WEBVTT
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Live from transorlts Halloween Attraction Show, the twenty twenty sixth
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State of the Haunted Attraction Industry that's coming up on
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today's show.
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Welcome to the show.
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I'm Philip on the Haunted Attraction Network podcast. We bring
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you the news and information that you need to prepare
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for Halloween. The best way to follow along with everything
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in the industry is via our weekly industry newsletter. It
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comes out every Monday. It's entirely free and it covers
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all of the news that you need to know about
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the industry. You can sign up for that via the
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link in the show notes or on our website at
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Haunted Attraction Network dot com. Today, I'm giving you the live,
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unedited version of the twenty twenty six State of the
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Industry presentation given during transforlt's Halloween Attraction Show. This is
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a yearly presentation presented by the Haunt a Trash Association
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Board of Directors, and today's presentation was led by Jim Werner. So,
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without further ado, here's the presentation. Again, this is full
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and un edited, so you're going to hear the entire presentation.
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There were some questions that were asked off Mike, but
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the questions were summarized, and we got a mic running
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later in the show, so you'll hear those questions as
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they come in later.
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Enjoy more grateful to see how full this room is,
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how incredible that we have an industry that's willing to
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wake up after what I'm sure was a pretty hard
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Thursday night. So thank you guys so much for coming.
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This is our twenty twenty six State of the Industry presentation,
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presented by the Haunted Attraction Association. Thank you for coming.
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If you didn't get your coffee yet, please go get coffee.
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Our incredible sponsors, Still Beast took care of that for us,
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so they love you and they want you to love
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the coffee. So thank you. Yes, thank you. So let's
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get rolling because the most important part of this is
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the end, where we open it up and just take
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questions from everybody on everything, and that's my favorite part.
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So I want to get there as quick as we can.
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Good morning, Good morning, and welcome to a cold day
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in Saint Louis. My name is Jim Werner, and I
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will be serving as your host for the next hour.
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I will be kind of keeping things on track and
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in line, so thank you. For allowing me to do so.
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I'd like to start with this very important part of
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our state of the industry, and that is our industry
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is strong, Our industry is growing, our industry is evolving,
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and as it stands today, our industry is in a
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very strong place. We're seeing innovation, growth and some of
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the most creative work the industry has ever produced. The
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show floor is a testament to that. I don't know
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if you guys have noticed, but past COVID the big
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giant facade type structures, you know, they kin kind of
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a little not this year, My god, It's like walking
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through an amusement park down there. Everybody brought their a game,
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every booth, in every location, and it shows that that
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incredible innovation. Now, having said that, we do have to
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recognize that there are some potentially dark clouds on our horizon.
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We have things like economic unstability and uncertainty, insurance pressures,
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global instability, war, civil unrest, and these are real factors.
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We operate businesses. We operate something that is driven with
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the expendable part of your average customer's income. So for us,
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these factors hit hard. Gas prices hit hard, and it's
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only through our own awareness and our own steadfast dedication
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to performing the best that we can that we can
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truly weather these type of storms. But that's what defines
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this industry. We don't react, we adapt, we evolve, and
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we are constantly pushing forward and in that idea, we
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are strong enough to weather any storm that is ever
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on our horizon. I'd like to take a moment now
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to introduce the Haunted Attraction Association Board. These are your
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representatives at the Haunted Attraction Association. They are here for you,
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They are here for our members, but they are here
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for the industry and that means everyone in this room.
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These people have dedicated their time without any compensation, to
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the pursuit of the betterment of our industry, very selflessly,
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without any I mean most of them completely ignore what's
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in their best interest to put in more time to
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do great things for the people in this room and
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the greater industry. So at this time, we're going to
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start over here. And mister, do we have a mic yet? Okay? Oh,
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we started on that side. Sorry, Now we're going to
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try to make this work and then we need to
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go under. Sorry, just a little tech problem. You guys
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are familiar with that right, guys. It's five thirty Friday night,
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September twenty ninth. Things are gonna.
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Break check one too.
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I can yell it.
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Brett Mollingterer Fort Wayne, Indiana, Hysterium, Hunted Asylum.
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Travis Road, Reapers Revenge in Scranton, Pennsylvania. My gosh, I'm
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trying my best here.
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Aaron Smith, Nile's Screen Park in Niles, Michigan.
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I guess I'll set the trend so everybody can see
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Dale Little or a Haunted House Illinois, More Pure Illinois.
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Todd Patten, tread Hollow, Tennessee.
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Lee, Jordan Winfield, West Virginia, Fear on the.
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Farm, Ashley Long Fright, Night's West Virginia.
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Anthony Barbosa, Nightmare Acre, South Windsor, Connecticut.
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Some Wins, Peggy McLaurin was the Terror Greensboro, North.
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Carolina, Rob Winfield, Run At Virginia, Brittany.
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Hummel's Cinema of Whores, Kelso Washington.
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Bart Butler Erie, Colorado, Tear in the Corn.
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And I'd now like to introduce your executive board for
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twenty twenty six. Well, they're going to introduce themselves.
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I'm not doing it, shyey mudget fear PDX Portland organ.
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Treasure Mike Quell from Feartown Haunted House and Factory at
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Taror Houtted House, both in Massachusetts.
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And I'm the vice president, Ben Gane from Thirteenth Hour
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in Indianapolis as well as Scare Supply in Indianapolis. President
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that one, you can.
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Keep it, keep it. And I'd also like to introduce
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who is not here today, and that is Christa Bauer,
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our secretary. She wasn't able to make it to Transworld
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this year to do some personal issues. We miss her dearly,
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but she is the one who keeps the notes. So
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we're doing our best up here. Oh and yeah, we
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don't have Ben here either. Ben Bates is also a
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new board member, not here today, but he is going
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to be a major major player on the board moving
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things forward for you. Sorry, I had it written, but
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they turned my page. I should be sorry, all right,
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So jumping in, We're gonna jump right into the meat
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and potatoes. And that is the biggest news that we have.
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The Haunted Attraction Association for years has operated on the
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under the idea that we are constantly trying to move
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forward and to organize that movement we have always fashioned
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it into what we call our strategic plans. The strategic
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plan is a culmination of information and data that is
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used to direct where we should be going and what
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we should be focusing on. This way, we're not just
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doing tangents. We're focusing on real things that have real
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impact to our industry. The strategic plan starts as a
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industry survey. We put out our industry survey this year
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in the end of December. We got a massive amount
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of response across the board. It was really a very
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successful data retrieval. We got questions answered from every size
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Haunt and also from every level of our Haunted community.
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We had makeup sections, we had sections focusing on actors,
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and of course we had our operational sectors and as well.
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This data was turned into a very conclusive plan for
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the next three years of the direction of our association.
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This plan wasn't built in a vacuum. Our board spent
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a large amount of time working, refining and making sure
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that this plan is something that not only looks good
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on paper, but is absolutely actionable. It will allow true
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positive change in our industry. Sorry, I changed playing. So
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the foundation of this plan is really three pillars, as
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you all know, promote, protect, and educate are the guiding
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principles of this association. It's our mission, it's what we do.
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The strategic plan breaks that down and allows us to
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focus on each one of those mission statements in a really,
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really great way. If you guys follow along. I do
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have the strategic plan up. I am going to surmise
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a lot because we have a lot to cover, but
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the complete strategic plan will be available via QR code
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at our booth. You could literally just say, hey, Jim,
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send it to me and I'll send it to you.
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But it is a good, very good plan. This year,
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we are very excited for this plan. So, as I said,
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the promotion of this plan is three pillars. Promote means
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we're elevating the visibility uponted attractions. We're going to start
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providing marketing tools and education and build stronger collaboration between haunts.
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It's a big part of our industry. We have to
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remember that we're no longer just competing against each other.
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We are competing against a mountain of alternative things to
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do during the fall season. There was a time when
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Haunted Houses was really the October activity. That time has passed,
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and it's very important that we recognize that as we
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move forward our protect mission, establish stronger safety standards across
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the industry, develop certification programs, and improve insurance positioning. This
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is crucial. You have to remember it's not so much
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that the insurance companies are fleeing, it's that we and
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our actions may be pushing some of them away. And
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there are great things that we can employ within our
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own industry and within our own attractions to make ourselves
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infinitely more attractive to the insurance market that will result
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in lower insurance payments as well as more consistent insurance coverage.
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And then educate, which is one of my personal favorite parts.
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Expanding our training and our year round education. We have
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a digital library of online classes that I'm very excited
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that in the next six months is going to triple
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in size, very very exciting. We're going to grow our
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safety Chaos program. Chaos is recognized as one of the
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most consistent and effective Haunt safety programs that you can
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engage in. I know we're still working on making sure
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that every inspector in the nation knows about us, but
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once they are aware of what we do and the
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training we're providing. They are very happy with the product
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and that's a big win, so we're hoping to very
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much expand that. And then we want to also remember
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that our industry is comprised of multiple levels. Actors and
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makeup artists have a lot of needs. They could benefit
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from strong safety and training programs, and who better than
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the Haunted Attraction Association to start providing those things on
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a more nationwide level as opposed to you can only
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get it one day a year. So we're very excited
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to start offering those sorts of courses and mixers to
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open that up. So this is a three year vision.
