of Education to make your Haunted Attraction successful, an over-the-top Costume Ball, a Garage Sale full of cheap items for your next show, and a chance to meet new friends and connect with those you have haven’t seen in awhile.

We get Leonard Pickel (the HAuNTcon mastermind) on the mic to give you the inside scoop on what HAuNTcon has to offer for 2014 so you can plan your schedule before you get there. This year HAuNTcon has teamed up with the Halloween and Party Expo, the first and LARGEST international show for the Halloween, Party, and Costume Industries; which should bring in new customers and products to the Haunt Industry.

Check out this Current List of Education Sessions, Classes, and Demos at HAuNTcon 2014 (More Classes Will be Added!)

Topic		Presenter
Taking the Fright out of Writing a Haunted Business Plan		Joyce McLean
Fire Codes for Haunted Attractions		Fire Marshall Todd Mitchel & Shannon Brinkley
Sponsorships and Partnership Programs		Julie Dion
Media Buying How-to		Julie Dion
Advertising Using Facebook Ads		Steve Colberg
Paid vs Volunteer; Operating an Attraction with a Hybrid Staff		Jim Bugos
7 Ways to Profit in the $7 Billion Dollar Halloween Industry		Kimberly Stewart
How To Build A Creative Team		Chris & Jeff Davis and the crew of Davis Graveyard
Selling Sponsorships		D’Ann Dagan
Critical Components of a Haunted Attraction Website		Jeffrey Ward
Projected Ghost Effects		Chris & Jeff Davis and the crew of Davis Graveyard
Using Fog And Special Effects To Safely Affect Your Bottom Line		Chris Markgraf
Burns, Flesh Wounds, & Frozen Props! The Art of Detailing Dead Bodies		Maris Blanchard
Theming your Haunt!”: Using Psychology to Dramatize Your Theme and “Traumatize” Your Patrons!		Craig Caldwell
Advanced Haunted Attraction Floor Plan Design		Leonard Pickel
How Realistic Detailing Can Make Or Break Your Set		Chris & Jeff Davis
Prop Fabrication On A Budget		Russ Foster
Secrets of Queue Line Entertainment!		Matthew Martino
How to WIN on FaceOff! Panel		Roy Wooley & RJ Haddy
Application of Latex Prosthetics with Emphasis on Airbrushing to Achieve Desired Effect		Tom Devlin
The Art of Foam Carving		Chris & Jeff Davis and the crew of Davis Graveyard
Horror Face Painting at a Fast Pace!		Nick Wolfe
How To Create Effective, Detailed Zombies Cheap and in a Pinch		Dale Flink
Roy Wooley Demo		Roy Wooley
Dingy, Disgusting Walls for Your Haunt		Ettie Thompson
How To Properly And Effectively Light Your Attractions and Store Displays		Quan Gan
RJ Haddy Demo		RJ Haddy
Original Music For Your Haunted Attraction		Chris Thomas
Prop in 3D! Simple carving techniques to make 3D props for your haunt		Laura Neeley
Makeup! Tips, Tricks,& Techniques!		Hannah Moon

We also release the details for our January Giveaway where we will be giving away a one mask from Face Factory FX and one 2014 Haunted Halloween Calendar from Hector Turner. You must be a member of our Haunter’s Toolbox Newsletter to qualify to win.

Topics & Links we discuss in this episode:

Win One Of These Prizes! Submit Your Entry Before Jan.24th. You Must Be a Member of The Haunter’s Toolbox Newsletter. Sign Up Here. (All new members will be automatically entered.)

A hand crafted Clown latex mask from Face Factory FX

A 2014 Haunted Halloween Calendar (with Haunt Photos from all over the world!)

Sign Up Here (FREE) If You Are Not Currently a Haunter’s Toolbox Member.

Transworld Buys the Midwest Haunters Convention (Interview with Kelly Collins & Jen Braverman)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:57 — 82.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple

The Midwest Haunters Convention (MHC) has been purchased by TransWorld Trade Shows LLC, which also produces quality shows such as Halloween Extreme, The Halloween & Attractions Show, and The Legendary Haunt Tours. MHC has been operated by Kelly Collins, Neena Collins, Barry Schieferstein, & Kathy Schieferstein for the last 10 years and to sell the show has always been in their business plans from the birth of the convention.

