Haunted Attraction Network

On January 18th, 2020, five talented and experienced women in the haunted-attraction industry gathered on stage at HAuNTcon for the second annual Women in Haunting panel. The first year’s panel offered insight into wide-ranging challenges and opportunities for women working in the industry. This year, panel organizer Liz Irving, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Clarion Events, which produces...

On today’s Green Tagged, we examine three trends that will impact your attraction in 2021: Demand regeneration, Changing Guest Expectations, and Deglobalization. Stories covered: Universal reaches capacity before 9AM; Denny’s hostess quits on the spot after customers claim ‘religious exemption’ to wearing a mask; Discussion points taken from an interview with the new head of global content at Netf...

Well dear listeners, we made it to the end of 2020. Phew. And while we plan for 2021, it’s a good time to reflect on what we learned this year. On today’s Special, we’re celebrating the end of 2020 with some of your favorite podcasters and guests. Featured in this episode: Darryl Plunkie and Brian Foreman from HaunTopic Radio, Donnie Hoover and “Meathook” Jim Millspaugh from WrestleHorror, Mikey f...

A Bonus show from HaunTopic Radio where Darryl, Brian, and Philip discuss the top Haunted Attraction Trends from 2020 and what you need to do to prepare for 2021. Want to join our next conversation? Join at HauntersToolbox.com

In celebration of the 50th episode of "A Scott in the Dark", Scott looks back to the initial reason for doing the podcast and forward to the opportunities it has provided. The show includes a few clips from previous shows, including a 2018 interview with the late Robbi LePre after she was awarded her Lifetime Achievement award from the Haunted Attraction Association at the Transworld Halloween and...

This is a bonus rebroadcast from Haunt Weekly: “This week on Haunt Weekly, we’re looking at the issue of simulated violence in haunted houses and discussing what boundaries should be set and what is best for your haunt and your customers. There’s not much doubt that most haunts contain at least some implied violence. Severed limbs, dead bodies, gruesome injuries, etc. However, most of those injuri...

On today’s Green Tagged, we continue the Futureproofing discussion with two topics your attraction should tackle in 2021: Diversity and Sustainability. Stories covered: “The World Travel & Tourism Council published new diversity guidelines for the travel and tourism sector,” “Walt Disney Company releases 2030 environmental goals,” “Self-driving vehicles launch at Wuhan’s Longlingshan Ecological Pa...

Coming up on today’s show, Part 2 of Darryl’s interview with Scott Swenson about Scott’s new book “The 13 commandments of haunting.” Find “The 13 commandments of haunting” on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/38poMTs

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a… Gremlin? What does Christmas look like at a haunter’s house? I was curious to know how other haunters celebrated the holiday season, so I asked a few. On today’s 2020 Christmas Special, we’re asking how haunters celebrate the holidays. Featured in this episode: Darryl Plunkie, Brian Foreman Eric Hag...

To celebrate our 400th episode, we’re hosting a giveaway! On today’s show you’ll hear Scott Swenson discuss his new book “The 13 commandments of haunting.” And we’re giving away a few copies of the book! Simply email me (philip@hauntedattractionnetwork.com) with what Scott is over the top with and you’ll be entered into the giveaway. Email your answer to me by December 29th. Find “The 13 commandme...

On today’s Green Tagged: Virtualizing pieces of your experiences and what the FTC’s case against Facebook means for your attraction. Stories: BBC’s new Radiophonic Travel Agency, VR waterslide at Vana Nava Water Jungle, Thailand, MicroStrategy’s massive purchase of Bitcoin, & 4 Takeaways From The Government's Case Against Facebook.

Mary Imagination has the unique perspective of being both a scare actor and a debut novelist. In this episode you’ll hear an excerpt from her new young adult fantasy horror novel ‘We Are The Monsters.’ Then, Mary joins to discuss crafting villains for both the page and the flesh. Grab Mary’s book on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/34kJTVA

Josh Sumsion from Dead City Haunted House comes on to discuss the process behind their TikTok videos, some of which are going viral. Here’s what you need to know to get your TikTok up and running. In the News: Trouble for 13th World in Cumberland; Frank the Christmas Gargoyle; Creepy Christmas Photos; A call for Women Haunters; the line between Terror & Delight. Join our Facebook Group ‘Haunter’s...