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This isn't we're going to do this in a month,
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and it's certainly we're not going to do it in
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ten years because it'll be done way before that. This
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is not a one year fix, so it's not a
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one year plan. This is structured as a three year rollout.
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Year one, on all three of these tenants, we will
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focus on the foundational items, building up everything that needs
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to be built up to make sure that each part
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of the plan is successful. The implementation is going to
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be year two. This is where we turn it all
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on and we start troubleshooting it, we make sure it
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works for you, and then finally we set our industry benchmarks.
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Yeah it works, Yeah it's up and people are using it,
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but how do we know it's actually effective. The after
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process of gathering data to make sure that what we're
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presenting and what we're doing for you is working is
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just important as the implementation itself, all right, And then
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of course there's a huge accountability and that is the
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onus of the entire board. We have to make sure
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that this plan is not just words on paper. These
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are actions. We're going to make sure we're reviewing all
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steps annually. We're going to provide industry surveys every year
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to get your feedback to make sure that we are
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on the right track and in the correct direction. We
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are going to make sure that our results are publicly reported, transparent,
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ready to see, ready to read, ready to understand. And
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then we're always going to be prepared to continuously adapt.
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Today's problems are not tomorrow's problems. We are prepared to
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change those for tomorrow. Gonna go through a little bit here,
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I can't see the thing, yep, yep. So once again,
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the industry plan, the strategic plan, is not a complicated document.
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It is not some book that it's going to require
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you to sit down and read for hours. In its
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current form, I think it's fourteen slides. What's that? It's
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fourteen slides. And the reason it's kept simple in its
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verbiage is because it needs to be understandable and executable.
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But it outlines exactly what we're doing. Our board members
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are going to spearhead individual Well, you know what, can
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you guys still see because I'm just gonna keep going
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trying to work the lights? Here is danger, but this
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guy did it? Do you work? Hey? All right, I
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know you guys are fine with the darkness. Come on,
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We're good. But once again, the strategic plan is built
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from the ground up to ensure the highest level of success.
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We want you guys to understand what we're doing, so
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we build it in a format that's easily to understand.
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But the other great part about our strategic plan is
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if you go through and you see something that A, Hey,
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that doesn't make sense, or it doesn't make sense to me,
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or b you know what would be really cool if
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they did this instead. The phone lines are open, the
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emails are open, the text message, the Facebook is open
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to the entire board. You can bring your suggestion directly
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to us. We can evaluate it if you have a
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better idea. Our doors are always open. We are always
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here for the best course of action. And I'm just
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going to keep blowing through because I gave quick summaries,
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but this is the long verbage, So I just want
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to go through it so you know it exists. It's
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available to you. Heck, we could even print you out
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a copy not today, and it is going to be
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on the website, and we can post this on the
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Facebook as well. That would be easy, all right. And
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this is where we are. We are here to listen.
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We have smart goals, very smart goals, and we're here
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to act. We're here to move this forward. And then
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when we add the accountability to you, the industry, and
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to ourselves, that's going to result in us being successful,
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all right. So that is our strategic plan. I highly
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encourage you guys to check out the minutia of it.
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It is. It is exciting. We put a lot, Kevin
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put a lot of work into it. Every we have
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a whole committee that's put a huge amount of work
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into it. But Kevin's a type Yeah, He's a monster.
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So thank you, Kevin, thank you my whole committee for
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working on it. It was it was a challenge for everybody,
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all right. So now we're going to get into a
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few of our industry challenges. This is where we discuss
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some topics that our board is already aware of, things
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that we know people are talking about, things we know
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that are on your radar. This is before I get
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into our first part of Q and A, which is
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the submitted questions. We put up a form to take
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some questions from the industry, and I have a few
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of those questions that we're going to address. But these
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are our These are our wow, that's a problem, talk
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about it type of things. So the first thing I
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want to address is bring to the again, second year
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in a row we're doing this is insurance. We need
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to talk about it because it's a pretty big elephant
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in the room. No matter what size haunted attraction you
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may find yourself in, insurance is a topic of consideration.
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It is a topic of concern for some. I don't
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even really need to pull the room, but I got
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to imagine, just by seeing headshake, insurance prices have gone up,
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Insurance coverage has gotten kind of weird where now they
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won't let you do this, but they used to, or
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you actually weren't supposed to do this, and they just
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let you know that you're not supposed to do that now,
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and then you know, I know, some people are having
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issues finding coverage, some people are having issues getting their
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coverage binded. Some folks are even getting their coverage dropped.
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That was a major, major thing last year. And I know,
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I know some people are like, well, I was covered
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by these people, but now I'm covered by these people,
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and my agent handled it. It's a very complicated, very
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complicated issue, and it's because our industry is emerging as
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a major industry. We're not a niche anymore. We're not
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this like small little thing that's off to the side.
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Our industry has grown exponentially. Our quality, the number of
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customers that we're seeing, our revenue almost universally has gone up.
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And in that we now as people that need insurance.
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That changes the attention given to us. So we've been
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experiencing things like rising premiums, carriers leaving the space, We've
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been experiencing increased scrutiny, and then for a lot of us,
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there's a lack of standardized documentation. How many people here
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can honestly say you know exactly what your insurance agent
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wants from you. I'm hoping it's some people I can,
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But do you see what I mean? I mean unless
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you guys just aren't raising your hands, which is messed up.
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But think about that that I have a room of
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industry professionals and across the board, and you know, everybody's like,
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oh no, no, I don't actually know what my insurance
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agent wants. I don't actually understand what my insurance agent does.
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How many people know what your insurance agent does other
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than just tell you you're covered? Okay, cool, A couple hands. Cool.
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We need to understand that when we're communicating with our
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insurance company, we are setting up a standard to say
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to these people that we are safe enough to take
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a risk on, that we are good enough at what
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we do to protect them from having to spend copious
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amounts of money on us. Now, if you are a
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small attraction, that's a very large ask. If you are
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a big attraction, it's still a pretty big ask. We
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find ourselves in a position where we don't have the
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idea of what they want from us. We don't know
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what to give them to make them feel more comfortable
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with us, and we are excited, at least on our
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side at the AHAA, that we're working very diligently on
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building that communication. So you can say, if I give
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this packet to my insurance agent, I understand it. To
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educate you guys to put out classes. Does anybody familiar
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with exclusions, because if you're not, and you handle your insurance,
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you're gonna be Exclusions are one of the biggest things
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about the insurance industry. Exclusions are where you suddenly find
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out that for the past eight years you were a
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touch on and you're not actually covered as a touch on.
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It's where you find out that one cool scene you
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have in your building would actually exclude you from being
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covered on your insurance if an incident were to happen.
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Exclusions are a big deal, and most people don't understand
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where they are in their policy, how to understand them,
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and more importantly, how to negotiate them. Most people think
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that when the insurance company says, oh, you can't do this,
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Oh I got to go out of business, I can't
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do this, there's room for conversation with that. So we
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need to make sure that as we're going for with
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the insurance industry. Is it scary, Yes, it is scary
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having this knowledge in the back of your head that
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you could get a letter saying that your insurance company's
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dropping you. That's terrifying. But what we're trying to profess
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here is that building up a strong insurance portfolio, protecting yourselves,
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having things outlined, saying that no, no, no insurance company.
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I know you're worried, but check out all this amazing
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stuff I do to protect my customers, to protect my staff.
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Having that stuff in place at the start of the
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conversation is always better than having it at the So
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someone fell down a flight of stairs conversation, Okay, you
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don't want to have that conversation, then it's before. So
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I'd like to open up to the board, and of
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course here for a few questions on insurance. If anyone
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has any questions or concerns or comments about insurance, We're
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just going to take a minute or two and I'm
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going to open up to my board to respond to
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you guys. Anybody yes.
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Or with.
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A really big work constantly that as coming off of
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the presidency, that was one of the most consistent things
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that I did as president last year was communicate with
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insurance companies, Communicate with different carriers, communicate with different levels
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of I'm he was asking what we are doing to
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help with the insurance and are we actively working towards them? Sorry,
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Dale's keeping me on track, And the truth is is yes,
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the board and specifically the executive board members work very
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diligently with the insurance companies to find out what they want.
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So that way, when an ha member comes up to
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us and says, hey, I have this situation, a lot
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of times we already have the answer and can point
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them to the insurance professional that may be able to
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assist them further. We've also worked very diligently with some
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insurance providers as the HAA to bring a new provider
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into the market. And this provider is a provider who
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could be a cornerstone for us going forward years. They
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are a very strong provider, but they don't understand our industry.
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So we're we're in this kind of honeymoon phase where
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we're learning each other. Because they are a strong provider,
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they wouldn't just leave us, but once again, they are
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learning us. They have to understand that we as an
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industry are basically say, I mean, let's be honest, the
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rate of falls and supermarkets is actually higher than the
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rate of falls and haunted houses, and we don't turn
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the lights on. So let's think about those ratios. You know.
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It's that knowledge that we need to start comparing ourselves
400
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to is that we are actually statistically very safe. But
401
00:23:41.720 --> 00:23:44.079
when things do go wrong, there's a lot of mitigating
402
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factors that drive up claims. Well, the lights were off.
