SPECIAL - The 2025 OSCARES Awards: Honoring the Best in Haunted Attractions

0:08 The twenty twenty five oh Scares Awards brought together the biggest names in the haunt industry to celebrate innovation, creativity, and leadership, from emerging vendors to legendary haunts. This year's ceremony even introduced a brand new award that's all coming up on today's show. Welcome to the show. I'm Philip, and at the Haunted Attraction Network, we bring you the news and information you need to prepare for Halloween. This podcast is just one part of what we do. Our best coverage lize in our free weekly industry newsletter, so check that out at the link in our show notes. Tonight, we're bringing you the full unedited recording of the twenty twenty five oh Scares Awards presented by the Haunted Attraction Association during Transorild Halloween and Attractions Show. As producers of this year's ceremony, we had a front row seat to the energy, excitement, and well deserved recognition that filled the room.

1:03 The event was staming room only, with the first one hundred attendees receiving swag bags courtesy of our co chair. This year, a brand new award category, the Spirit of Leadership, was introduced, recognizing Spencer Terry's impact on the industry. Throughout the night, we celebrated vendors, home hunters, and attractions from across of the world. If you miss the Oscars live now, it's your chance to experience the full ceremony and if you're feeling inspired, nominate somebody for next year's awards. By the way, we have a video version of this. It's going to be available this weekend, so keep a lookout for that on our YouTube. So grab a drink, settle in and relive the biggest night in the Haunted attraction community. Here we go in three two one.

1:44 Hello everyone, and welcome to the Oscars. How y'all doing. I love the fact the Oscars happened later in the show because we all get more and more what's the word I'd use, comfortable as the show goes on, So we are all here to have a good time tonight. Welcome to the Oscars. It is my privilege to once again be the host of this incredible award show. My name is Scott Swinson. I'm with Scott Swinson Creative. Development and I've been involved with the heart of attraction industry, in the theme park industry, and the various another attraction industry. For him in years. And I am so excited to be here because this event is probably one of my favorites of the entire year, because this is where we get to come together as a community, as an industry, and we get to applaud those people who've gone above and beyond. Now, I want to say that just the people who come up here on stage, those aren't the only ones that deserve our praise and our credit. Everybody in this room deserves a round of applause for working your butts off to make the Haunted Attraction industry what it is today. So now that you've all, in essence taken home your own award with a little bit of applause and a little bit of attention, we are going to focus a little bit more on the people who are going to be coming up here on stage and getting these really cool trophies over here. But before we do that, there's a couple other thank yous we need to make. First of all, the premier sponsor for tonight is, of course, Froggy's Fog.

3:18 We would also like to thank the production supervisor Philip, and of course the Hunted Attraction Network so there's Philip over there. So, like I said, tonight, we are here to say kudos to those folks who have done things that have either invigorated the industry, shown consistency within the industry, or are true legacies within this industry. It's exciting because we get to see people that some of you have only heard of or seen online. We get to meet people who have provided products to you for years and all of a sudden you. Go, oh, you know, they did a really good stuff. That's cool.

3:58 So it's it's just a night where we get to kind of celebrate our own and as I firmly believe, what's good for the industry is good for each of us individually. So it is not a question of oh, they won and I didn't. By the way, I'm not taking home an award tonight. It's okay, no, But it's all really about let's say thank you to people who make our jobs easier, who make our industry better. So we're going to dive right in. We're going to start off with our Vendor Excellence Awards. Now, once again, these awards fall into three basic categories. There is the New Vendor Award, the Established Vendor Award and the old guy, I mean the Legacy Award.

4:40 So it is one of those situations. As an old guy standing up here, I can say that the truth is it is a legacy award, and we don't take that lightly because legacy truly does mean that they have contributed so much to this industry for so many years that they have to be recognized for all of their hard work. But let's start off on the other end of the spectrum. Let's start off with our our New Vendor Awards, the Vendor Excellence Awards for New Business which is under five years. This year goes to and if I mispronounce this, I am so sorry. Scython. Was I close close? Scithon. Scithon got it.

5:26 Founded in twenty twenty one, Scython has rapidly emerged as a leader in actor management with a comprehensive platform that includes actor recruitment, scheduling, communication, and more. The founder, Justin Blackburn, has fourteen years of Haunt industry experience as a scare actor manager and consultant. This is thy Scython. See now I can't say it now that I know how to say it. This is Scython's second year at trans World, showcasing the platform at booth twenty one to eleven. Please let's take a quick look at a little bit more about this amazing new company. Are you tired of the stress and chaos that comes with managing a professional haunt? The actors, the schedules, the costumes.

