News & Updates
New Vendor Announcements
So, we're happy to report that Dotsy's Entertainment Company will be returning to CHAC 2012 for their third time; but are also pretty pleased to share news that Froggy's Fog from Tennessee will also be in attendance! Chris at Froggy's has also agreed to offer a seminar on Fog FX, and Shelley at Dotsy's will be doing a makeup FX session. Details, as they become available, will be on the Seminars Page of the website, so stay tuned!
Contest Announcement
How would you like to win a $200 lighting FX kit? Three attendees at CHAC 2012 in Hamilton will take home an amazing prize package, courtesy of Darklight: Precision Lighting System. Want to know how YOU could win? Check out the Contests Page for more details.
Another Great Seminar Session added!
Shelley Summers, artist extraordinaire, has graciously agreed to lead a session on FX-including scars and other neat gore FX. We'll be adding details about the session soon, which you'll find on the Presenter Bio's Page.
Pumpkin Teeth LLC Announced as Title Sponsor!
Please join me in welcoming Pumpkin Teeth, LLC as the Title Sponsor of the Canadian Haunted Attractions Conference 2012. I am so pleased to have Keith and his team on board as Presenting Sponsor, and look forward to working with them for many years to come. Pumpkin Teeth will also be attending the CHAC in person, to exhibit their products and to make contacts with retailers to sell their products in Canada. Check out their website for more information!
WANNA WIN A Morphsuit?
We're giving away a total of THREE of those amazing “halloween-related” Morphsuits at CHAC 2012. They retail in Canada at $65 a pop. For a pic, and more details, visit the Contests Page.
Dick Terhune Confirms Attendance
The Voice From Hell, Dick Terhune, has just confirmed that he will be attending CHAC 2012 in Hamilton, and has graciously agreed to offer an educational session as part of the Weekend Seminar Series called “The Queue Line Starts HERE: Haunt Advertising that brings customers SCREAMING to your door!”. A synopsis, and Dick's Bio are included on the Presenter Bios Page. For a full rundown of educational sessions, please visit the Education Page.
Drew Badger to attend CHAC
We are pleased to announce that Drew Badger, of Rabid Badger Haunt Consulting, will be attending CHAC 2012 to deliver a half-day instensive workshop session on Actor Training. Drew is a seasoned veteran of the Haunt industry, and will be traveling from the US to attend. We feel this is a great addition to the educational series lineup and hope that you'll support Drew's visit by attending!
Interesting Book Provided as Give-a-way Prize!
Deadly Roles:Interactive Games of Murder & Mystery is the latest book by author Chris Kullstroem. It offers readers seven interactive party games to help you transform your home into dark realms, and allows players to take on demented character roles! This interesting book will be offered to a lucky attendee to CHAC 2012, likely as part of a package of amazing prizes. Stay tuned for details!
Builders Series Workshop Schedule is Full!
All four sessions being offered as part of the Builders Series Workshop Sessions on Friday, April 13th are booked and confirmed. There will be two sessions offered during the day, morning and afternoon, and two workshops in each session. Each session is a bargain at only $50 per person. See the Education Page for more details.
Egyptian Mummy Unwrapping Ceremony To Take Place at CHAC
As part of the special events on the Trade Show floor, we are excited to confirm that there will be a live mummy unwrapping ceremony happening at CHAC on Sunday, April 15th, 2012. For more details see the Special Events page. The exact time has yet to be announced, but will be put on the Schedule of Events when finalized!
Additional Education Sessions Added
We've put some new sessions on the line-up, including a seminar on incorporating a Victorian or Edwardian theme to your haunted event. This is certainly another one suitable for haunters and the general public alike. We've also moved Airbrushing FX 101 to the Builder Series on Friday, because of the amount of information. We're also excited to learn that Rabid Badger Haunt Consulting will be traveling to the CHAC from North Carolina to offer a Builders Session on Actor Training. For a full run-down of the educational offerings at CHAC, please visit the Education Page.
Ghost Hunt and Historical Walking Tour Added to Special Events Lineup
We're pleased to announce the addition of a Ghost Hunt at Random House and an Historical Walking Tour of “The Gore” Area of Downtown Hamilton as part of the conference. The Ghost Hunt will be hosted by Haunted Hamilton, and the Walking Tour will be hosted by Missus Mooney and Michael Furey in Hamilton. The Ghost Hunt will happen on Friday, April 13th and the Walking Tour, Saturday, April 14th, 2012. For more information about both events, check out the Special Events Page.
Yet Another New Vendor Added
Join me in welcoming Missus Mooney's Halfpenny Dreadfuls to the Trade Show Floor as part of CHAC 2012!
Congratulations to Fox Henderson (The Monkey Rodeo Project)
Our “As Easy As 1-2-3 Contest” winner is Fox Henderson, at the Monkey Rodeo and one of our vendors. Fox wins overnight accommodation at the Crowne Plaza for one night at part of the conference; dinner for two at the restaurant there; a VIP Dinner Ticket; a Seminar Series Wristband, a Builders Series Workshop Pass, and tickets to some amazing local attractions. Congratulations, Fox!