403
00:23:47.319 --> 00:23:49.359
You shouldn't have the lights off. It's a haunted house.
404
00:23:49.640 --> 00:23:52.400
Well there was, there was fog. It's a haunted house.
405
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That's what they signed up for. So we can take
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steps like signage and waivers and making sure that we
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prove that the customer knew that they were taking on
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an assumption of liability. You know, those are important steps
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that we can integrate that protect us and help our
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insurance company have more faith in us. Any other questions, Yes, individual,
411
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The question is how important it is to have an
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individual waiver versus a kind of umbrella on the tickets
413
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and the ticketing process. Does anybody up here want to
414
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jump in oka? Hello?
415
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Yes, So last year I actually switch carriers because the
416
00:24:36.519 --> 00:24:38.519
car I was using no longer served the industry in
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the way that they were. My new insurance provider required
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me to add a waiver, and I had individual waivers
419
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for every customer. They either signed it when they bought
420
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the ticket. The trick is usually one person buys tickets
421
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for many people, so we also had a link when
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they got there that people that didn't sign at that
423
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point could also sign up. An individual waivers per customer
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was a requirement of my insurance policy. There was no
425
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I could not get covered without it. We're not a
426
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touch hunt. We don't have you know stairs, It's just
427
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there was a requirement of the new insurance. We never
428
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had a claim, just it came with the policy. So yes,
429
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everyone having their own policy, our own waiver was a
430
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requirement for us.
431
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Yes. The question is is how much did the addition
432
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of these in person waivers slow down your throughput?
433
00:25:38.400 --> 00:25:41.279
So the first weekend it was pretty rough. We tried
434
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to integrate it in our ticketing system in a way
435
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that it sent when the customer purchased a ticket, they
436
00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:48.799
had to put everyone's email that was coming with them
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in and that was very slow. People weren't checking out
438
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because it took too many steps. By the time they
439
00:25:55.200 --> 00:25:58.000
came back, the car was expired, et cetera. So we
440
00:25:58.039 --> 00:26:01.400
switched to the person gets the email it says, hey, exactly,
441
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this is what needs to happen. And then when they
442
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show up, we have signs every five feet in the
443
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queue line that say have you signed your waiver? Have
444
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you signed your waiver? And then when they come to
445
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the point of scanning, it verifies that at least the owner,
446
00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:14.319
the person who purchased the tickets, has signed that waiver,
447
00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:16.519
and then we can check other peoples on their phone.
448
00:26:16.759 --> 00:26:19.400
So it was it was we had to kind of
449
00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:23.039
implement it differently depending you know, as we figured it out,
450
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but it didn't slow us down once we were good
451
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to go. The trick is don't check your waiver right
452
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before they go in. Give yourself, you know, a buffer.
453
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Question in the ring exactly.
454
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It's it's hard to say because we didn't have a
455
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claim against it. I will say a lot of people
456
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and I think some people have. There is still a risk.
457
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The waiver doesn't just say like you can do whatever
458
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you want. You know, there's they can still crafty. I
459
00:26:53.960 --> 00:26:56.559
think it sets a tone with the customer of like, hey,
460
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you're you're taking this risk. You're now signing to agree
461
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to this risk. Put signs all you want, but now
462
00:27:01.359 --> 00:27:03.839
they're actually like having to go through, sign their name,
463
00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:08.079
press the button. The most hilarious part is people would
464
00:27:08.079 --> 00:27:09.200
come up to me while I was in the Q
465
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line era, what's happening in there that I need to
466
00:27:11.200 --> 00:27:13.079
sign a waiver, thinking we were going to like, I
467
00:27:13.079 --> 00:27:17.000
don't know, like water boredom or something. So it actually like, God,
468
00:27:17.000 --> 00:27:18.680
I'm really nervous going in. I was like, no, it's
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just a requirement of our of our insurance.
470
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In addition to that, we actually do have a subject
471
00:27:27.039 --> 00:27:30.480
matter expert in the room. So the question too, I'm
472
00:27:30.480 --> 00:27:34.039
going to point to Kim errors do waivers actually make
473
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a difference. The answer was absolutely, and that is from
474
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one of our industry insurance professionals. So that's right from
475
00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:54.079
right from the up. And we're gonna move over here now. Uh.
476
00:27:54.079 --> 00:27:57.920
The question was formatting waivers and do you have waivers
477
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for guardians to sign for you under eighteen? And anybody
478
00:28:03.119 --> 00:28:04.839
else wants to jump on it, but I mean that's
479
00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:06.799
a pretty easy one. Yes.
480
00:28:08.480 --> 00:28:12.200
So the insurance the underwriter I have actually has a
481
00:28:12.279 --> 00:28:15.480
deal with a waiver company that I get free waiver services,
482
00:28:15.480 --> 00:28:19.480
which is great, but there is a option to essentially
483
00:28:19.559 --> 00:28:21.799
say I am a parent and then they list their
484
00:28:22.039 --> 00:28:25.559
people under eighteen. The only tricky part is parents not there.
485
00:28:26.119 --> 00:28:29.160
Kids are there, so then they have to sign it
486
00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:31.720
and send it to the kid to then get the approval.
487
00:28:31.759 --> 00:28:37.200
But yeah, good, very good, and then I will take
488
00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:46.640
one more on the insurance up front. Here, Oh, I
489
00:28:46.680 --> 00:28:50.119
guarantee it. I guarantee that's an exclusion. I've seen that
490
00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:57.559
exclusion about about ADA violations. Yeah, so the question was,
491
00:28:57.680 --> 00:29:01.200
are there are they burying stuff in the inclusions and team,
492
00:29:01.279 --> 00:29:03.200
I'm here to tell you, if you're not reading your
493
00:29:03.240 --> 00:29:07.039
exclusion section, you might as well just not have insurance.
494
00:29:07.400 --> 00:29:10.400
It's they some of the things that they will exclude
495
00:29:10.480 --> 00:29:13.359
on that first run through in an effort to protect themselves,
496
00:29:13.759 --> 00:29:18.480
will destroy you. So read the exclusion section, understand them,
497
00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:21.960
look them up, ask your agents who explain them in detail,
498
00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:23.720
what exactly this means and what are the limits on
499
00:29:23.759 --> 00:29:25.880
that exclusion. I'll take one more and then we're gonna
500
00:29:25.920 --> 00:29:29.240
jump over comment turning I've done.
501
00:29:31.880 --> 00:29:36.160
It's best to do a waiver like walking into a side.
502
00:29:36.599 --> 00:29:45.480
It always makes a differences.
503
00:29:41.440 --> 00:29:46.200
Are brought, but their chances of recovering on that is
504
00:29:46.240 --> 00:29:46.880
a little less.
505
00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:51.200
The other thing it does is discourages people from bringing lawsuits.
506
00:29:51.480 --> 00:29:54.119
They realize that I have waves and they said, yeah,
507
00:29:54.119 --> 00:29:54.799
I know it's.
508
00:29:54.640 --> 00:30:00.759
Gonna something, So slows it down with that.
509
00:30:02.759 --> 00:30:05.559
Yeah, and a little bit helps everything else.