6:10 It can all be overwhelming. But what if we told you there's a solution introducing Scython, a modern, all in one actor management platform that streamlines the entire process and makes managing your monsters abreeze. With features such as recruiting, scheduling, communication, background checks, time tracking, awards tracking, and costume management, Scython is everything you need from the palm of your hand. Say goodbye to the hassle of juggling multiple apps or spreadsheets and Tello to a seamless and organized experience. Sign up for a thirty day free trial at scython dot io and start managing your monsters like a pro.

6:55 All right, So, any of you have ever worked with before, you know that the actor, in my opinion, is the heartbeat of any good haunted attraction, and the ability to manage them is sort of like hurting cats. So we have been able to find this incredible new program. Please, ladies and gentlemen, welcome justin to the stage. I'm entering into the app. I should have introduced him sooner. Oh no, that's fine. Congratulations, thank you up here?

7:36 Wow, thank you? Can we hear me? Awesome? First Off, a huge thank you to h Chack. This off. A huge thank you to the HAA and Oscars and everyone that made this event possible. This industry is full of a lot of creative and passionate and hardworking people and to be reconnized here is really an honor, so thank you. So Sytone started with a simple goal. We wanted to make actor management easier. But what's made this journey even more special is all of the support that we have received from all of our amazing customers. Your feedback, ideas and challenges have pushed us to improve and grow, and we would not be here without you, so truly, thank you. I also want to recognize my amazing team that came with me to Transworld this year, which includes my mom who is sitting in the back and has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make all of this possible.

8:40 Your dedication and hard work has made this really become a dream and personally for me, after thirteen years in the hot industry, from acting to management to now building tools for other haunts, it's incredible to see this all come and become a reality. If you haven't stopped by yet, you can find us at Booth twenty one eleven. We'll be there again tomorrow and you can learn how to manage your actors like a pro or manager monsters like a pro. So thank you again. There you go. All right, let's have another hen for Justin. That was great.

9:23 I do you know, since since Justin took a moment to thank some folks, I did forget to thank some really important folks. For those of you who got swag bags when you came in, Let's have a big round of a plus for everyone who donated the content for those swag bags. Pretty cool stuff there. Does anyone else smell burnt toast or taste pennies? I just. Maybe I was having anyway? All right, So. It never fails. There's always at least one moment where something weird happens during this event. Weird over and above the sweater that I happen to be wearing. I don't know whether you noticed this or not. This is the only event where it's not just an ugly sweater contest. This is actually on brand, all right. Moving on to our next Vendor Excellence Award. This is for the established vendor. So this is sort of that mid range, not quite new guy, not quite legacy.

10:28 This is this. Vendor Excellence Awards for established vendor goes to Cyclone Signs. You can applaud for them. That's great. Founded in twenty eighteen and based in Dallas. Cyclone Signs creates custom, creatively themed signs for the entertainment industry. Now, unfortunately Cyclone Signs was unable to be here this evening. I hope that's not a sign of something. Thank you so much. This will be my last hosting of the Oscars. Peace out. Okay, no, but I would like to I would like to thank thank. The industry, and to thank the Haunted Attraction Association on their behalf and I will be taking home their trophy.

11:15 So I did get an award, yes, unfortunately, just doesn't have my name on it. That's the bummer, all right. So now our final Vendor Excellence Award is for a company that has consistently delivered to our community for over twenty years, which, by the way, is no small feat. The twenty twenty five Legacy Vendor Excellence Award goes to Distortions Unlimited. And I think everybody applauding right now has a Distortions product somewhere in their hunt. So. Founded in nineteen seventy eight by ed Edmunds, joined in nineteen eighty eight by Marsha Tob Edmunds, and supported by a super talented crew, Distortions Unlimited has been a force in the industry making monsters for over forty six years.

12:11 Truly a legacy. So let's take a quick look at some video snippets. Head and Marcia get the DeLorean. Mercia, how about we go thirty years into the future. What do you think.

14:17 There's a lot of a gest. You're a little crazy, Yeah, let's go make monsters. I don't know about you, but as we're watching that video, those are some iconic products. Those are things that we have all seen embraced and when they. Came out they were revolutionary, and that now that they are here, they are truly a legacy. Things that we all continue to use, continue to respect, and continue to think are absolutely amazing. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage. Edin Marcia.

15:26 We are truly honored. You know, this happened when we were I guess the first day of the show. There's all these. Wonderful people around and we're in our booth and I'm just looking around and I'm like that old Talking Heads song. I think it was, how did I get here? You know, this is not my life, and you know, I was just a nerd kid, monster loving kid growing up in Long Grove, Illinois, and somehow it became this. And so I'm not going to say a whole lot. You know, we went overlengked on our video, but I just I couldn't edit it anymore. It was so hard.

16:08 Well, anyway, thank you guys so much, and I wanted to thank trans World. You know, we've been at trans World. Since the beginning. I don't know what year that was, maybe eighty three, I don't know, but I couldn't do it without you guys, and we tried to get our crew up here. These guys have been These are some of our key people right here. We've got a lot of people still working at home, but these guys have been here twenty thirty years. So anyway, thank you. Yeah, but first we would like to get a round of applause for trans World. These guys are phenomenal.

