If you are reporter or other media producer interested in getting information from IAHA about the haunted attraction industry, please contact:

President

Patrick Konopelski – president@iahaweb.com

Marketing & PR Committee Chairman

Brett Bertolino – bb@EasternState.org

PRESS RELEASE 9/25/07

General Quotes About the Haunted Attraction Industry

For your convenience, general quotes about the haunted attraction industry are provided below.  Please feel free to use them in your article or production.  We are also happy to arrange an interview an industry expert to provide customize information for your story.  Please contact us at press@IAHAweb.com.

Halloween is Big Business

“In the last decade, haunted attractions have matured from small neighborhood events, to large, regional destination attractions.  In the United States, Halloween has become a 7 billion dollar industry and about 15% of all Americans will attend a Halloween event this fall.”

Timothy Gavinski, IAHA President

Haunted House Allow People to Experience Their Fears

“Haunted Attractions allow people to experience fears and phobias in a real time safe environment.”

Bill Criscione, IAHA Vice President

Halloween is Timeless

“Halloween is timeless, celebrated in a variety of ways through the centuries, in different countries, it’s our connection to our past & our future.  When kids trick or treat at my house, I hope I’m the inspiration of future haunters.”

Deanna Morton, IAHA Secretary

Halloween is Now a Season

“Like Christmas, Halloween has grown from a holiday lasting a single day to a season long event.  Many haunted attractions open in mid September and don’t close until early November.”

Brett Bertolino, IAHA Director

Chairman IAHA Marketing Committee

Many Haunted Houses have Amusement Park Quality Special Effects

“At most of the larger Haunted Houses you find many special effects that are on par with those you would find at big-budget parks such as Universal Studios, Disney, Busch Gardens, Six Flags, Cedar Point and more.”

“Several Haunted House Industry vendors, many of them IAHA Members, also do business with the bigger parks. It seems to be a trend for most of the big amusement parks to now be doing Haunted Houses and other Halloween related events to help extend their seasons.”

Dan Faupel, IAHA Director

Chairman IAHA Vendor Committee

Haunted Houses Have Gone High-Tech

“Something mysterious and spooky and altogether ookey has happened in the haunted attraction industry. Haunters (those who build, operate and act in haunted houses) have evolved! Taking a cue from Disney and the world of film effects, many of today’s haunted houses now feature state-of-the-art special effects that are, well, to die for. Lifelike animatronics (robotic) monsters now replace static mannequins. Elaborate stage illusions like the Pepper’s Ghost (the same effect that creates the see-through ghosts at Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion) now compliment classic strobe and black light illusions. Silicone masks and foam latex facial appliances are quickly replacing rubber masks and greasepaint. Room themes are more creepy and atmospheric (some even go 3D!) and the scares are much more psychological and phobia-based. In short, consumers are getting much more “scare” for their buck. If you haven’t experienced a haunted house lately, it’s time to go!”

Tim Turner, IAHA Director

Safety Is the Top Priority

“With the evolution of haunted attractions to provide a much more immersive and intense experience, the International Association of Haunted Attractions (IAHA) leads the way in providing its’ professional members information on organizational and operational safety. While IAHA cannot enforce safety codes, which vary from location to location, one of the goals of IAHA is to strongly encourage its’ members to ‘put safety first’ while still providing a high value and extremely entertaining haunted attraction experience. With Haunted Attractions becoming more and more prevalent in theme parks and as the stand alone haunted attractions have increased in size and sophistication, we are happy to see these events received as serious forms of entertainment and, therefore, allowing for greater relationships between haunted attraction owners and the individuals, such as fire marshals and building inspectors, whose responsibility it is to look out for the safety of the public, including attraction attendees.”

Kelly Allen, IAHA Director

Haunted Houses Immerse Visitors Engaging All of Their Senses

“Detail has always been one of the most important factors for any haunted attraction. It’s extremely important to make your patrons feel like they are part of the scene they are in; it helps to engage all of their senses. Our goal, if only for a moment, is to take you out of reality and catch you with your guard down.”

Mike Krausert, IAHA Director

PRESS RELEASE 5/31/07

I.A.H.A. To Debut Voluntary Haunted Attraction Safety Certification Program In 2008

May 31, 2007 This past March, the Pennsy

lvania Department of Agriculture, the agency responsible for overseeing the safe operation of rides and attractions in Pennsylvania, required, for the first time, all haunted attraction owners (or their authorized representatives) in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to become certified and trained to do regular inspections of their attractions. Over 50 owners and operators, including about a dozen from outside of Pennsylvania, completed the course and received certification credentials.