510
00:30:05.880 --> 00:30:07.799
Yeah, and that and that's the point that was made
511
00:30:07.839 --> 00:30:11.799
here that the waivers help. They are a layer. And51200:30:11.799 --> 00:30:14.519
and to truly build yourself into an attraction that is51300:30:14.559 --> 00:30:18.319
protected from litigation, you need layers. You need lots of layers,51400:30:18.480 --> 00:30:23.440
and layers like strong SOPs and documentation, having documented staff,51500:30:23.480 --> 00:30:26.000
training and certifying your own people that they are they're51600:30:26.079 --> 00:30:28.599
trained to do what they're supposed to be doing. Having51700:30:28.680 --> 00:30:32.079
an existing incident reporting system so when something happens, you51800:30:32.119 --> 00:30:34.799
have documentation, and that can get deep. That can get51900:30:34.839 --> 00:30:39.680
real deep. Having proactive risk management. I'm sure everybody does52000:30:39.720 --> 00:30:42.240
a safety check before you open your haunts. Do you52100:30:42.279 --> 00:30:45.079
do multiple by multiple people? Do you have safety checks52200:30:45.119 --> 00:30:47.799
happening mid show? How do you respond when there's a52300:30:47.880 --> 00:30:50.880
minor incident? Do you recheck everything or just recheck that area?52400:30:51.079 --> 00:30:54.880
All that needs to be defined. And then remember that52500:30:55.359 --> 00:30:58.680
we as an industry need to show that we are52600:30:58.720 --> 00:31:01.519
a professional industry to the carriers. We need to put52700:31:01.519 --> 00:31:05.039
our best foot forward, our best face forward, to prove52800:31:05.480 --> 00:31:08.880
that we are an industry that is worth their interaction with.52900:31:09.000 --> 00:31:11.880
That'll get more carriers into the space, and that'll have53000:31:11.960 --> 00:31:14.200
them more confident, which in the end, if we're having53100:31:14.279 --> 00:31:17.799
less claims overall, prices will eventually level out. I don't53200:31:17.799 --> 00:31:19.839
think prices will ever go down, that's not how it works,53300:31:20.039 --> 00:31:23.519
but they might level out, which is that's a win. Okay,53400:31:24.039 --> 00:31:26.119
all right, So we are going to move forward to53500:31:26.160 --> 00:31:30.799
our next topic, and that is yes, oh yes, Kim,53600:31:35.359 --> 00:31:39.720
I see yeah. And Kim's letting us know that yet53700:31:39.720 --> 00:31:43.160
another carrier is exiting the market, so be aware. You53800:31:43.200 --> 00:31:44.960
might want to call your agent and just say, hey,53900:31:45.440 --> 00:31:48.960
we good. Anything you want to tell me, Bud, I54000:31:48.960 --> 00:31:50.480
know I haven't talked to you in six months, but54100:31:50.559 --> 00:31:55.839
anything new? How are you doing? Thank you, Kim? All right,54200:31:55.880 --> 00:31:58.119
So our next topic, and this is once again industry54300:31:58.200 --> 00:32:01.880
level stuff, is AI in our industry. We have spoken54400:32:01.920 --> 00:32:06.799
in length about AI at previous industry events, and the54500:32:06.880 --> 00:32:09.559
truth is is that AI is becoming a much more54600:32:09.559 --> 00:32:14.480
heated topic. The reality of the situation is that AI exists.54700:32:14.559 --> 00:32:18.000
It's already here. It's out of the box and it's here.54800:32:18.039 --> 00:32:20.079
There's no putting it away. There's no saying, oh, we're54900:32:20.119 --> 00:32:21.920
just going to stop using it. That's not how this works,55000:32:21.960 --> 00:32:24.359
and we all know deep down that's not how this works.55100:32:25.160 --> 00:32:27.880
It's not going away. It has been too impactful and55200:32:27.920 --> 00:32:29.759
too many fields for it to just be packed up55300:32:29.759 --> 00:32:32.920
and put away. There are some pros to AI, and55400:32:33.640 --> 00:32:36.160
everybody has different views on it, but the truth is55500:32:36.160 --> 00:32:40.880
is in things like marketing, creation, cost reduction, idea generation,55600:32:41.079 --> 00:32:43.160
using it as a think tank to help bounce ideas55700:32:43.160 --> 00:32:47.200
off of these are uses where AI has shined. But55800:32:47.279 --> 00:32:50.559
the truth on the cons is it is a legitimate55900:32:50.640 --> 00:32:53.720
threat to artists. It is a legitimate threat to several56000:32:53.759 --> 00:32:58.960
fields of business. As we've seen it results the use56100:32:59.000 --> 00:33:01.279
of AI. Most people can spotted instantly because there's a56200:33:01.319 --> 00:33:04.960
loss of originality. You can spot that AI is generating something.56300:33:04.960 --> 00:33:07.079
It just has a feel and a look. And then56400:33:07.119 --> 00:33:10.160
of course there's ethical concerns to it. What happens when56500:33:10.200 --> 00:33:13.799
we remove creativity from the human responsibility and make it56600:33:13.799 --> 00:33:16.640
a machine's responsibility. There's there's an ethical dilemma with that.56700:33:18.039 --> 00:33:21.119
Humans have got to where we are by being kind56800:33:21.119 --> 00:33:22.880
of crazy. Haunters would not be where they are if56900:33:22.920 --> 00:33:24.799
they weren't as creative as they are. And now a57000:33:24.839 --> 00:33:27.880
lot of people are being like, hey, AI, should I57100:33:27.920 --> 00:33:30.599
do that? And then it's they're doing what it says57200:33:30.599 --> 00:33:32.759
and it's like, oh man, but your other idea was57300:33:32.759 --> 00:33:36.279
so much better. So one thing that we wanted to57400:33:36.359 --> 00:33:39.759
convey is a message to our artists out there are creatives.57500:33:40.839 --> 00:33:43.640
This is not the end of art or artists. AI57600:33:43.759 --> 00:33:46.079
is not going to end that. There will always be57700:33:46.119 --> 00:33:50.720
a place for artists and creatives. Truthfully, this is the57800:33:50.759 --> 00:33:56.079
moment artists become more valuable if they evolve. So how57900:33:56.160 --> 00:33:58.680
how does an artist? How does an artist evolve against58000:33:58.720 --> 00:34:02.559
AI taking their job, taking their photos, doing their work.58100:34:03.400 --> 00:34:06.079
Let's remember that as artists who are who are in58200:34:06.160 --> 00:34:11.760
the job of producing art, professionalism matters. Some people out58300:34:11.760 --> 00:34:13.800
there wouldn't want to work with AI if they had58400:34:13.800 --> 00:34:16.599
a really easy artist to work with, a really great58500:34:16.679 --> 00:34:20.960
producer to work with. Let's remember that only you are58600:34:21.119 --> 00:34:24.840
artists can produce unique style and voice. AI can only58700:34:24.880 --> 00:34:27.920
produce what it already knows. You, guys, are the ones58800:34:27.920 --> 00:34:32.679
who generate the truly unique and interesting things. Let's remember58900:34:32.760 --> 00:34:36.400
that AI can mess up constantly, but if you're professional59000:34:36.440 --> 00:34:41.239
and reliable, that puts you well ahead of a general59100:34:41.280 --> 00:34:45.320
prompt that makes you worth paying because you're giving exactly59200:34:45.360 --> 00:34:50.320
what they want. You're hearing and producing. Clients love relationships,59300:34:50.880 --> 00:34:54.079
Vendors love talking to people. That's a big part of59400:34:54.079 --> 00:34:58.519
our entire industry. We lose that, we lose an integral59500:34:58.599 --> 00:35:01.960
part of what makes our industry. You're so special. And59600:35:02.000 --> 00:35:06.000
then let's remember there's real world execution. It doesn't matter59700:35:06.000 --> 00:35:09.559
how good that AI can design a set, you still59800:35:09.599 --> 00:35:11.960
have to build it and you still have to make59900:35:12.000 --> 00:35:14.559
it great. So there is always going to be a60000:35:14.679 --> 00:35:19.800
role that the AI cannot fill. You know, that just can't.60100:35:19.800 --> 00:35:21.599
I mean, most of the robots have trouble even walking.60200:35:21.639 --> 00:35:25.039
Right now, we've got years, we're good. So let's remember60300:35:25.039 --> 00:35:29.159
that AI can generate content, but it cannot replace craftsmanship.60400:35:29.599 --> 00:35:40.400
It just can't. Opening up any thoughts or questions about AI. Wow,60500:35:40.480 --> 00:35:43.920
that went so good. I was like waiting for like60600:35:44.159 --> 00:35:49.360
AI is the devil, and I'm like, hey, I guess60700:35:49.400 --> 00:35:53.800
the big takeaway from this, guys, is if we're getting60800:35:53.920 --> 00:35:58.400
upset and angry in social media and everything else, about Oh,60900:35:58.440 --> 00:36:01.000
you're using AI, you're a terrible person. And think about61000:36:01.000 --> 00:36:03.519
what you just said. You just accused somebody of being61100:36:03.519 --> 00:36:07.320
a terrible person for using something that's just there. It's61200:36:07.320 --> 00:36:09.119
not I don't believe it's it's not good for us61300:36:09.159 --> 00:36:12.480
to be malicious to our to our industry peers for61400:36:12.559 --> 00:36:15.039
the use of stuff. I think it's within our abilities61500:36:15.079 --> 00:36:19.880