16:54 Yeah really, so anyway, thank you all very much, and thank you Crue. This is listen. This is a wonderful industry with beautiful people, and we have done nothing. It's like this show is like a love fest. I mean really, it's just everybody is like family and it's beautiful and we really really appreciate it. Thank you. So I just learned something.

17:34 I grew up in Buffalo Grove, which is like right next to Long Grove, so maybe it was in the water. I don't know. So hopefully someday maybe I'll get one of those. That'd be great. All right, So. That's all for our Vendor awards. Next is our Home Haunter Award. Home Hunters are a vital part of our community, fostering a love for Halloween in their neighborhoods and motivating folks to explore more. The next winner truly embodies that spirit. The twenty twenty five Home Haunter Award goes to Rotten Apple nine oh seven. So Rotten Apple nine oh seven has become a must see home haunt in southern California, known for elaborate painting, prop building, and ever changing themes, featured in documentaries like The Haunters movie, The Epic Home Haunts, and they have raised now get this number, kids, they have raised over seventy eight thousand dollars for local charities.

18:39 The power of the boo is what that is. Diane and Preston, the masterminds behind Rotten Apple nine oh seven, have also helped grow the local haunt community through their work with cal Haunts. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Diane and Preston to the stage. As they make their way up to the stage. Let's take a quick look at a video showing you a little bit of their incredible work. Oh word, he.

19:38 Quite killing, haven't we? Always? Stranger is in my kidd who don't worry about him. He's going to be chopped up shortly. About you? You look like you be good for the pots. See your labor. In your dreams. Once again, please welcome Diane and Preston.

20:36 We want to. Thank Ha and all trans world for this. We've been at it for thirty five years doing walkthroughs, and of course we did our displays before then, but our love of Halloween and our love to be able to help the community to enjoy things and get some light in their lives is what basically drives us. It gives us an excuse to build an almost full scale locomotive, a seven foot dragon, you know, better than sitting around watching TV. Yeah.

21:19 We've striven for realism in what we do, which of course makes it easier for our customers to fall into the suspension of disbelief because we're doing a show, and the easier it is to make them believe that they're really experiencing what it is, easier it is to get scares, and that's kind of what we're here. I made a comment to one of the local newscasters that was interviewing us when he asked me, do you ever get tired of doing this? And I said, well, yeah, at the end of the build, you know, why are we doing this?

22:00 But then I said, the first scare of the season though, and it's all okay. Yeah, after the first scare, we're starting to plan what we're doing next year. In those thirty five years, we have had thirty five different themes. We change our theme every single year, and we don't want we're going okay, we don't want to one year. Actually we kind of kept the front the same, but we changed the hole inside. And we still felt like we were cheating the people, I mean, and they're getting in for free. So I don't know why we're you know and stuff, but it is truly for COVID. We did a yard display and instead of a walk through, because we felt like we needed to bring some something to the community, and so we did the whole social distancing. I mean, we have our block, our neighbors don't like us very well, and so they called during COVID, they called the city three times saying that we were doing a haunted house and trying to get us in trouble. And we talked to the city, no, it's not, it's just a yard display.

23:11 We're putting social distancing, you know, the whole routine. Then they called what was it the county County Health Apartment, County Health Department because we had people out there working without masts, and the police department came and you know, so but we managed to pull all off. They all kind of. Know us now and after thirty five years of doing this, they all kind of know us. And that night we had more people thank us for what we did because they couldn't do anything. It was they were shut in. I had one guy that worked in the industry and said he was laid off and he's he was in tears.

23:55 He says, thank you, you literally saved our lives, my life tonight and stuff. So it was that's why we deal that this. Thank you very much, guys, thank you. How many of us have had that exact same feeling in what we do. Let's be honest. We do it for love. We do it for you know. Yes, it's nice to earn money every now and then, but we do it for love. And there's not a single person in this room who hasn't felt exactly what they just shared. So let's have another round of applause for the folks for Rotten Apple nine oh seven.

24:38 So now we're going to move on to the awards for Haunted Attractions, and just like the vendor awards, they are broken into three basic categories. There is the New Haunted Attraction Award, the Established, and of course the Legacy. So let's start off at the very beginning. It's a very fine place to start. The Board of Directors Award for a first year Haunt Goes to Harrah's Nightmare. Debuting in Westminster's Town Mall, this Haunt introduced three unique experiences powered by cutting edge effects, animatronics, some of them probably from distortions, and immersive storytelling. Guests faced post apocalyptic zombies in Contaminant X, witnessed witnessed underworld battles in the Reign of Darkness, and traveled back in time with the Curse of Hexan Hollow. Inspired by visiting over thirty Haunts in twenty twenty three, owner Carlos Revus.

