Thank you all for tuning in for another Halloween Haunt article! This week we have another Q & A with a focus on the Marketing side and the changes made for COVID this year. Today we are featuring Laura Kilpatrick- a Graphic Designer by trade and an Art Director at FearWorm Hauntvertising, specializing in Social Media Concepts and copywriting. She lives in Arlington, Texas.
What does a normal year look like in Haunt for you? What’s different this year?
A normal year in the haunted attraction industry means quite a bit of things. First, I would have to say you can sell as many tickets as you want normally! There wouldn’t be any restrictions as to how close an actor can get to a patron, and both the patron and the actor wouldn’t have to be wearing extra PPE or face coverings. Normally, haunted houses might not be as clean! I know, I hate to say that. But haunted houses this year are really stepping up their cleaning procedures and how frequently they disinfect surfaces and common areas of their productions. Normally this time of year I am crazy busy manning social media for 20 plus haunted attractions. This year I have a little over half of that, so the work load is less, but I also don’t have my team I normally would be working with. Since less haunted attractions are opening, we were not able to hire the individuals we would normally give seasonal marketing and social media work to this year, now that is sad! Because I love working with a good team!
Are there any particular precautions being taken?
Absolutely! Haunts across the country have implemented social distancing in their queue lines, some are even using text notification systems and having their guests wait in their cars until it is time for them to begin their experience! Like I said above, haunted houses are definitely cleaner this year and that is a huge plus. Also, timed ticketing has been a huge help for many attractions across the country – this allows them to control the number of guests they have for a specific block of time. This helps with crowd control, and social distancing. Most haunts are also capping their ticket sales this year to follow their state’s guidelines. This is a great way to make sure your capacity stays in the safe zone. And, marketing wise, this is a great way to sell out an event! Less tickets being sold means urgency for the consumers.
Are there going to be more automated things like show controls used as opposed to actors?
In some cases, actors have definitely been minimized, but at the very least they have been trained on how to scare from farther away. Some have even been given props that are distancing tools. These could be items they hold and something projects from the device out at you. This is much safer. It forces the actor and the patron to maintain their safe distance while getting a scare at the same time!
What are the restrictions like in your area/in the areas you’re discussing?
Capacities are greatly reduced. In some areas as low as 25% is what haunted houses are serving this year. This can be hard on the haunts because they won’t necessarily make as much money as they might during a normal season, but to help with this, some haunts have adjusted their ticket prices to increase revenue for the lower amount of tickets sold. Some are just happy to be opening and are wanting to consider this a public service for this year. Just giving the public a safe Halloween event to attend. In all that we’ve been through in 2020, I think we all deserve a few good scares and screams!
How do you feel the haunt community has been effected by COVID this year? Are people fading by the wayside or coming together in spite of 2020 being a dumpster fire?
This is very 50/50. Lots of haunted attractions have leaned on the industry we are all a part of and worked together to learn, grow, and to tackle all of the challenges 2020 has thrown at us safely! Some haunted attractions have chosen to remain closed, as they feel that is safer for the public and themselves. They could be afraid of lawsuits. If someone contracted Covid-19 there at the haunt, there would absolutely be some unsavory news that occurs due to something like that. Some haunts are choosing not to open, but it is my opinion that the ones that don’t open this year – they are going to struggle next season. They will be fighting their competitors (who did open) to gain back the market share of loyal consumers they lost in 2020. This season, consumers will find the show in town that is open and is doing things right, they will go to that haunt, and if they have a great time…they just might have a new favorite show to attend in the future. All in all I am absolutely proud of my industry. Many haunted houses have supported one another during this time. They share information, and encourage one another. It has been very inspiring!
What are your specialties within the industry?
I work in marketing for haunted attractions. I am the Art Director for FearWorm Hauntvertising, the first and largest advertising agency that caters specifically to haunted attractions! I direct photo and video shoots for many of our clients. This helps them get the content they need to market their attraction for their events. I specialize in social media concepts and copywriting. I am also a Graphic Designer, by trade. I have my bachelors degree in Graphic Design. So, I definitely lean on that skill and create many graphics for our clients as well.
If you are privy to what multiple haunters are doing- Who do you think is planning the best work so far (as far as having the perfect nexus of entertainment/thrill/scare/safety/innovation)?
Right now, top of my mind would be Fear Factory in Salt Lake City (check out our interview with Spencer from Fear Factory Here!), Brighton Asylum in Passaic, New Jersey, House of Horrors in Buffalo, New York, and man…you just cannot beat the shows that are pivoting to make sure guests feel safe…and scared for the right reasons!
Reindeer Manor in the DFW area has partnered with iHeart media locally to bring you a drive-thru haunted attraction this year at the American Airlines Center! I am definitely checking that show out this year, and Hatch and Kraven’s in Denison – they are constructing an ALL-NEW haunted trail for folks this year. And of course, last but not least….Dark Hour Haunted House! They may not be opening normally this year, but they will be releasing a backstage tour showing this year’s show that would have been. That is going to be a must-see! That haunted attraction is like Disney-good, I swear!
We send a big ol’ THANK YOU to Laura for her detailed insights! It’s been quite the adventure learning not only about the nuances of the Haunt industry, but also about how they are trying to persevere in the face of COVID!! Happy Halloween to all! Check us out next week for another entry in the GILDERBLOG!!
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