to educate and promote more creative venues. But let's also remember,61600:36:19.960 --> 00:36:22.039
if I need a logo, and I'm saying it as61700:36:22.079 --> 00:36:24.000
a I'm saying it as an operator who writes checks.61800:36:24.360 --> 00:36:26.400
If I need a logo and I go to ten61900:36:26.480 --> 00:36:29.840
different artists, and each artist is more money than the last,62000:36:29.960 --> 00:36:32.559
and I have a four dollars budget, I may have62100:36:32.639 --> 00:36:35.679
to involve AI. I just might because I have a62200:36:35.719 --> 00:36:38.559
small industry. I have a small little business. What am62300:36:38.559 --> 00:36:41.760
I gonna do? So sometimes it's by necessity, it's not62400:36:41.800 --> 00:36:43.880
just they're making a choice. Sometimes they have to use62500:36:43.920 --> 00:36:46.360
something like a I yes, I had a question. No,62600:36:46.519 --> 00:37:03.039
you raise your hand. It's time. There's a difference between AI.62700:37:03.599 --> 00:37:07.159
And get our to AI isto what everybody's getting upset about.62800:37:07.519 --> 00:37:10.480
I agree, then you you gut as will be saying, uh,62900:37:10.679 --> 00:37:13.000
you know, you know that I have a car.63000:37:13.159 --> 00:37:15.679
When you're talking about a specifically of a car, that's63100:37:16.000 --> 00:37:19.480
any different things. And we do say either greatest gifts63200:37:19.599 --> 00:37:23.559
set to help you dreamline our executives the functions. So63300:37:23.800 --> 00:37:27.519
there's there's there's AI now that can help just do63400:37:27.599 --> 00:37:31.199
all the normal busy numbers tasks for you on your computer,63500:37:31.320 --> 00:37:33.239
your emails, all your figures, nothing to do.63600:37:33.159 --> 00:37:35.679
With the greater process. But now our artists have the63700:37:35.760 --> 00:37:38.199
time to do the art part.63800:37:38.480 --> 00:37:41.559
Yeah, So if we use AI rights, if we support63900:37:41.960 --> 00:37:45.239
the right parts of AI, they can free.64000:37:45.119 --> 00:37:47.559
Up the artists to be more artists today.64100:37:47.760 --> 00:37:50.960
And that's an amazing point. It's more about it's.64200:37:50.880 --> 00:37:55.119
More about helping first of the industry to regulate the64300:37:55.239 --> 00:37:56.760
part where AI screams.64400:37:56.800 --> 00:37:59.079
The coper are basically stuff.64500:37:59.320 --> 00:38:10.920
That's the part to be support the AI industry and64600:38:11.280 --> 00:38:15.719
government they may set.64700:38:17.239 --> 00:38:17.440
On.64800:38:17.800 --> 00:38:26.199
And then maybe the me it's it's the execution of it.64900:38:26.199 --> 00:38:28.000
It's it's how they're using it when they're using it,65000:38:28.000 --> 00:38:29.880
and that's and that's a great point. And once again65100:38:29.920 --> 00:38:34.039
that's the conversation that we should be having instead of65200:38:34.079 --> 00:38:38.079
when I see people just getting slammed r like very65300:38:38.239 --> 00:38:40.679
vicious comments that I I believe our industry is better65400:38:40.679 --> 00:38:44.719
than that. I believe education. I believe com communication, cause65500:38:44.800 --> 00:38:47.679
it could be they don't know, they don't know, you65600:38:47.719 --> 00:38:49.800
don't know what you don't know. So that's an education thing.65700:38:50.039 --> 00:38:52.280
That's something that we can work on together, you know.65800:38:52.880 --> 00:38:56.000
So alright, any other questions on AI, yes, sir.65900:38:58.679 --> 00:39:05.920
As, so like for us to be helped perpons, black ads.66000:39:05.639 --> 00:39:07.000
And more ais.66100:39:07.760 --> 00:39:11.599
Right, speed things up and we see a going or66200:39:12.360 --> 00:39:13.559
even agenic.66300:39:13.280 --> 00:39:16.320
Buying where in the future or you know the on66400:39:16.519 --> 00:39:17.440
chat the tea.66500:39:17.480 --> 00:39:20.599
And you wanna they wanna go find you in the66600:39:20.639 --> 00:39:22.800
fall and eventually they.66700:39:22.679 --> 00:39:25.760
Can buy a gain right through the AI.66800:39:25.840 --> 00:39:26.079
See.66900:39:26.760 --> 00:39:30.840
I think that finding the right to that nerves all67000:39:30.960 --> 00:39:33.960
you was answer, can you send me something to shrive you?67100:39:34.199 --> 00:39:34.880
But I that.67200:39:35.000 --> 00:39:36.039
Was her.67300:39:38.559 --> 00:39:41.679
Good? Excellent, it's a very good point. Do you haven't67400:39:41.760 --> 00:39:43.440
I would just start to talk about that things that67500:39:43.519 --> 00:39:45.880
we started. You haven't started using it more? Could we've67600:39:45.920 --> 00:39:47.920
been using it for a while? Use a question?67700:39:49.639 --> 00:39:52.239
Business players like that, they don't you free up time?67800:39:52.599 --> 00:39:53.559
Kind of like push back?67900:39:53.599 --> 00:39:54.639
They ever given us more time to.68000:39:54.679 --> 00:39:56.199
Work on a hole creative?68100:39:57.159 --> 00:39:58.880
Uh would have been starting to get a little bit68200:39:59.480 --> 00:40:07.239
more with that we're in the middle of creating AI.68300:40:08.719 --> 00:40:12.800
For make we're not going to use it for, so68400:40:12.840 --> 00:40:15.159
that we could so that we can be very specific68500:40:15.400 --> 00:40:17.880
and if we start getting questions as far as you know,68600:40:18.000 --> 00:40:19.760
well you guys are using A well this is what68700:40:19.760 --> 00:40:21.440
we're using it for, and this is what we're not68800:40:21.519 --> 00:40:23.480
going to do with it. And and it's I think68900:40:23.480 --> 00:40:25.480
it's going to help kind of guide us forward with69000:40:25.639 --> 00:40:28.599
even working with our crew, because some of our actors are.69100:40:28.519 --> 00:40:29.840
Like, oh my god, you're using AI.69200:40:30.000 --> 00:40:33.039
You suck, You're horrible, Like wait a minute, let's let's69300:40:33.280 --> 00:40:36.159
look at this. So having an AI policy, I think69400:40:36.239 --> 00:40:38.639
is going to be really helpful to us, uh, to69500:40:38.679 --> 00:40:41.320
dealing with that and to keeping us on the right track.69600:40:41.800 --> 00:40:44.719
And and that is a very progressive move that you've made.69700:40:44.760 --> 00:40:46.760
And that's something that everyone in this move in this69800:40:46.840 --> 00:40:49.599
room could adopt themselves, is building their own AI use69900:40:49.639 --> 00:40:51.639
policy and saying this is how we are going to70000:40:51.719 --> 00:40:53.800
use this resource, this is how we're not going to70100:40:53.880 --> 00:40:56.639
use this resource. And that way, if you're ever questioned70200:40:57.119 --> 00:40:59.519
or you ever get backlash, you could be like no, no, no, no,70300:41:00.280 --> 00:41:02.840
I understand your concerns, but this is how we're using this,70400:41:03.639 --> 00:41:08.280
So let's have a conversation instead of an argument. Okay,70500:41:09.000 --> 00:41:10.199
see we got a question over here.70600:41:10.400 --> 00:41:15.440
Okay, So looking forward with the strategic plan, what are70700:41:15.480 --> 00:41:18.880
some things that excite the board members about AI currently70800:41:19.599 --> 00:41:20.840
or in the next year or two.70900:41:22.480 --> 00:41:26.400
So, one great use of AI is is data evaluation.71000:41:27.199 --> 00:41:29.840
The ability to punch numbers in, to punch facts and71100:41:29.840 --> 00:41:33.159
figures in and have it correlate and figure out percentages71200:41:33.360 --> 00:41:36.840
and you know, emerging things like this, this is trending.71300:41:38.400 --> 00:41:40.440
You'd used to need people who were very adept with71400:41:40.519 --> 00:41:44.519
numbers and with strategic type of thinking, like an accountant,71500:41:44.519 --> 00:41:46.840
And now I can plug that in and it'll tell me, no,71600:41:46.880 --> 00:41:50.360
here's the percentage, here's the upswing, here's the downtick, here's71700:41:50.400 --> 00:41:52.800
the percentage of response. And I think that's going to71800:41:52.840 --> 00:41:55.159
help us with our strategic plan very much so because71900:41:55.159 --> 00:41:57.840
it's going to allow us to shorten the amount of72000:41:57.840 --> 00:42:02.159
time it takes to evaluate so that we're more efficient72100:42:02.199 --> 00:42:04.639
moving forward on all our different objectives. So that's what72200:42:04.719 --> 00:42:09.440
I would say. Any board members have anything else, go ahead, Mike.72300:42:12.679 --> 00:42:12.880
Yeah.72400:42:12.960 --> 00:42:17.079
Related to that is how it's starting to affect search advertising,72500:42:17.119 --> 00:42:21.000
which has historically been a big part of our advertising72600:42:21.119 --> 00:42:23.800
is people searching hunted house near me you can buy72700:42:23.920 --> 00:42:27.920
Google ad, Chat, GPT and others have taken a huge72800:42:28.000 --> 00:42:30.920
chunk of that last year and it's only going to continue.72900:42:31.679 --> 00:42:35.480
And also Google having their own AI response for instead73000:42:35.480 --> 00:42:39.559