25:42 Did I say that, right? Okay? Good? Always have to check, you know, designed each attraction to deliver a distinct and terrifying experience. Let's take a look as Carlos shows us around some of this Haunt facts.

27:13 You know it's a good video when haunters look at it. And go, yeah, that's good. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Carlos to the stage. This is so uncomfortable. I can't believe we actually won this award. When we first started this, or when I had this idea of a Haunt four years ago, I didn't think i'd be here yet. I was hoping, you know, ten years down the road fifteen years down the road twenty. You know you guys would acknowledge me. So I just want to thank everyone, the Ahha Committee, trans World and all you fellow Haunters, because you guys inspired me to do this and it's just incredible. Honestly, the Haunted attraction wouldn't be what it is without my team, my staff, which I have some of them here, Brittany and Ariana.

28:12 Uh. The Haunt Harrah's Nightmare isn't just a haunted house. It's a family. And you know we're only we've only been together for one year. But the team and the actors is what really brings it to life. And I want to give if we can all give them a round of pause to actors, the team. Yeah, thank you guys. If you guys are in Maryland, feel free to stop by this Haunt season. We want to go bigger and better and we want to push the limits and we'll see where he goes from here. But thank you guys. I just want to reinforce you know, we all have these great memories of being here at Transworld and this incredible show and the incredible camaraderie that we build here, and that's a perfect example, how about how that translates into brand new haunters who are bringing this industry yet again to the next level.

29:03 So that's great. Another round of applause for Carlos. That was awesome. So the Board of Director's award for an established haunt goes to Traumatica Festival of Fear. Okay, give them a round of applause. They deserve that. This aunt started in two thousand and seven as Tenzi Horror Nights with a single haunt and fewer than eight hundred guests nightly. Nineteen years later, Dramatica has seven haunts, a stage show, an ice show featuring international artists, after hours experiences, and two nightclubs, attracting over seventy thousand visitors each season. It's now one of Germany's largest Halloween events.

29:56 And for those of you who haven't been lucky enough to check it out, here's a video to share with you some of their highlights.

31:38 Now it's my turn. Yeah, that was very cool. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage and this and the team from Traumatica. I'm taking your word over here. I guess I'm the translator. So we've been doing this. We're in our nineteenth season. So I'm sure most of you have never even heard of us because you're not in Germany. However, I would like to thank everybody here because this is an American tradition that we've brought to a country. Nineteen years ago with one house. We had thirty five visitors the first night we had a house called Hell's In and they were calling to book a room.

32:51 So you understand what we had to do, what we had to do to change the mindset of the people. It was quite a journey, and now we're up to around about one hundred thousand a season. So I would like to thank Michael Mack, the owner of the park, for letting us bring our particular brand of entertainment to their family park. Obviously, Enis and Alex they're actually the brains of the operation. Enis is the one who organizes everything. But most importantly, again I think everybody knows the heart of what we do is our actors. I think we all know that, and anytime we get any award, it's for them.

33:42 So thank you. So I was actually lucky enough I got a chance to see to get a video glimpse of that a while back. Because they've also been nominated and recognized by IAPPA as well. So they're an incredible really an incredible experience. So and by the way, when you all are watching those videos, are you doing what I'm doing? You're taking mental notes, going that's really cool. I could do that. Yeah, Okay, just want to make sure I wasn't the only one, all right. So now it is time for the Legacy Haunt Award. The final Board of Directors award is reserved for a haunted attraction or haunted attractions that have become legends in their communities. This award is for the best of the best. The twenty twenty four Board of Directors Award for Legacy Haunt goes to Field of Screams, Montana.

34:47 Field of Screams, Montana has been a staple of Montana's haunted attraction scene. What began in two thousand as a simple corn maze has become a full fledged Halloween tradition run by a family of six. This attraction blends creativity and resourcefulness, transforming inexpensive materials into immersive scares, which kind of defines the hont industry. We turn cheap into terrifying, which is great by day visitors enjoy the hay ground and hay rides. It looks better in print. I tried to say it as best I could. While nighttime brings bone cutters, the famous Shrinking Tunnel, ghost Town, and the all new Gateway manor Haunted House Field of Screams, Montana continues to deliver unforgettable thrills, making it a must visit fall destination. Let's take a look, no mysterets.

36:07 Number four exacsion. All right, please welcome Quinn Sandy and Ethan Kirkland to the stage to accept their award.

36:58 Wow, oh my gosh, Like we're not worthy. That's all I can think of right now. So we are super honored. Thank you. We are super honored to receive this legacy award. So, if you have never actually heard of us, we are in Montana. The abbreviation is empty, and so what's empty, So that that helps you out any We are a fall destination and people come from over two hundred miles plus around to come and see us. Since that makes us feel really good, we strive to make it the best experience. Possible for all of our.

