TRANSWORLD 2007 FULL REPORT

Well Haunters it was another successful Transworld Halloween and Haunted House Show. This years show saw the return of the original Transworld Haunted House seminar series, but this time to OVERWHELMING raves and reviews. In the past we'd be the first to say TW had some good speakers, some great speakers, and some really sad speakers and sad topics...but not this year! Some seminars where SOLD OUT, and others to near full capacity. This years seminars had some of the best speakers, experts, consultants, with hot topics that touched on today's haunters interests.

It's CLEAR why Transworld decided to leave Chicago, the Halloween section of the show is BUSTING at the seems, with additions of lingerie, Halloween gifts, inflatables, and more. The haunt show seemed to struggle most, maybe even getting smaller than in past year. There are ONLY so many haunt buyers and so many haunt suppliers, so to be expected nothing really new in terms of suppliers displayed. We're seeing some new young guns exhibit getting their feet wet so to speak, such as Kip Polly from Pale Night Productions and many others selling embroider work to trailer haunts to high end silicone masks.

Many of the vendors REALLY stepped up the game going mostly with silicone animations such as Unit 70 and Scareparts. The show stopper was probably Scarefactory's new Winged Demon, which flew right over your head. Some vendors had more booths than ever, such as Oak Island Productions and Ghost Ride Productions. Our friends from Haunted Memories even made their FIRST ever appearance with a booth downstairs in the Halloween section. Distortions had a new really wicked Frankenstein prop! Fright Props had a TON of really cool and gory props and more do it yourself animation parts than I've ever seen! Edge Design had really cool haunted animated house, which seemed to stop everyone in their tracks. Creative Visions had a motion based bridge, Haunt Masters had tons of things to make your haunt haunted, Shipwreck Productions had several really awesome items, including a giant skull. Sinister Scents had more nasty smelling products, (which we bought) and Gore Galore had probably their biggest line up ever of giant costumes.

Haunted Enterprises was in the house with lots of cool portraits, skinned bodies and more. Screamline Studios was again downstairs with their cool latex costumes, stilts, and gory props. Several other vendors including Allied Insurance, Click N Print, Rogues Hollow, Gilderfluke, Phobia Props, and others displayed throughout the upstairs of the show.

This was the last year for Chicago, and wouldn't you know it that the upstart event 'Hauntcon' and publisher of Haunted Attraction Magazine's Leonard Pickel instantly starts with the badmouthing and rumor spreading. What else would you expect right? The rumor he started and posted on his website was that Transworld wasn't moving because going to Vegas was better than Chicago, but rather because TW lost its dates in Chicago, which is SO FAR FROM THE TRUTH. He basically is trying to discredit Transworld with this rumor and many others that are unfounded.

In fact from everyone we talked to associated with Rosemont, they were VERY upset the show was leaving Chicago. We were informed there was NO way they could replace a show this size or replace the roughly 1.4 million dollars the show brings to the city of Rosemont. We were told they would try to find other shows, but nothing would be on the size of the massive Halloween show. We can tell you Rosemont was very upset and disappointed with Transworld moving the show to Vegas. Gregg Steliga of Transworld has mentioned that TW might come back to Chicago in the near future but nothing is certain at this point.

Many cheered that the show would be moving next year after Chicago's weather once again crippled the airlines and left many haunters stranded. We got everything while in Chicago from rain, cold, sleet, to snow. Many haunters ended up stuck in Chicago until Monday due to canceled flights.

We talked to vendors throughout the show and found everyone saying the same thing... GREATEST SHOW EVER! Vendors SOLD product, WROTE orders, and found NEW clients. THERE IS ONLY one SHOW for professional haunters and home haunters alike, to find the newest products, newest idea's and mix with everyone from seasoned professionals to the upstart haunters... Transworld Halloween and Haunt Show.

Probably the BIGGEST talk of the show was the new Hauntworld Magazine, which featured a very unique cover to the magazine and final story on Rocky Point Haunted House. You might not believe this but we had person after person come over to our booth, wanting to buy a second copy, so they could have Cydney Neil autograph the copy. Never before have we had this happen...so it was a first.

Transworld was a GREAT TIME... I got to see Dr. John again for the first time in two years, and had a reunion of sorts of my good friends John Denely, Rich Hanf, and Ed Gannon. Go to hang out with good friends such as Ben Armstrong, Rich Strelak and had dinner with the guys from Ghost Ride. We got to make some new friends, and even meet some little fans in a 5 year old girl who's watched all of our DVD's. Boy did she make me feel special asking millions of questions about our videos... Speaking of videos we sold about 100 copies of our new Hauntworld Movie 17, and handed out hundreds of new Hauntworld Magazines. Our booth mainly focused on selling featured banners for Hauntworld.com of which over 300 banners where sold! You can buy the new Hauntworld Movie at www.hauntedhousesupplies.com

You can view 50 or so photos from the show at this link http://www.hauntworld.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=48&page=6

One night I got out to dinner with Rich Hanf, Ben Armstrong, Ghost Ride Productions, John Denely, John Elton Floyd, Skip, Jim Kelly, and Ed Gannon. On that night I think Rich Hanf summed it up best... he said 'You know what I have a few friends back in Jersey, I see them once and a while, but not that often. My friends are right here at this table, and I wouldn't rather be anywhere in the WORLD than RIGHT here among 'you guys' my real friends. Then Rich said 'life doesn't get better than this'. I think at that point Rich Hanf might have actually shed a tear...it was sentimental for sure!

Who knows what Vegas holds but I'm sure the tradition will continue.

See you all really soon!