If you use popular social networking sites Facebook or Twitter, be sure to add IAHA!

http://www.twitter.com/IAHAweb

IAHA now has a Facebook Fan page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Association-of-Haunted-Attractions/70219259509 . Why a Fan page instead of a Group? Fan pages afford more direct interaction with individual Facebook users and other features that Groups don’t have.

IAHA’s Safety Program Will Be Held at HAuNTcon

IAHA is holding the Certified Haunted Attraction Operator Safety program (C.H.A.O.S.) on Monday, May 4th after the Haunted Attraction National Tradeshow and Convention (HAuNTcon) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

10 years of fun& FearThe Haunted Attraction industry’s first and only voluntary national safety certification program, C.H.A.O.S., consists of eight hours of safety training provided by professional speakers with a background in amusement safety and loss control inspection. Registration is open to the general public and includes materials, continental breakfast and box lunch. Fees are $85 for IAHA members and $100 for non-members.

CLICK HERE to reserve your place in this exciting class or call (561)758-3266 for more details.

IAHA Members Discount available at www.IAHAweb.com Member’s Section!

Donations Needed for HAuNTcon Auction/Raffle

IAHA will be holding a raffle/auction during the Haunt tours at HAuNTcon on Friday night (May 1st) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

IAHA is asking all vendors to consider donating an item. Small and large items are welcome as well as gift card donations.

Attention IAHA. members. You do not need to be a vendor to contribute an item to the auction! If you have any items you would like to donate to our upcoming auctions let us know! We hope you will join the following companies in supporting IAHA:

• Minispotlight.com
• Monster-Tronics
• Stuartizm
• Toxic Toons
• Boneyard FX
• Buckys Boneyard
• Hauntbots
• Haunted Attraction Magazine
• Haunted House.com
• Sinister Visions inc.

We are looking for new or gently used items to auction and raffle off at HAuNTcon and The Midwest Haunters Convention. We have had a few unique donations from members already, including a 1986 Cadillac hearse complete with brand new tires and a fresh tune up, and hope to add to our growing list of items.

The IAHA Great Hearse Raffle will begin at HAuNTcon and continue for about a year. During that time, IAHA will be packing the hearse full of great haunt related items. Raffle tickets are $10 each and can be purchased from any IAHA director. Stop by the IAHA hospitality suite at HAuNTcon to purchase your tickets, meet the IAHA Board and have a complimentary cocktail or snack. The winner will be chosen at NHC 2010.

Those who donate items will be acknowledged in an upcoming edition of the ScreamZine, on the IAHA website, on IAHA’s section of Haunted Attraction Magazine and on handouts distributed by IAHA at HAuNTcon. This is a great opportunity to gain exposure in the industry while supporting IAHA!

If you are interested in donating or have any questions please contact Mike “Tattoo” Krausert, IAHA Vice President at vicepresident@IAHAweb.com.

Meet & Mingle with The IAHA Board & Members

The International Association of Haunted Attractions (IAHA) is proud to announce it will be hosting a special “Meet and Greet” Hospitality Suite throughout HAuNTcon (Hospitality Suite number 1 on the first floor adjacent to the elevators and across from the check in desk). The suite will be open various times throughout the show and it is the perfect opportunity to get to know the IAHA Directors and meet IAHA members all while relaxing and enjoying complimentary snacks and cocktails!

You don’t have to be an IAHA member to attend. Simply see any IAHA Director for an invitation (see page four of this ScreamZIne for a list of directors) or stop by the Sinister Visions Booth and see IAHA Director Chad Savage.

New IAHA President Patrick Konopelski

Greetings,

Hello to all. I would like to begin by thanking everyone that has entrusted me with the honor of leading our association. For those of you who don’t know me, I own Shocktoberfest Scream Park near Philadelphia Pennsylvania and Zombie World dark ride on the Boardwalk in Wildwood, New Jersey. I have been in this industry for 18 years and have loved every minute of it. This is an exciting time for both our association and industry.

We have assembled an amazing Board of Directors that, along with their committees, is dedicated to meeting the goals and challenges in the upcoming years. This association has always and will always be a voice for everyone in our industry.