of getting Google responses, they're looking for AI is looking73100:42:39.559 --> 00:42:43.159
for the one best answer to your question, whether it's Chat,73200:42:43.199 --> 00:42:47.800
GPT or Google's or the other ones. So that's going73300:42:47.880 --> 00:42:50.800
to be very interesting to keep an eye on and73400:42:50.840 --> 00:42:54.000
how that's going to affect our advertising because it's a73500:42:54.039 --> 00:42:56.519
billion dollar industry for Google and they're not going to73600:42:56.639 --> 00:43:01.079
let that lose that ad revenue. So imagine they're going73700:43:01.119 --> 00:43:05.119
to update and find additional ways where you can get73800:43:05.159 --> 00:43:08.039
yourself up there. But right now we're kind of in73900:43:07.639 --> 00:43:10.000
that learning zone of what that's going to look like.74000:43:10.480 --> 00:43:13.360
Thanks, all right, I am going to move forward to74100:43:13.360 --> 00:43:16.519
our next topic. We can revisit an AI question during74200:43:16.519 --> 00:43:19.559
the open questioning in a few moments. So the next74300:43:20.000 --> 00:43:22.840
board topic that we're bringing to you guys is the74400:43:22.920 --> 00:43:28.760
idea of collaboration over competition. This past year, we get74500:43:28.920 --> 00:43:32.440
information and we get requests for help and advice year round,74600:43:32.960 --> 00:43:36.039
and this past year we had a major influx of74700:43:36.519 --> 00:43:39.320
people coming to us. What do I do about the74800:43:40.199 --> 00:43:43.039
XYZ Haunt down the street leaving bad reviews? What do74900:43:43.119 --> 00:43:47.880
I do about the staff of xyz Haunt leaving bad75000:43:47.920 --> 00:43:51.000
reviews or saying bad things about our haunt? And this75100:43:51.079 --> 00:43:57.079
almost weaponization of reviews, weaponization of word of mouth between75200:43:57.639 --> 00:44:01.280
competing haunts. And it happened to enough that I realized75300:44:01.320 --> 00:44:05.199
that it's really something that the association needs to number75400:44:05.199 --> 00:44:08.800
one address but also support the positive outcome from this.75500:44:09.039 --> 00:44:14.239
And that's truly that collaboration over competition. You know, our75600:44:14.360 --> 00:44:19.920
industry always has a choice. We can choose to focus75700:44:20.000 --> 00:44:24.559
on our little slice of heaven exclusively and to hell75800:44:24.599 --> 00:44:29.000
with everybody else. And you may or may not have75900:44:29.039 --> 00:44:33.000
good results with that, But what you won't have is76000:44:33.480 --> 00:44:36.719
a community to support you. What you won't have is76100:44:37.440 --> 00:44:40.320
friends in the area. What you won't have is the76200:44:40.440 --> 00:44:44.400
chance to allow collaboration and unified support to raise you76300:44:44.559 --> 00:44:49.039
without effort. And that's the great thing about collaboration. We76400:44:49.119 --> 00:44:52.800
can fight each other, we can or we can choose76500:44:52.840 --> 00:44:54.639
to grow together. And it doesn't have to be this76600:44:54.800 --> 00:44:57.159
active rah rah, I love you, you love me thing.76700:44:57.719 --> 00:44:59.719
It just has to be a mutual respect for the76800:44:59.760 --> 00:45:05.039
great industry. Let's remember that all reviews are public. And76900:45:05.119 --> 00:45:08.639
if customer A goes online and searches haunted houses near77000:45:08.719 --> 00:45:12.159
me and they see your amazing haunt and the review77100:45:12.239 --> 00:45:14.800
is a trash review from a neighboring haunt, They're gonna77200:45:14.800 --> 00:45:17.320
be like, oh, that sucks. Well, let's look for another haunt.77300:45:17.320 --> 00:45:19.320
So they go to the next haunt, who also has77400:45:19.400 --> 00:45:22.599
trash reviews from other haunts. And now they're discovering that77500:45:22.639 --> 00:45:25.000
all the haunts in their area who chose not to77600:45:25.320 --> 00:45:28.679
just be professional and get along in their opinion, these77700:45:28.719 --> 00:45:32.079
all suck. I'm just gonna go to six Flags, you know,77800:45:32.239 --> 00:45:34.199
and we lose their business. We lose the customer before77900:45:34.239 --> 00:45:36.679
they even become a customer. Because our customers are discerning.78000:45:36.760 --> 00:45:39.480
They do read the reviews. They do pay attention to things.78100:45:39.800 --> 00:45:41.760
I've had customers call us out on stuff that was78200:45:41.760 --> 00:45:44.039
in reviews from four years before they didn't even exist,78300:45:44.280 --> 00:45:46.039
and they're like, where's this. I'm like, we tore that78400:45:46.079 --> 00:45:49.360
down three years ago. Well I read it in the reviews,78500:45:49.599 --> 00:45:54.599
and I'm like, from twenty seventeen. So we want to78600:45:54.639 --> 00:45:57.599
make sure that we're collaboration to raise all haunts. It78700:45:58.199 --> 00:46:02.639
takes effort, It takes honest to god effort to trash78800:46:03.039 --> 00:46:07.599
your competition. You're putting forth effort to do that. We're78900:46:07.639 --> 00:46:11.480
asking as an association. Stop, at the very minimum. Stop.79000:46:11.880 --> 00:46:14.039
We don't need to be like that to our neighbors.79100:46:14.039 --> 00:46:16.639
We don't need to be like that. Always take the79200:46:16.760 --> 00:46:21.159
high road. Let's remember that if I'm reviewed well and79300:46:21.199 --> 00:46:23.480
someone comes to my show and has the best night79400:46:23.519 --> 00:46:25.440
of their life, they may not come back and do79500:46:25.480 --> 00:46:27.599
it again at my show that year, but they are79600:46:27.719 --> 00:46:32.679
infinitely more likely to go to another show. My success79700:46:32.719 --> 00:46:36.119
can be your success. Your success can lead to my success.79800:46:36.239 --> 00:46:39.599
It's a shared market. These are movie fans. They don't79900:46:39.599 --> 00:46:41.360
go to one movie a year. They go to the80000:46:41.400 --> 00:46:45.119
movies every weekend. There is a shared market. We can80100:46:45.199 --> 00:46:49.119
never lose sight of that. Let's remember that things like80200:46:49.199 --> 00:46:54.159
regional corporation regional cooperation can strengthen an entire market. It80300:46:54.199 --> 00:46:57.960
can raise up an entire market. Being strategic with the80400:46:58.039 --> 00:47:03.239
haunts around you can help you. Shared ticketing, shared shared discounts,80500:47:03.280 --> 00:47:06.440
shared shared incentives. Come to all three haunts and you80600:47:06.519 --> 00:47:10.320
get this free shirt. Like there's all this opportunity laid80700:47:10.320 --> 00:47:15.159
in front of us to be collaborative and grow. We80800:47:15.199 --> 00:47:18.320
need to take that bull by the horns. Let's remember80900:47:18.360 --> 00:47:22.480
that when we're weaponizing reviews or review bombing, just trying81000:47:22.480 --> 00:47:24.840
to tear down any haunt, you're holding up a mirror81100:47:24.840 --> 00:47:30.440
to your own haunt. Remember that. You know, if it's81200:47:30.480 --> 00:47:34.559
not just unprofessional, it damages our entire industry. It's a81300:47:34.599 --> 00:47:39.079
bad look. So if we want to be seriously taken81400:47:39.119 --> 00:47:42.280
seriously as an industry, if that's our goal, we want81500:47:42.280 --> 00:47:45.920
to be a serious industry that people respect, then we81600:47:45.960 --> 00:47:48.840
need to act like one. And that means we're not81700:47:49.239 --> 00:47:51.960
allowing our staff to just walk through some other haunt81800:47:52.000 --> 00:47:55.840
and trash them for the twenty minute walkthrough. That's unprofessional.81900:47:56.079 --> 00:47:58.039
How many people have as a standard in their handbook82000:47:58.440 --> 00:48:03.519
addressing their actors performance at other haunts. What a great82100:48:03.519 --> 00:48:07.119
thing to add to protect your own reputation when your82200:48:07.119 --> 00:48:10.360
people go and are respectful and support it, that's an82300:48:10.440 --> 00:48:13.119
easy step that you don't need cooperation of that other82400:48:13.199 --> 00:48:16.559
haunt to start. Most of these things, you'd think like, well,82500:48:16.559 --> 00:48:19.239
I just don't get along with them. Not getting along82600:48:19.239 --> 00:48:22.159
with somebody isn't an excuse to not be professional to them.82700:48:22.440 --> 00:48:24.559
You don't have to work with them, but when you're82800:48:24.599 --> 00:48:27.280
working around them, you could just be professional. So we're82900:48:27.280 --> 00:48:29.920
gonna open up for a few questions here on this topic,83000:48:29.960 --> 00:48:31.960
and then we're gonna roll right into our Q and A.83100:48:32.320 --> 00:48:45.079
Jim, I got one back here, great, great, great.83200:48:41.239 --> 00:48:43.159
Good morning morning.83300:48:43.800 --> 00:48:46.440
What would you say is the first step into extending83400:48:46.440 --> 00:48:49.639
that olive branch? If we are going through review bombing83500:48:49.880 --> 00:48:53.639
