I went to my first haunted attraction trade show last weekend, and BOY did I have a blast!
I got to meet some of my idols, including Fluffy (@___fluffy____, pictured left) of Statesville Haunted Prison and Chad Savage of Sinister Visions (ShopSinister.com)!
I also bought a button from Don't Be A Monster and a pin from Sinister Visions because I'm proud of my haunter community through and through!
Immortal Masks even let me try on one of their silicone masks! You have to check that photo out on Facebook, though.
I made new friends, such as Daniel from The Green Brain Collection (TheGreenBrainCollection.com), who helped me adopt the most adorable rotten little jack-o-lantern (his name is Colin, by the way, and he's essentially my best buddy now). I also met briefly with John from The Haunt Informer (@haunt_informer) and got to talk with another visionary looking to make his mark on the industry.
The people are really what makes the art of haunting great. Without creative, passionate, and all-around playful people, this industry wouldn't be what it is today. I'm so incredibly grateful that my generation has shows like MHC to go to and groups online to post on where we can make connections with those who are far from us and share the same love of the macabre. I had multiple people mention to me during my conversations with them, "I didn't have things like this [show] when I first started out; I'd be going out of my mind when I was your age!" And my brain was exploding as I walked through the various aisles and talked to people I had only seen pictures of or heard stories about before.
And one last note: a demo that was performed on the MHC floor (video linked from the Haunt News Network below) made me commit to getting into the art of sliding.
I've had an interest in haunt sliders for about two years now, but never thought of myself as someone extreme enough to do it. I'm happy to say that I'm waiting for knee pads and recaps to come in the mail so I can put my gear together! I'll try to bring you along every step of the way because this is a, shall we say, unusual experience to embark on.
Thank you to EVERYONE I talked with at MHC last weekend; I truly cherish each and every interaction I had because I feel that I learned something new from everyone I met!
Not to mention, I got to rep my shirts on the show floor and I got some pretty hefty compliments, so I feel better than I ever have about my future in the haunted attraction industry!
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Stay spooky until next year!