I would like to extend an invitation to anyone in our association that would like to play a more active role by being on committees or simply making suggestions, to please email me at president@IAHAweb.com.

Thank You,

Pat Konopelski
IAHA President

2009 Executive Board: Meet the IAHA Leadership

During the April 9th IAHA Board of Directors meeting, the board elected the Executive Committee for the coming year. Those elected are:

Patrick Konopelski, President
Shocktoberfest
Philadelphia, PA

Mike Krausert, Vice President
Nightmare New England in Litchfield, NH &
Terror on the Fox in Green Bay, WI

Deanna Morton, Secretary
Morton Manor Home Haunt
Kalamazoo, MI

Jim Smith, Treasurer
Niles Haunted House Scream Park
Niles, MI

IAHA Directors Fill Vacant Board Positions

Bertolino & Criscione appointed

On Thursday, April 16, 2009 the Board of Directors for the International Association of Haunted Attractions (IAHA) voted unanimously to fill two vacant board positions. The two vacant seats were the result of the resignation of two board members. The Executive Board offered the vacant positions to two former board members – Brett Bertolino and Bill Criscione. Both have served in the past on the Association’s Executive Board as Vice President – Bertolino in 2008 and Criscione in 2007.

“I speak for the entire board when I say we were very excited that Brett Bertolino and Bill Criscione decided to accept our invitation to return to the board to continue to help guide our association,” said IAHA President Patrick Konopelski. “They both bring a great deal of experience and professionalism to the association.”

Brett Bertolino is the Assistant Program Director for Operations and Special Events at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site in Philadelphia, PA. The penitentiary’s annual Halloween fundraiser, Terror Behind the Walls, was named the “Number One Haunted House in America” by AOL City Guide in 2008.

Bill Criscione is the owner and operator of Ghostly Manor Thrill Center in Sandusky, OH. The Ghostly Manor Haunted House is one of the countries largest year-round haunted attractions and has been named one of the “Top 10 Walkthrough Attractions in the United States” by Darkride and Funhouse Enthusiasts (DAFE).

Bertolino and Crisione’s terms will expire in March, 2010.

Meet the New IAHA Board

Your Nominating & Elections Committee is pleased to present to you the results of the IAHA annual elections of 2009.

First, we’d like to acknowledge those Board Members whose terms have expired.

• Our President, Timothy Gavinski,
• Vice President, Brett Bertolino
• Past President, Eddie McLaurin
• Vendor Chair, Dan Faupel
• Tradeshow Chair, Tim Turner

The Committee is pleased to announce the following as your new, and continuing, 2009 Board of Directors:

• Mike Krausert March 2010
• Pat Konopelski March 2010
• Deanna Morton March 2010
• Chad Savage March 2010
• Jim Smith March 2010
• Jay Wright March 2010
• Randy YoungMarch 2010
• Shawna Blakney March 2011
• Trey Cottle March 2011
• Maggie CourtisMarch 2011
• Mike HundleyMarch 2011
• John LaFlamboy March 2011
• Bill Livingston March 2011
• Eddie McLaurin March 2011
• Beth Watson March 2011
• Kris Werner March 2011

The current Board will meet on Thursday, April 9, 2009 to elect the Executive Committee.

Bylaw Changes Pass with Overwhelming Support

In addition to the slate of candidates running for the open board positions, this year’s election ballot also included a referendum question to revise Articles V and VI of the bylaws. These changes were outlined two years ago as part of IAHA’s Three Year Plan for Future Success.

The IAHA Board of Directors and the IAHA Bylaws Committee are happy to report that the membership voted 89% in favor of the bylaws changes.

In brief, the revisions to Article V restructured IAHA’s four classes of membership so that haunt owners/operators, vendors and enthusiasts can all still be a part of the association, but now each group will have to pay only for the benefits that pertain to them.

In addition, the changes to Article V ensure that the direction and focus of IAHA will be guided by industry leaders who own and operate haunted attractions. The Haunted Attraction membership level is for businesses and organizations that run a haunted attraction. Each haunted attraction will designate one of its Owner/Operators as its voting member to vote for the Board Members. This class will have higher dues to pay for the programs that benefit Haunted Attractions, like PR Campaigns and Insurance programs.