with each other between separate haunts, what is the first83600:48:53.639 --> 00:48:55.880
step to resolving.83700:48:57.480 --> 00:49:05.840
Anybody? Anybody one jump in? I offered, so, oh good,83800:49:05.840 --> 00:49:07.639
Please give me an answer. I'd love an answer from83900:49:07.639 --> 00:49:12.519
the crowd. Hold on, let me get you a mic,84000:49:12.599 --> 00:49:16.679
because otherwise you got to start screaming. Everybody's gonna wonder.84100:49:16.719 --> 00:49:17.039
Thank you.84200:49:20.039 --> 00:49:20.360
There we go.84300:49:20.639 --> 00:49:24.400
We've had haunts close to us that have had bad reviews,84400:49:24.480 --> 00:49:29.880
and they've accused the surrounding haunts of of doing those reviews.84500:49:29.920 --> 00:49:33.280
There are either our actors or management or whoever. So84600:49:33.400 --> 00:49:36.880
immediately when we saw that, we approached them and extended84700:49:36.880 --> 00:49:39.480
that olive branch and said, you know, we want you84800:49:39.559 --> 00:49:41.280
to know this was not us. We talked to our84900:49:41.320 --> 00:49:44.159
actors thoroughly, make sure they never give you bad reviews.85000:49:44.159 --> 00:49:46.920
That's not who we are and so it was a85100:49:46.960 --> 00:49:49.679
long and depth conversation, but just being transparent and open85200:49:49.719 --> 00:49:52.679
with each other and making sure that we understand that85300:49:52.679 --> 00:49:53.920
that's not who we are and we're not going to85400:49:54.000 --> 00:49:54.239
do that.85500:49:54.320 --> 00:50:00.960
So excellent. Got a little something back there, something to add, Kevin, Kevin.85600:50:00.880 --> 00:50:07.840
Oh, for God's sakes, for us, I think holding other85700:50:07.960 --> 00:50:10.519
owners accountable when we've run into it. We've talked to85800:50:10.559 --> 00:50:13.079
the other haunt companies and said, hey, guys, you know85900:50:13.639 --> 00:50:16.480
that's maybe that's not professional. We've even stepped in with86000:50:16.519 --> 00:50:18.639
other haunts that like want to partner with us, and86100:50:18.639 --> 00:50:20.960
we're like, hey, but you're slandering this other haunt publicly86200:50:21.000 --> 00:50:23.119
on your public page. It's not the look we want86300:50:23.119 --> 00:50:25.480
to do. But in our industry, in our market, we86400:50:25.519 --> 00:50:28.559
actually had something called the Passport of Terror that ten86500:50:28.639 --> 00:50:31.199
of us in the area did and if you hit86600:50:31.199 --> 00:50:34.480
all ten haunts, then you got this after party in86700:50:34.519 --> 00:50:36.440
the sweatshirt And it was a really cool thing because86800:50:36.440 --> 00:50:39.000
then all the owners were interacting with each other, all86900:50:39.039 --> 00:50:41.199
the haunters in the areas kind of got together and87000:50:41.239 --> 00:50:43.400
we were all this one big team on this Passport87100:50:43.480 --> 00:50:45.599
of Terror. That really took off, and I think just87200:50:45.679 --> 00:50:49.159
starting those initiatives in your area and holding other owners87300:50:49.159 --> 00:50:51.760
accountable or letting them know what's going on, because chances87400:50:51.800 --> 00:50:55.199
are those owners very busy and don't see these things.87500:50:55.320 --> 00:50:57.679
But if you hold each other accountable, then the industry87600:50:57.719 --> 00:50:59.360
just grows excellent.87700:50:59.719 --> 00:51:02.440
And the cornerstone of all of this feedback for this87800:51:02.559 --> 00:51:05.719
is communication. You have to open communication. We're gonna take87900:51:05.719 --> 00:51:08.559
one more down there, Kevin. You have to open communication.88000:51:08.639 --> 00:51:11.960
And sometimes communication is one way. It's you talking, you speaking,88100:51:12.000 --> 00:51:15.639
you sending emails and getting nothing back. But you control88200:51:15.679 --> 00:51:18.000
what you're doing, and that's the most important thing.88300:51:18.960 --> 00:51:22.639
I do think owner to owner communication is hugely important88400:51:23.360 --> 00:51:26.519
because and a lot of these are our younger actors88500:51:26.559 --> 00:51:30.840
that would be on either side would be doing this.88600:51:31.719 --> 00:51:35.000
The biggest caution that we found out is we need88700:51:35.000 --> 00:51:38.679
to watch our own war stories. When we're sitting around88800:51:38.679 --> 00:51:40.199
at the end of the night, we start talking about88900:51:40.280 --> 00:51:43.239
things that happened ten fifteen years ago and stuff when89000:51:43.280 --> 00:51:45.440
we went to another haunt or in between another haunt89100:51:45.440 --> 00:51:47.880
and us. We need to make sure that we communicate89200:51:47.920 --> 00:51:51.519
to our younger actors and our younger crew that this89300:51:51.599 --> 00:51:54.800
is something that we don't do. Because we have had89400:51:54.840 --> 00:51:59.480
people act on those war stories on both sides. Again,89500:52:00.119 --> 00:52:03.079
not just the other people, it's us. So we need89600:52:03.119 --> 00:52:05.079
to be very careful the things that we are saying89700:52:05.079 --> 00:52:08.400
and doing around our younger actors and to let them89800:52:08.440 --> 00:52:11.559
know that we are a community, that we are supporting each.89900:52:11.360 --> 00:52:14.679
Other absolutely, and that's where having a standard in place90000:52:15.039 --> 00:52:16.280
can pay dividends to you.90100:52:16.719 --> 00:52:19.519
Does everybody have so sorry, does everybody have social media?90200:52:19.599 --> 00:52:20.960
Does everyone have a Facebook page?90300:52:21.440 --> 00:52:22.639
How about giving a shout.90400:52:22.480 --> 00:52:23.880
Out to that local haunt in your area.90500:52:24.400 --> 00:52:28.159
Oh no, they're gonna get more likes right, No, if90600:52:28.199 --> 00:52:30.280
you want to extend that handout to them right away90700:52:30.599 --> 00:52:32.480
to a Facebook post, Hey go check out these guys.90800:52:32.519 --> 00:52:36.159
They're haunts. Awesome. Guess what, you just open up a bridge.90900:52:36.360 --> 00:52:37.719
Right, Okay?91000:52:37.760 --> 00:52:39.360
Cool? Yeah.91100:52:39.400 --> 00:52:41.119
So what we do with our haunt is in the91200:52:41.159 --> 00:52:43.920
past couple of years, what we do is we'll go91300:52:44.000 --> 00:52:46.480
on there every day, we pre record the videos, and91400:52:46.559 --> 00:52:49.480
we do for all the whole month of October thirty91500:52:49.480 --> 00:52:52.320
one haunts to visit through the entire season, So I mean,91600:52:52.559 --> 00:52:54.119
you know, even if they're in the next state over,91700:52:54.360 --> 00:52:57.440
because we're kind of centrally locized, localized in the North91800:52:57.480 --> 00:52:59.000
Carolina right in the middle. So we've got quite a91900:52:59.000 --> 00:53:01.280
few haunts around us, so we have enough haunts to92000:53:01.320 --> 00:53:03.360
where we can, you know, shout out to every haunt92100:53:03.400 --> 00:53:04.360
those thirty one days.92200:53:06.519 --> 00:53:08.760
He knew I was gonna hyd It was a good topic.92300:53:08.840 --> 00:53:12.719
It's a great topic. Something something that I found going92400:53:12.760 --> 00:53:15.119
into a hostile environment and opening a new haunt, it92500:53:15.159 --> 00:53:17.480
was it just collaboration wasn't a thing, and we had92600:53:17.519 --> 00:53:20.000
to open a haunt that environment. I just started giving92700:53:20.039 --> 00:53:22.840
with no expectation of receiving. I put out offers that92800:53:22.880 --> 00:53:24.239
if you give me a banner, I'll put it on92900:53:24.239 --> 00:53:26.519
my exit line so my customers see it as they're exiting,93000:53:26.519 --> 00:53:28.159
they'll know where you are and how far away you are.93100:53:28.519 --> 00:53:31.559
We would start shouting out, liking their comments and stuff online.93200:53:31.599 --> 00:53:34.280
I would just start giving, and I gave with no93300:53:34.360 --> 00:53:38.480
expectation back, and within a year we started getting reciprocation.93400:53:38.960 --> 00:53:41.559
And then within two years we actually started kind of93500:53:41.559 --> 00:53:44.760
collaborating a little bit, and they didn't they didn't have93600:53:44.840 --> 00:53:46.880
to extend the olive branch. It really is what you're93700:53:46.880 --> 00:53:49.280
willing to bring to the table. So three minutes I93800:53:49.360 --> 00:53:51.719
know we're going to go. So at this time, we're93900:53:51.760 --> 00:53:54.679
going to move into live QA and Alan raised his hands.94000:53:54.679 --> 00:54:07.039
So go see Allen. He's over there. Customers, I'm sorry94100:54:07.119 --> 00:54:21.960
you had a collaboration. This, This wasn't your flavor of94200:54:22.000 --> 00:54:24.920
ice cream. Go try them out. Yes, I get it,94300:54:25.000 --> 00:54:28.000
I get it all right. So at this time, Kevin's94400:54:28.000 --> 00:54:30.679
gonna look around. If anybody has a question a comment94500:54:30.719 --> 00:54:33.119
they'd like to address, the board is here to listen,94600:54:33.199 --> 00:54:34.960