37:39 All of our victims or guests that come. We really do have a small, small budget, but it is amazing what you can actually do with the little bits and pieces that you find around on the road or at estate sales or you guys know, right, And so we really want to thank this community, all of you for helping us and for supporting us. You really have no idea how much that you've actually helped us. We are still thankful for this trans world and for haw Association, and for those bus tours and for opening up your haunts to us. It's just it's such a it's an honor.

38:28 If it wasn't for you guys, we would probably still be in the Stone Ages with our black tarps and duct tape and yeah, so yeah, so now we've actually advanced and it feels really really good. We hope to be. Able to see you guys real soon in Montana if you want to come out and see us. So thank you, thank. You, thank you. But I think one of the things that we have to recognize, that we all recognize, is that here within the community we are very much like a family. Unfortunately, there are times the members of our family leave us.

39:12 So I'd like to take a moment, because this has been a tough year. I'd like to take a moment to remember those who we've lost this past year. Out of respect for those who have passed, I would like to ask for a moment of silence. Please hold a

40:57 special place in your heart for these who are no longer with us. So from a very sad moment, it is now time to move forward to a very inspirational moment. One of the things that we are very. Happy about is the scholarship program that the Haunted Attraction Association. Is able to provide. And here's a little video segment to fill you in a little bit on some of the scholarships from this year. Hi everyone, I'm Avigail Bergshall, the twenty twenty five recipient of the James King Memorial Scholarship from the Haunted Attraction Association.

41:38 I'm deeply honored and grateful for this amazing opportunity and I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Haunted Attraction Association for helping me through my education at a four year institution studying criminology and achieve my academic goals. Thank you so much. Oh wow, my name is Harrison Gentleman, and I would like to say thank you to the Haunted Attraction Association for granted me the scholarship. I would like to give a special thank you to Terry Bersin for allowing me to work alongside her down at the USS Nightmare during the Haunted season. I'm looking forward to taking these lessons that I learned while shadowing her into my future career in the business. I look forward to using the scholarship to further my education at the next level. Thank you, Harrison Gamble.

42:24 All right, Yeah, I've had several discussions about the attractions industry and there's a concern that it's aging out, but this is proof that it's not. There are some great people who are continuing to recognize the fun that we can have and the impact we can make in the Hunted Attraction Association. So very excited. So now let's move on to our special Recognition awards. I'm so happy I get to announce this one because I've been a friend of this gentleman. For many, many years. Our next Special Recognition Award goes to TJ Manorino. Yeah so.

43:06 TJ spent twenty nine years at Universal Orlando Resort, with the last eight as vice president of Art and Design. During his tenure, he led a team of artists scenic and costume designers, creative and concept developers, and show producers who delivered some of the industry's most compelling live entertainment experiences, including now Get This List, The Jimmy Fallon Ride through New York, grand opening with the cast of The Today Show and The Tonight Show, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Illuminations, The Secret Life of Pet's Parade Float Experience, The Superstar Parade Grinchmiss Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's Marty Grass, and, of course, Halloween Horrnites, which earned fifteen Best Halloween Event Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today, so many that the category was eventually retired. The Travel Channel has spotlighted TJ's work in their documentary The Art of the Scare. His leadership helped shape Halloween Hornites into one of the world's.

44:06 Most acclaimed Halloween attractions. Ladies and gentlemen, Please welcome to the stage someone I am so happy to call a friend of mine. DJ. Please come come on up and accept your reward congratulation. Oh this is cool. Well, first of all, I just want to say thank you for the amazing amount of work that all of us, not only in this industry, but definitely back home with the teams do to make not only Halloween successful but also something everybody strives to want to be a part of.

44:57 Come visit and actually see how it actually evolves and changes. But I do want to put some special thank yous to first of all, trans World. I'm gonna go back in time a little bit talk about something, and then this is where I'm want to date. Now, me and Scott when again a small group of us used to get together in a cold place called Chicago. It's kind of cold down here too for us Florida people. And it was interesting because at that time, industry was kind of just starting to grow, get up on his feet, and it was an interesting perspective across the different community. At that time, it was all about who keep things secret, Let's don't deal with our competitors, and me and Scott were actually competitors. Scott was working for Busch Gardens Hollowscreen, a wonderful attraction that was really next door to us.