The Midwest Haunters Convention is the largest Halloween show of its kind in the United States serving the haunted attraction industry professionals, scare actors, home haunters, and haunted house enthusiasts. The MHC is open to the public and features a tradeshow, education, chartered bus tours and entertainment. Unlike The Transworld Halloween & Attractions Show which is a trade show that mainly caterers to professional haunted attractions, theme parks, and Halloween stores.

We interview Kelly Collins first about why he felt it was time to sell The Midwest Haunters Convention and then we get the new owner, Jennifer Braverman, on to discuss her plans for the future of the convention. Push that little play button above to hear our audio interviews.

Here is what Kelly Collins had to say on Facebook:

I appreciate all the support and kind comments about the sale of the Midwest Haunters Convention. I’ve also seen some negative comments about the change and I would like to try and address some of the concerns.When we started the show in 2004; we wrote a 10 year goal and business plan. When you think about it; 10 years is a long time and we gave up a lot of ourselves and energy pursuing our goals. Our show eventually grew to the point where we were faced with either hiring a registration company or leasing office space and hiring a full time staff.

We’ve been talking with Jen Braverman for several years about our plans for the show. She approached us after June and we reached an agreement. We were drained and ready for some rest and Jen was looking for a show that appealed to haunters. A convention designed for haunt owners, actors, makeup artists, decorators and home haunters. Her plans are to continue our show as its been operating for years.

There are no plans for big price increases; she wants to keep the show within the financial means of our supporters. The same goes for our exhibitors. She wants to continue with a cash and carry show that’s very affordable. The Columbus Convention Center space is about 100,000 sq feet and we’re only using about 60% of it. Jen has the ability to grow the trade show floor and offer more exhibiting opportunities.

Barry, Kathy, Neena and I will remain on as consultants for at least the next year of the show. Nothing else has been discussed after that, but I can tell you that we want our “Baby” to continue on and grow.

We’re confident that Jen and Transworld are heavily involved in the haunted attraction industry and they are here to better it. We wouldn’t have sold the show to them if we felt otherwise. They’ve recruited a number of leaders in the industry to assist them with their plans. I encourage everyone to give Jen a chance to demonstrate her commitment to haunters.

Thanks again everyone for your support and I hope you will join us at MHC 2014 at the Columbus Convention Center June 6th – 8th.

For information please check out our website at www.midwesthauntersconvention.com or contact Jennifer Braverman at [email protected] or me at [email protected]

-Kelly Collins (Midwest Haunters Convention)

The Topics we Talked About in This Episode:

The Midwest Haunters Convention
The Transworld Halloween & Attractions Show
The Legendary Haunt Tour
Halloween Extreme
Check out this web page from the Midwest Haunters Convention in 2004!
Contact Jen Braverman at [email protected]
Contact Kelly Collins at [email protected]
Buy music from Sam Haynes

How do you feel about Transworld taking the reins of The Midwest Haunters Convention?

Leave Us an Audio Comment and We’ll Mention You On Our HaunTopic Radio!

Keen Halloween: Putting the Culture and Creativity Back Into Halloween

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:09 — 90.8MB)

Subscribe: Apple

In this episode of HaunTopic Radio we chat with Daniel Davis, the man behind the Keen Halloween Festival and Steam Crow Illustrations, about what the second year of Keen Halloween will bring. We also discuss how Halloween has changed over the years and some ways you can bring the culture back into your Halloween this year.

Matthew Hampel infects you with his passion and shares a quick skeleton corpsing trick for that

We include more haunting music tracks from our sponsors of the month which are listed below this article with links to their music. Help support these dark artists if you enjoy their music on this show or more tracks on their personal websites. Plus, you have a chance to win some music because each is giving away some free tunes!

(Press Release from KeenHalloween.com)

Keen Halloween, the all ages classic Halloween festival, encourages attendees to “watch, learn, and get inspired” with informational workshops, a Monster Market featuring local artists and creators, live entertainment, crafts tables and on-site costume advisers.

Event founders Daniel and Dawna Davis of Peoria, AZ are Halloween enthusiasts, known for their Steam Crow brand monster illustrated products – and a passion for spooky art.