The International Association of Haunted Attractions (I.A.H.A.) is proud to announce it will debut a voluntary national safety certification program in 2008.  I.A.H.A. together with Mobile Midway Safety Institute (MMSI), the company that produced the PA Department of Agriculture Haunted Attraction Safety Seminar Series, has created the first national safety certification program for the haunted attraction industry.  The Certified Haunted Attraction Operator program (C.H.A.O.S.) will consist of eight hours of safety training provided by professional speakers with a background in amusement safety and loss control inspection.  At the conclusion of the training program, attendees will have the opportunity to take a certification test.  Upon successful completion of the training & test, attendees will be issued a certification certificate as a Certified Haunted Attraction Operator (C.H.A.O.S.).

Although this is the first national safety certification program for the haunted attraction industry, it is not the first program of its kind. I.A.H.A.’s C.H.A.O.S. certification program is modeled on the inflatable amusement ride certification program M.M.S.I. created for the Responsible Operators of Amusement Rentals (R.O.A.R.) who are members of the Outdoor amusement Business Association (O.A.B.A.).

Since the debut of the R.O.A.R. Certified Inflatable Safety Inspector training and certification program in 2005, members have reported a significant decrease in reportable accidents.  In most cases this has resulted in lower insurance rates for ROAR Member Companies that participate in the training and certification program. “The importance of good loss control practices can not be overstated when it comes to haunted attractions. ” Said MMSI President Phil Slaggert, ” an insurance underwriters best friend is an insured who is trained on the current standards of care for their industry, has good documentation of inspections and maintenance, and has good programs in place to reduce risk.”

The Certified Haunted Attraction Operator (C.H.A.O.S.) program is a significant step in realizing IAHA’s mission of promoting the highest safety standards in the haunted attraction industry.

The C.H.A.O.S. program will be held in conjunction with several haunted attraction industry tradeshows in 2008.  Additional details, including exact dates and times and locations of the seminars, will be announced on the I.A.H.A. website (www.IAHAweb.com) later this summer.

PRESS RELEASE 5/19/07

International Association of Haunted Attractions Launches New Website

Nile, MI – May 19, 2007 - The International Association of Haunted Attractions (IAHA) has today unveiled a new, enhanced website as part of its ongoing efforts to protect and promote the haunted attraction industry.  The URL of the new site is www.IAHAweb.com.

IAHAweb.com offers a variety of resources for haunted attraction owners and operators, including a resources section featuring information on topics like safety, sponsorship, marketing and operations, among others.

The new site also features a forum section that allows IAHA members from around the globe to easily communicate with each other.  “One of the things I am most excited about IAHAweb.com is the new forum section,” said IAHA President Timothy Gavinski.  “Promoting communication among haunted attraction owners and operators is one of the core missions of our organization.  The new forums will allow our members to engage in an ongoing debate about the important issues and topics shared by every haunted attraction owner and operator.

“In coming weeks, we will be adding many new features,” said webmaster Chad Savage, “including an aggressive link exchange with our members and other haunt/horror/Halloween industry websites, a revamped Members’ Section, chatroom and anything else we can think of – IAHA members are welcome and encouraged to join the new message board and post their ideas!”

The launch of IAHAweb.com comes at a time when many of IAHA’s members are at the height of building and revamping their attractions for the 2008 season.  “The majority of our Member Attractions will open in about three months,” said IAHA Vice President Bill Criscione.  “Many haunted attractions open in early to mid September and stay open until early November.  In addition, there are over two dozen haunted attractions scattered across North America that are open all or most of the year. Many of these haunted attractions are in tourist rich cities like Myrtle Beach, Orlando, or Niagara Falls.”

The International Association of Haunted Attractions (IAHA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of the Haunted Attraction Industry through communication, education and information. Since 1998, the Association has made significant strides toward putting a professional face on the haunt industry.  In addition to IAHA’s website, the organization also produces a bi monthly member newsletter called the ScreamZine, as well as the Haunted Attraction section of Tourist Attractions & Parks Magazine.

For more information about IAHA visit www.IAHAweb.com.