45:46 We were also starting to grow and expand, and I remember that year we were in Transworld, people were having this dialogue off to the side because guess what, Bush Gardens and Universal were sitting down having drinks. Now that had to be Bush products, but that was still okay, yeah, okay, But it was something that we loved, that sense of camaraderie, communication, collaboration that we felt not only made us strong competitors but also made us better as collaborators. And I think strans World built that built that network of how to set up a chance for all of us to get together in one place to talk to each other and actually grow, not only grow us, but grow the community. Well, then next I thank you goes to HAA to be able to recognize that and say, you know what, we need to have an association. We need to start a group of people so we together can actually learn from each other, grow, expand inspire. There's so much about this not only work that gets done here, but happens afterwards again for us that most people think, oh, you guys have everything and do everything. We come here because we get so much inspiration from all of you. What you're doing, how you're doing it. Home Haunters thirty five years of home haunting. My god, amazing. You know what, all the stuff we saw from vendors creating new product to new things again This is what makes this industry amazing and successful and also inspiring. The last part that I want

47:17 to thank you is what you give me. You give me the opportunity to give back again. I think part of that is my job not only is to do what we do every day in this industry, but it's also is to tell the next generation to say, you too can be successful, You two can be creative, you can do have a career in this job in this world. Excuse me, because to me, that is the thing that people never recognized twenty thirty years ago when we started, they didn't say, what do you mean? First of all, I get a place that you guys want to hang out together. That's cool. There's kind of a hud hundred house that you do. That's kind of a hobby. I always thought it was going to be a hobby. Did I ever know that thirty five years later, there's a career for me again. I'm able to talk to people and give them opportunities and jobs to work in this industry and again change and actually build things that you haven't seen before. You know, things that Horror has never accomplished before. Has all been because this community is so strong keeps crawling and keeps being better. So I say thank you. I appreciate you all, and thank you so much.

48:15 So I'm not sure, but I think TJ just said that he and I were dating. I don't know that's what he said. I heard it. I don't news to me. Okay. So so other than that surprise, we have another new surprise coming up here. This is actually not. Not an announced part of the program, but we're going to do it anyway because I've got the microphone. Next up, this award is a complete surprise. The OSCARS Awards honors outstanding service in our industry, and this individual's contributions are it's so vast that the board created a brand new category for it.

49:03 This is the Spirit of Leadership Award. So the first ever Spirit of Leadership Award. Is for outgoing President Spencer Terry. Surprise. Now, truth be told, Each and every one of us could come up here and do our own testimony, but we've got a video, so let's see what other folks said about Spencer. Tonight, we honor Spencer Terry's incredible impact on the Haunted Attraction Association, as well as its leadership.

49:45 And commitment to our industry's growth and success. I've never heard for drive, but one of the things that Spencer has done for me is focus. And it's easy to focus on yourself. Spencer has really done an amazing job of helping me to focus on others and focus on what's good for the industry. And an amazing person. Spence, I love you and congratulations Spencer. Congratulations on all your successes. Very few leaders have the ability to lift up and raise everyone around them, not only that, but elevate an entire industry. It's been an honor for the last several years to follow your lead. Congratulations man, Spencer.

50:28 I just wanted to take a second and tell you how much I've enjoyed working with you on the Hunter Distruction Association for the last several years. Your leadership has been an inspiration not only to me, but I know to everyone that has served under you. It has been an honor working with you, sir, and looking forward to working with you some more in the future on other things. Holy cow, Spencer, you are truly amazing. What an amazing leader for all of our industry. You taught me the phrase, and you may not have created it, but you have mentioned it so many times that at sticks in my brain when the tide comes in, all ships rise. You're an amazing leader and we are so grateful as an industry to have you. Plus that beard looks really awesome.

51:17 To introduce Spencer, please welcome to the stage. Incoming HA President Jim Werner. It is so hard to follow up that level of Wow, You're amazing. But the truth of the matter is is that Spencer for our industry, for our amazing industry full of amazing people, is a force. Spencer brings a NonStop attitude of positivity and can. There is no can not, there is no do not. It is ken, we will, we shall, we can. Spencer has been an absolute inspiration to so many, including myself, and I have to be honest, I've been doing this job for two days now and I could not be I know right strap in two days now and I have to tell you this without a doubt in my heart, that I have never been more humbled and honored to fill a bigger pair of shoes. Spencer, come on up, please.

52:24 This is quite an undertake. I really had no idea. Well done, Well done to all of you. Thank you. I think that's really it. I love this industry. I love you. The goal I think our goal of this industry is to make change and to make decisions that are better for the next genera. You should so we do so. Thank you.

53:21 Wow. So we are now at the final award of tonight. This award. Recognizes those who have, as the name suggested suggests, have contributed a lifetime to this industry. This is, of course, the Lifetime Achievement Award. This is the highest honor that the AHAA bestows upon anyone. And this year, the twenty twenty five Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Timothy Goavinski. And in order to share with you a little bit more about Timothy's amazing accomplishments, please welcome to the stage, Joe Taylor.

54:26 Thank you so much, sir, Thank you. Yeah. I have to do this right. Look at the size of Tim. If my voice quivers, you'll understand why. When I was asked to say a few words about my friend Tim Kevinsky, I felt very honored. In the past, I've given out the sword many times, but to no one.