This week on ‘Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30’ we dive deep into the ripples caused by Warner Brothers in the entertainment and attractions industry. Stories covered: Warner Bros CEO Jason Kilar explains his move in an interview with the NY Times; California lockdowns resume; Russia announces plan for tourism recovery; Technifex pivots to offering themed environments to real training; Enchanted For...

Besides a 12ft Skeleton from Home Depot, recognition is one the best holiday gifts you can give a haunter. Nora & Tyler From The Scare Factor’s Team Zombillies present their 2020 Haunt Awards. The winners are: Funniest Scare - Hysterium Haunted Asylum - Fort Wayne, IN Bobby and Bennie; Best Clowning Around - Grissom Maze of Terror - Peru, IN; Best Use of Fog - House of Trepidation - Indianapolis F...

On the first day of Christmas a true haunter gave to me... Answered! Plus, Haunted Overload donates to Pope Memorial for tenth year, the Mortuary debuts ‘psycho’ holiday haunted house, and The Krampus. Max gets a Postmortem 2020 Haunt Season Report from Blood Prison at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield Ohio. Get “The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Dev...

This week on ‘Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30’ we examine Big Moves in brands monetizing DTC digital experiences, vaccine requirements from Airlines, and big openings. Stories covered: Warner Bros to Release 2021 films on HBO MAX concurrently with theatrical release; Qantas to require COVID-19 Vaccine to fly; Online shopping up 21.5% with 47% being via mobile; Cirque resuming in Summer 2021; USJ op...

Max gets a postmortem report from Pyle Hazard at Chainer’s Field of Screams in Botkins, Ohio. Chainer’s is a small family haunt, but they had a stellar year and raised a lot for charity. They’re keeping involved by ringing for the salvation army and entering the local mascot competition. In the news, Darryl reports on: Black Friday Deals for Haunters, the fire at Dark Woods, Haunt Weekly’s Anti Ch...

This week on ‘Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30’ we examine the slow US recovery and what some attractions are doing to diversify revenue. Stories covered: The Malaysian Tourism Ministry reveals recovery plans for pandemic-hit travel sector; Reuters reports US $500B travel spending dive, slow recovery through 2024; Academy Museum of Motion Pictures exceeds pre-opening fundraising goal by leaning most...

The entertainment industry has been devastated by this pandemic, and we’re not out of the woods yet. But today, let’s pause and reflect on what we’re thankful for. I’m thankful for the connection I had with Robbi Lepre and I often think of how she would handle these hardships. And so, I want to share that with you. Today’s 2020 Thanksgiving Special is a dedication to Robbi Lepre, and presented in...

What are you thankful for? Today’s show is all about how haunters are giving thanks and celebrating Thanksgiving. Darryl looks at how haunted attractions thank their cast and then we hear from haunters all over about their traditions. In this episode: Scott Swenson, Brian Foreman, Max Christian Bryan, Darryl Plunkie, Dalton Dale, Ashey Cope, Samantha Grimaldi, Eric Hagood, Patrick Konopelski, Quan...

This week on Green Tagged we explore trends and new experiences in the theme park and themed entertainment industries. Universal Hollywood launches a drive-in experience; Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser; Own The Park at Great Wolf Lodge; IAAPA went virtual; PortAventura World is carbon neutral; The Hyperloop test was successful; 3 bid opening announcements. Full show notes: www.greentaggedshow.com

Patrick Konopelski from Shocktoberfest Scream Park gives a postmortem on his 2020 Halloween season. Shocktoberfest had a great year, but that took a lot of pivoting. Patrick discusses what his team did beyond the basic safety measures, including shifting their advertising spend and transition the hayride to a walkthrough. A must-listen for any haunter or haunted attraction.

I had the delight of going on-site to interview Scott Swenson, the Creative Director for The Garden of Spirits at CW’s Gin Joint in Tampa, FL. Scott discusses the event and how critical both contingency planning and scaling are for events of all sizes. In the news: ScareTour is making a Christmas Gift Guide; The ScareFactor’s Monster Bash was canceled due to local restrictions; ScareTrack released...

With the 2020 haunt season coming to a close haunts everywhere are shutting down, evaluating how the season went and starting planning for the new year. But, while a LOT happens in the off-season for haunts one key thing does: Earning money. For most haunts, not being opens means no money at all coming in. However, that doesn't make any sense. Sure, haunt season is only 4-8 weeks long but there ar...