“We want to promote the Halloween from our childhood – with handmade decorations, costumes and art, gathering together with friends, and enjoying spooky entertainment and music,” said Daniel. “We couldn’t find an event like this, so we created it. It’s a chance for us to gather together spooky-inspired talent – artists, crafters, teachers and entertainers – who have a love for vintage Halloween.”

Costuming is, of course, a large part of the event. Keen Halloween works to provide a walk-up “Evil Genius” Costume Bar where costuming experts offer troubleshooting advice, tricks and inspiration to bring spooky ideas to life. They will also feature the Iron Skull Costume Challenge, where three teams will have 90-minutes to each create a costume live on stage, from a mystery box of common, household items. “The catch is they won’t know the theme of the costume until they step on stage,” notes Daniel.

Entertainment will feature a variety of odd acts and strange shows, including a live acoustic set by the Tucson-based garage rock band, The Mission Creeps. Bookmans will also be on hand as sponsors of the event along with last year’s hit, the Scarecrow King Photo Booth, where attendees can pose with the Scarecrow King, Marrow Thatch.

Artists including Victor Moreno, Serkworks and Studio Fugazi will be on hand along with vendors that include ZOMs, Fez-O-Rama and Dollipop Cosmetics amongst many others.

Local spooky artists, costumers and entertainers are encouraging Arizonans to embrace vintage Halloween culture – the creative and the macabre – with a kick-off festival this month. Sano Fitness Studio presents the second annual Keen Halloween on September 28 – 29 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday.

Tickets are $15.30 pre-purchase at , $20 at the door. Single day passes are available for $9.18 pre-purchase, $13 at the door. Kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult.

For further information please contact Daniel Davis: 480-381-2182, [email protected]

Find More Keen Halloween Here:

Keen Halloween Website
Steam Crow Illustrations
Keen Halloween on facebook

Win one of these Haunt/Halloween Music CDs! To qualify you must be a member of our Haunter’s Toolbox. To enroll automatically sign up here before Sept.24th.

Sam Haynes-Welcome to the Horror Show (5 Winners)

Ken Elkinson- Halloween Ambient (3 Winners)

Music for Haunts- Church of Torment or Custom Ringtone (2 Winners)

Midnight Syndicate- 7 CD Package (1 winner)

ScareFest: Canada’s Haunted Attraction Convention with Home Haunter Chris Ainsworth

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:08 — 58.5MB)

Subscribe: Apple

We get Chris Ainsworth from Scarefest: Canada’s Haunted Attraction Convention to spend an hour with us and we get the inside scoop on this one day convention for haunters. If you live in the U.S. this convention may be closer than you think. It is in Ontario which is just a short drive away from some of the northern states and it would make an awesome road trip. So if you missed out on some of the other conventions and live around the northern border then this would be a great way to get your haunt convention fix!

ScareFest is a one of a kind show that caters to owners and operators of professional Haunted Houses, actors, home haunters, artists, and Halloween enthusiasts in the Canadian Haunt Industry. -CHASCAREFEST.COM

Chris is also a Home Haunter who operates Thornhill Haunted House at his residence. How does Chris juggle running a Haunted House Convention, setting up his Home Haunt, and manage a full time job? Many of us Haunters have encountered this situation many times. We discover what keeps his haunt fire burning all year long.

If you plan on going to this convention, make sure to listen to this episode. Chris is giving all HaunTopic Radio U.S. listeners a special rate for just showing up! And if you want your attraction or home haunt listed for FREE on the Canadian Haunter’s Association website (U.S. or Canada) then check out the links below.

Here are the topics we cover in this episode:

ScareFest: Canada’s Haunted Attraction Convention
The Canadian Haunter’s Association: All things haunted in Canada
Thornhill Haunted House: Home Haunt by Chris Ainsworth
ScareFest on Facebook
Join the Midwest Haunters Make-n-Take in Illinois

To win a Horror Comic from 1031 Comics “Halls of Bedlam” make sure you are a member of The Haunter’s Toolbox. This contest ends June 24th. We give away FREE Halloween and Haunt prizes each month!!

Click here to become a member for FREE!