55:09 More deserving than Tim. I first met Tim through a mutual friend, Bob Turner. Bob had called me many many years ago, and he said he wanted to run his event with our Halloween and Horn show. At that time, it was run in Chicago, and he explained his event. He said he did a networking event and in that networking event, he had called it I believe it was the Crazy Bob Social and he explained it to me and said he'd like to be able to do it within our Halloween show. I said, I'd like you to be there too, except that we have no room. So I said to him, there's a Hiatt hotel next door, and I know it has a ballroom on the first floor. Let me call and.

56:10 See if the space is available. So I called him back and I said it's available, and he said, well, I appreciate your effort, Joe, but I don't think I can afford the Hiat. So I said to him, don't worry about it. Trans World will pay for it. I think it will benefit both groups, and I want to be able to run the events concurrently. That was in the year two thousand and two. At that event, he introduced me to Tim Kavinski and at that time we started to make history together. I remember when he was first elected president of this association. I was very proud of him, and immediate he started to decide that he needed new members, and when Tim wants to do something, he gets the job done. After that, he also wanted to be able to make sure that the existing members had a strong resource and in time all his desires and wants for the association came about.

57:28 He worked very closely with a guy named Phil Slaggert I believe, and Brett Bertolini, and what they did is they took a regional safety program I believe that was in Pennsylvania, and they turned it into a strong industry safety program, which I think all of us know is chaos today. And Tim went a little bit further and started to have some programs at the trans World show where the people involved in chaos could also take classes and be able to get points that led to completion of the program. I was very pleased that Tim was working in such a manner to make everything work right.

58:33 But he didn't stop there. He worked with Bob Turner and Tim's board of directors at that time, and they came up with something called the Oscars, And back then it wasn't the type of show today with as good as speakers as we have. It was a little bit more crew, but nothing starts at the top, and if it wasn't for people like Tim, we probably wouldn't be in a room like this talking the way we were.

59:16 I also had a great deal of respect for Tim because he always seemed to give back. I would always see him at night in the hotels talking to young people who wanted to start their own HAUNT, and he was very careful with them because he knew that they were young and probably didn't have all the knowledge everybody else had, but he would tell them one very good piece of advice about their haunt. He would say, if you want to build a successful hornt, you have to think of it as a business first and scare second.

59:59 And if you do that, you will end up with a business that's going to grow in an industry that will follow. I was always pleased to be Tim's friend because he was very innovative, and through the years he was always a very very good friend of trans World exhibits. He was a longtime speaker at our seminars. He always participated in our roundtables and would stand on stage and help new buyers who never went to the show before how to walk the show. Because it can be very intimidating.

1:00:51 He spent a lot of time also on our buyer board, and we appreciated that effort. But what I enjoyed most were my phone calls to him, because when we got on the phone, Tim would always say, what do you need done? And how fast you need it done? And when Tim says he's going to do something, it happens. And speaking from trans world, I want to thank him for all the hard work and all the years of service that he gave to us. Tim's big passion is the love of Halloween and the love of horn. But I think he will always be remembered for how hard he worked and how successful he made so many people because they were allowed to stand on Tim Kevin's shoulders.

1:02:02 It's interesting how things can come full circle. When Tim was president of the Association, he had given out the very first Lifetime Achievement Award to Lance Pope, and now we have the opportunity to be able to give him his well deserved Lifetime Achievement Award. Ladies and gentlemen, my friend and yours Tim Kavinski, sit down.

1:03:07 Emaculation, Thank you. It's a nice sing y'all. All right, where's the photo. Op. No, that's like my favorite song. First question, who thought giving me a microphone after a seven and seven was a good idea? For those who don't know, there's a bunch of people in this room thinking, oh oh, but where Spencer Terry, Congratulations, congratulations for being after TJ instead of me. Seriously, TJ, I've got a wizard. I'm over there freaking out. My wife goes, he's really good. I said, thanks, one of my chopliver, were you at TJ? How you doing? Bud?

1:04:19 I remember you and me in Detroit. Whoo? So I said, how are you gonna break the ice? Because I'm a little nervous. Tell a joke. So I saw three haunters sitting in a bar. Well, you know that's a lie. He's never seen three haunters alone in a bar. Feel free to use that one. People stole my shit for years, all right, So really, I'll be serious. I've off. Have you heard I wrote a book and uh. When I left the industry six years ago, I closed that part of my journey and I never thought I was coming back. Then I got a call from Jen Taylor Bianco, tim you gotta come, you gotta come, transfer and release your book. No think about it. No, Tim, please come to transfer. Release your book. Jen. It's eighty two in Florida, it's like thirty two in Saint Louis. No, bring Billy with you, Jen, Billy's in Costa Rica. That's even better than Florida. No think about it. So I thought about it.