The other three classes – Haunter, Vendor and Associate -are very similar. Members of these classes will receive all the benefits and premiums of membership and will be allowed to serve on committees, but do not have the right to vote. Each class will have different membership dues based on the benefits each receives.

The change to Article VI increased the term a director serves from two years to three years. Now, a maximum of six directors (1/3 of the total) will be up for reelection each year, adding greater consistency and stability to our organization.

Regardless of how you voted, the IAHA Board and IAHA Bylaws committee want to extend a sincere “Thank You” to each and every member who took the time to read the bylaws changes and then to vote for what he or she believed was in the best interest of the association.

Sponsored by Transworld Exhibits, Haunt Visions, 13th Hour Magazine, Haunted Attraction Magazine and Ghoulish Gallery

Ghoulies, ghosties and long-legged beasties from all across the world gathered at the America’s Center convention complex on March 27th, 2009, to attend the second annual International Association of Haunted Attractions Awards Banquet. Dubbed the “Oscares”, this spooktacular event honors individuals from the Haunted Attraction industry for their outstanding contribution and dedication to the art of haunting.

The 2009 IAHA Awardees

Vendor Excellence Awards
Ghost Ride Productions, Unit 70 Studios, Midnight Syndicate, Minispotlight.com and Froggy’s Fog.

Best New Product Awards
Skulltronixs and Nightscream Studios.

Board of Directors Awards
Bob Hershey, Ed and James Terebus, Michael and Nancy Jubi of Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses, and Karl Fields of Pirates of Emerson Haunted House

The President’s Award
Bloody Mary and Rex Hamilton

The International Association of Haunted Attractions Lifetime Achievement Award
Leonard Pickel

IAHA will be holding its Certified Haunted Attraction Operator Safety program (C.H.A.O.S.) at The Haunted Attraction National Tradeshow and Convention (HAuNTcon) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Monday, May 4th.

C.H.A.O.S., the haunted attraction industry’s first and only voluntary national safety certification program consists of eight hours of safety training provided by professional speakers with a background in amusement safety and loss control inspection.

Registration is open to the general public and includes materials, continental breakfast and box lunch. Fees are $85 for IAHA members and $100 for non-members. For more information and to register visit www.HAuNTcon.com.

Affordable Health Care Coverage for IAHA Members

The International Association of Haunted Attractions (IAHA) is pleased to present the new IAHA Health Care Benefit. This is a major milestone achievement from our Three-Year Plan.

As of February 2009, All Business or Individual Members of the IAHA now have access to affordable health care coverage through the IAHA Health Plan. This plan provides competitive premium rates that members can lock into for 3 years, or until that member decides that he/she no longer desires that plan.

If you are a vendor or an owner/operator that needs to hold onto your day job to maintain access to affordable health insurance for yourself and family, the IAHA Health Care Benefit can relieve you of that financial burden. It gives you access to affordable insurance while giving you the freedom to pursue the potential of your own business full-time in the industry you love.

Many, if not most haunters have day jobs. If you have lost yours, like so many recently, and need an alternative to the high prices of the COBRA Plans or individual insurance programs, this is a great solution. For the small price of an individual membership to the IAHA you could literally save thousands of dollars a year on your insurance premiums. (Example- one current IAHA member that is paying into the COBRA plan right now was quoted a rate that’s about half his current premium).

Everyone in the industry that we’ve spoken to agrees that this is a great benefit for our industry, and it is as timely as it could get.
Brett Bertolino of Terror Behind the Walls said, “While the haunt industry had a very strong season last year, with most haunted houses meeting or exceeding 2007 attendance, the declining economy has impacted some haunt owners who relied on a day job for heath insurance…This could not have come at a better time.”

The bottom line is that the entire haunted attraction industry has been in need of a health care program like this for a very long time. Many industry associations provide this to their members, and IAHA is proud to now be able to offer this benefit to its members.

Before you can take advantage of the new IAHA Health Care Benefit, be sure to renew your membership or join IAHA.  Click here to renew your membership!

For full information, view the PDF, or visit http://www.iahahealthplans.com/.