New Vendor Added
We're pleased to have Boudreau's Butcher House of Horrors on board as a vendor! That puts us almost 1/3 sold out for booth space with over 90 days until the conference opens. To avoid disappointment, you're going to want to book now. For a full list of confirmed vendors, please visit the Tradeshow Page
As Easy As 1-2-3 Contest ending soon
Please remember that our “As Easy As 1-2-3 Contest” expires on December 31st, 2011. In case you hadn't heard about it, anyone who registers with payment as either 1) a Vendor, 2) a Sponsor, or 3) a Seminar Series attendee is entered to win the following: 1) Overnight accommodation for one night at the Crowne Plaza, including Dinner for Two at the restaurant there and a VIP Dinner Ticket for Saturday night; 2) an additional Seminar Series Pass; and 3) Admission tickets to some amazing local attractions, including Dundurn Castle and Royal Botanical Gardens. Be sure to register before it's too late.
Vendor & Education Pass pricing to go up January 1st, 2012
Just a reminder that the "early bird" pricing on Vendor booth space and Education Series passes goes up on January 1st, 2012. The $100 vendor special goes to $135 per 10X10 booth space; and Seminar Series passes go from $80 to $100 on the same day. Book now to get early bird pricing AND be entered to win with our "As Easy As 1-2-3" contest.
Addional Educational Session Added
We're please to announce that some new sessions have been added to the lineup, and that we're approaching half full in the lineup. New sessions added or confirmed include: *ALL NEW* “Psychology of the Scare” and “Managing the Lineups”; plus confirmed “Demonology and the Occult for Paranormal Investigations”, “Operating your haunted event as a fundraiser, non-profit, or charitable organization” and “Fire Safety for your Haunted Event”. Check out all the fantastic sessions offered on our Education Page.
More Vendor Bookings
On the heels of our recent vendor confirmations, we're pleased to announce that Depraved Clothing, Airmagic FX, All Hallows Radio, and The Monkey Rodeo have also confirmed they will be in attendance! With those bookings, the Trade Show floor is now 25% SOLD OUT!! If you want to be sure of getting your company on the floor at the CHAC, you'll want to BOOK soon.
Vendor Confirmations
We are excited to confirm that Gothic Gourds, CHAOS, Dark Legends Corpse, and Buzz Works have all recently confirmed their attendance for the trade show portion of the CHAC. Are you interested in exhibiting your products or services to the haunted attraction, Halloween, horror, or paranormal genre's? Send us an email HERE and we'll let you know how to become involved. To see all the vendors scheduled to be on the Trade Show Floor, click HERE.
“Prelude to a Nightmare” to attend CHAC
We have confirmed that Mike Karan from Prelude to a Nightmare will be attending the CHAC! We know for sure that they will be offering a seminar, entitled “The Importance of Sound Design”. Sections will include The Sound of Silence, “The Tell Tale Heart” and “Puppet Master”. We're pretty pumped! Also, Prelude to a Nightmare will be providing a soundtrack for this website soon, so keep checking back for some amazing music. Prelude is working on a brand new website, but for now you can find out more about them by clicking HERE. They may also be exhibiting on the trade show floor, stay tuned for that announcement, too!!
CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT!
Everyone likes to win free stuff, right? We've always been fortunate to have some amazing sponsors, and this year is no exception. Our first contest of the year is called the “As Easy As 1-2-3” Contest. Here's how it works: you register with payment to attend the CHAC 2012 in Hamilton either as an 1) Exhibitor, 2) Sponsor, or 3) Seminar Series Attendee.
Anyone who does that between now and December 31st, 2011 is entered in a draw to win 1) one nights accommodation at the Crowne Plaza Hamilton, 2) dinner for two at Acclamation Bar & Grill, 2 tickets to tour Dundurn Castle, 2 tickets to tour Royal Botanical Gardens, and 3) the following 3 other items: a Seminar Series Wristband for the CHAC 2012, a VIP Dinner Ticket, and one Builders Series Workshop registration.
This promotion is brought to you courtesy of 1) Tourism Hamilton, 2) Crowne Plaza Hamilton, and 3) the CHAC!! You can register by clicking HERE
Presenter Announcement
Hot on the heels of booking our first VIP guest, we are also announcing our first presenter as part of the Seminar Series. aaron Knox is a Makeup FX Artist and will be hosting a session on the use of Airbrush FX for your haunted attraction/event. Stay tuned for full details, including a title and synopsis of the session, as well as Aaron's bio to be added to the Education Page.
VIP Guest Announcement
We're pretty pumped about announcing our first of many special guests attending the CHAC. John Migliore is a background actor who loves zombie movies most of all! He has appeared as a zombie in several films, including Dawn of the Dead (2004), Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), George A. Romero's Land of the Dead (2005), George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead (2009), Zombie Apocalypse: Redemption (2011), Plan 9 (2012), Detention of the Dead (2012), My Boring Zombie Apocalypse (2012) and Zombie eXs (2012). To learn more about John, please click on his photo (above)
Venue Announcement
It's official! The venue for the CHAC is the Crowne Plaza Hamilton. We are very excited to be hosting at their facility which boasts some 19,000 sq ft of meeting space, numerous break-out rooms, and over 200 guestrooms for accommodation. The hotel has an indoor pool, whirlpool, exercise room, spa, restaurant and more. Show special rate is just $139. Please stay tuned for a special link which will allow you to book your rooms directly from this site electronically.
Congratulations to Hamilton, Ontario
Please join me in congratulating Stacy Saman, Carlos Henriques, Calvin Cox and the entire support team that bid to “Bring the CHAC to Hamilton”. Special thanks go out to David Daniloff, Fangoria Magazine, Rue Morgue, and Horror in the Hammer for supporting the bid to host the event. If you are reading this, you are invited to convene in Hamilton, Ontario in April 2012!