1:05:55 I called Billy, if you know Billy, Billy, I want to go in trans worl Well. Someone else knows, Billy. You're gonna buy Bear? Is that a question, Billy? So I called Jen back and I said Jen, we're coming to Transworld. And if you know Jen, Jen said yes. So we did that for Jen. But Jen doesn't know why I really came back to Transworld. And here comes the twist, Amory. I've known Jen for many years, and unless you're one of the old timers in here, you don't know that fifteen years ago this show was almost no more. Joe am I correct, Rene am I correct.

1:06:54 If it was not for Jen Taylor, all of our happy faces would be outside tapping on glass. Jen never lets anyone think her. Welcome to my world, Jen, Amory, if you would be so kind, For the past four days, I have been getting everyone in the industry to sign a thank you card for jen failure. Bianco, so put your heads together and get your asses out of those seats.

1:07:34 There's no trans world without Jen. He didn't know, all right, so down. They only gave me ninety seconds. But then I thought about it. I didn't have a video. Another ninety seconds. I'm following TJ another ninety seconds. I was the president of the association. You guys are smart, You're catching on.

1:08:18 I gave the first Lifetime Achievement award to Sue Pope for her son Lance. And there's the Travania table right there. Funny funny stories. I highly recommend buy Michael and my buddy bart drinks. They able to make you die laughing. And where's allan hops even funnier stories. All right, I'm not gonna take all that time. Let's see pick on the association. Check.

1:09:00 Be nice to Jen. Check acknowledge the old guys in the room. Check check check. This is going well, by the way, Scott. Scott's an old guy too, So Jim Mourner, mister, two days, where are you at all? Right? You missed somebody on your inmemoriam and you let it get by you truly did lose an industry legend this year. His name was Steve Copleman, and we didn't have to agree with each other, and he and I often did not, but he changed this industry for sure. So if you could just put your hands together for Steve, thank you.

1:09:59 Joe. I don't know where good little Jewish boys go, but wherever he is right now, he's losing it because I said good things about him. True story. I didn't have notes, then I had notes, then TJ came up, and I don't have notes. So I will tell you about my first trans world went to it. Never thought about getting this, thought about getting a corridor corpses. Yes, I'm like, well she let me buy it. Well, she let me buy it, She let me buy it. I met a bunch of really cool people somewhere in here tonight, Bill CHRISTIONI almost made it, and they gave me really great advice. Get Pepper's Ghost. Don't know what one is, but I'm gonna get it and get a MySpace page. I had ten thousand friends, ten thousand friends on MySpace, and they're like, Timmer, that's old, get a Facebook. I'm like, no way, I got ten thousand friends, not the brightest ball up right, here are people, So that sums up my career. I don't know how the hell I got up here. Oh yeah, I do, because I married the smartest girl in the room, Amory.

1:11:23 I hope you have a great show. I'll see you in another six years. Unless you ask me to come back, Jen, I will do it for you. Thank you all. It's been a hell of a ride. I'm out onward. Gratulations. What's the fat guy fall down? Care collapsing onto the floor? Another ninety seconds?

1:12:06 All right? We have honored the best of the best tonight, and like a true family, we have laughed, we have cried, and most importantly, we have screamed for one another. So I would like to thank all of you for being here. Before I say good night and close things off once again, I would like to thank Froggy's Fog, the Hearted Attraction Network, and everyone who contributed to the swag bags. Give them one more round of applause. Please, you see the importance of this event. You've seen it tonight. Please make nominations for next year's Oscares. The nominations are open, so please nominate those people who you've seen in this industry, who have done amazing things, all right, don't hesitate amazing things?

1:12:53 Yes, indeed. And finally, I would like to remind all of the winners to please meet outside for one final gigantic altogether photograph. And I understand there's also a winner of a SA the scholarship, one of the scholarship here tonight who was not in the video. Please join them as well. You are not only welcome, but encouraged to be there and on behalf of the Haunted Attraction Association, on behalf of trans World, without whom we would not be here, on behalf of all of the winners, and each and every one of you who are here to support them. Thank you so much. This has been the Oscares. We will see you next year.

1:13:37 Today's episode was edited by me Philip Hernandez, with post production by David Swape and original music composed by Chris Thomas. Support for today's episode comes from Gantum Lightning and Controls. Gantum illuminates attractions worldwide with the world's smallest intelligent spotlights. From Dark Hour to nether World, super Mario Land to Hagrid's Bike, Gantum goes where other fixtures can't see what you're missing the free demo sign up at gantum dot com slash demo. That's scantum dot com slash demo. The h A N Team includes Darryl Plunky, Emily Luis Rua, Megan Spells, Gavin Burns and Omniadventures. Until next time, stay scary.

1:14:17 This is a Haunted Attraction Network production