and here we have a few minutes. We're in a94700:54:35.000 --> 00:54:37.320
little long but that happens every single year. But we'd94800:54:37.360 --> 00:54:39.400
love to hear from you. Please throw us some questions,94900:54:39.400 --> 00:54:42.320
some comments. Let's see where we are today.95000:54:42.599 --> 00:54:45.719
Well they look, I hear there's an auction later.95100:54:45.519 --> 00:54:48.119
To Oh I wasn't ready to start pitching our stuff.95200:54:48.360 --> 00:54:49.800
Well, but they're looking. We have time.95300:54:50.079 --> 00:54:53.159
The auction is tonight, show closes, and then as you're95400:54:53.199 --> 00:54:55.159
walking out, if you come back to this room, we95500:54:55.239 --> 00:54:57.599
have our incredible live auction tonight. We have a ton95600:54:57.639 --> 00:55:01.239
of amazing especially like one off item. You have a95700:55:01.440 --> 00:55:03.599
solid chance to get them for a real good deal,95800:55:04.199 --> 00:55:05.880
and it's a lot of fun. And maybe if you95900:55:05.960 --> 00:55:07.679
win one of those auction items, maybe you get a96000:55:07.679 --> 00:55:10.159
free drink. I don't know, you might, all right, So96100:55:10.400 --> 00:55:12.639
it's well worth coming up. I promise you that the96200:55:12.639 --> 00:55:16.559
bar at the auction is the closest bar the Marriotts96300:55:16.559 --> 00:55:20.119
at least seventy five feet further. So, if you're looking,96400:55:20.440 --> 00:55:22.840
this is where you go tonight at the show closed.96500:55:22.840 --> 00:55:25.039
Come right up the escalator and come see us. Hey, Jim,96600:55:25.119 --> 00:55:28.639
question over here, I have a god to the board.96700:55:28.679 --> 00:55:31.719
If we have candidates for the scholarship program that have96800:55:31.760 --> 00:55:34.639
already applied, with the changing of the program, the extension96900:55:34.639 --> 00:55:37.039
of the deadline, do they need to reapply if they're97000:55:37.039 --> 00:55:37.800
in for this year.97100:55:38.079 --> 00:55:41.639
No, No, is the answer to that. They're good. They97200:55:41.639 --> 00:55:43.679
are in the process. They will be evaluated at the97300:55:43.719 --> 00:55:49.280
close of the scholarship window. Right over here. And Jim, so.97400:55:50.719 --> 00:55:57.599
You guys have noticed where he's okay, He's all right, everybody,97500:55:57.599 --> 00:55:58.199
He's okay.97600:55:59.559 --> 00:56:00.960
Give Kevin all right?97700:56:01.639 --> 00:56:03.559
If any of the bigger haunts have noticed, you know,97800:56:03.599 --> 00:56:06.000
there's been a lot of reports out in the last97900:56:06.000 --> 00:56:09.760
few years about the steep decline in alcohol sales across98000:56:09.800 --> 00:56:13.840
that industry. I have friends who are bar operators losing98100:56:13.880 --> 00:56:17.440
their their business. And if you've noticed that, because we've98200:56:17.440 --> 00:56:18.880
we've had a big push to try to figure out98300:56:18.880 --> 00:56:20.480
how to get more poor cap numbers, and how can98400:56:20.519 --> 00:56:23.440
we we do more alcohol and selling more more alcohol,98500:56:23.480 --> 00:56:26.239
because in the past that's always uh a good way.98600:56:26.519 --> 00:56:28.440
I guess I had a little too much less monk stuff.98700:56:29.599 --> 00:56:31.519
It's always seemed like a real good way to get98800:56:31.519 --> 00:56:35.039
a high revenue number. But there is a lot of98900:56:35.039 --> 00:56:39.519
reports about declining alcohol sales all across the the the industry,99000:56:39.559 --> 00:56:41.599
and if anybody had any input on that.99100:56:41.719 --> 00:56:44.760
I'm sure other board members have input. But my my99200:56:45.159 --> 00:56:48.679
numbers of triple yeah, and my alcohol goes up every year,99300:56:49.079 --> 00:56:51.719
so we always every year, we're a marked increase every year.99400:56:51.719 --> 00:56:54.119
But you know we are one of we're a bigger haunt,99500:56:54.320 --> 00:56:55.920
so it could just be volume.99600:56:56.840 --> 00:56:59.920
Yeah, our alcohol numbers have tripled. We've been doing mixed99700:57:00.079 --> 00:57:03.880
drinks liquor or excuse me, beer wine for four years now.99800:57:04.559 --> 00:57:07.119
We are actually building three more bars in our midway99900:57:07.159 --> 00:57:09.400
this year because and so we should have a total100000:57:09.559 --> 00:57:12.320
of I think six bars in our midway this year,100100:57:12.599 --> 00:57:15.480
and each one of them are themed different and we100200:57:15.559 --> 00:57:18.840
serve different things, and we have customized cups, like we100300:57:18.920 --> 00:57:21.800
have a Pirate bar, we have a Cyclone bar, we100400:57:21.840 --> 00:57:24.360
have what we call a Bobby Aga bar, we just100500:57:24.400 --> 00:57:27.519
have all kinds of different things. It's just you can't100600:57:27.559 --> 00:57:29.519
get the same thing. You can get the same drink.100700:57:29.559 --> 00:57:31.280
It's just all in like different cups. It's just how100800:57:31.280 --> 00:57:32.079
you advertise it.100900:57:33.360 --> 00:57:35.840
We also did a non alcoholic version of a lot101000:57:35.880 --> 00:57:38.039
of them, and people that don't drink, we're able to101100:57:38.039 --> 00:57:40.800
do that. Children also enjoy that because they'd be like, oh,101200:57:40.800 --> 00:57:41.760
I'm be having a drinking.101300:57:42.239 --> 00:57:44.760
It's obviously alcohol mocktail with the worms.101400:57:46.639 --> 00:57:50.119
A lot of those numbers that showed declining alcohol sales101500:57:50.480 --> 00:57:53.679
are for the whole alcohol industry, as in liquor stores101600:57:53.840 --> 00:57:59.960
package alcohol it and what that mostly shows is seventy101700:58:00.119 --> 00:58:03.239
percent of the alcohol business is held up by alcoholics101800:58:03.519 --> 00:58:09.800
who drink multiple times per day. So that's declining. I101900:58:09.800 --> 00:58:13.440
think they just can't afford it anymore. So I think102000:58:13.519 --> 00:58:17.440
that the destination go there, have a drink is still102100:58:17.480 --> 00:58:21.320
a fine sector as far as sales. It's just the102200:58:22.079 --> 00:58:25.800
go out to the bar every night is declining. That's102300:58:25.840 --> 00:58:27.920
where the decline is. And they see that in college102400:58:27.920 --> 00:58:31.119
towns where people go to the bar every night.102500:58:33.440 --> 00:58:35.480
Do we have any other questions? I think we get102600:58:35.519 --> 00:58:38.679
time for maybe one more. Oh wait, he is there here?102700:58:40.679 --> 00:58:41.519
Kevin's my runner.102800:58:41.840 --> 00:58:43.920
Yeah, some of that I've been paying attention to with102900:58:44.360 --> 00:58:48.920
gen Z in general is drinking less than the millennials,103000:58:49.079 --> 00:58:52.920
and so as gen Z gen Alpha get older, learning103100:58:52.960 --> 00:58:55.159
how to market to them outside of alcohol would be103200:58:55.199 --> 00:58:55.880
really important.103300:58:56.000 --> 00:58:59.559
So an interesting thing about those youngers that they do103400:58:59.639 --> 00:59:02.119
drink less, but they are way more likely to buy103500:59:02.119 --> 00:59:04.199
a choch key. They're way more likely to buy the103600:59:04.360 --> 00:59:07.559
unique cup and then unique drink experience because we use103700:59:07.639 --> 00:59:09.639
like the roxy spice and we use some different like103800:59:09.719 --> 00:59:13.440
volcano type drinks, and they sell to it. They definitively103900:59:13.480 --> 00:59:15.400
sell to a younger crowd because they get the collectible104000:59:15.440 --> 00:59:18.360
cup and it's the experience. And so you're right, it104100:59:18.679 --> 00:59:21.440
really is. It's the experience that they're buying. They're not104200:59:21.440 --> 00:59:24.079
buying the drink. They want the experience. So good thought.104300:59:24.480 --> 00:59:25.559
And then one more in the back.104400:59:26.639 --> 00:59:30.679
We have alcohol, but we also serve non alcoholic drinks104500:59:30.719 --> 00:59:35.079
and these dirty sodas and things have become huge sellers104600:59:35.159 --> 00:59:38.159
and a lot of the younger crowd like those. So104700:59:38.960 --> 00:59:41.360
if you're not doing that, I would definitely encourage it.104800:59:41.880 --> 00:59:46.840
Excellent. Yeah, diversity, Remember, guys, we're an industry build on variety.104900:59:46.880 --> 00:59:49.239
And diversity. So the more you can offer, throw it105000:59:49.280 --> 00:59:51.239
against the wall. You never know what's going to stick.105100:59:51.239 --> 00:59:53.239
It's always the most unusual thing that makes you the105200:59:53.239 --> 00:59:56.920
most money, like building a haunted house. It's kind of unusual,105300:59:57.239 --> 00:59:59.960
so let's think about that. That's our stock and tree.105401:00:01.559 --> 01:00:04.280
So we are being charged by the minute for the room,105501:00:04.320 --> 01:00:09.679
so we're gonna please take reminder Stillpy's our sponsor for105601:00:09.719 --> 01:00:14.800
today with the coffee, Thank you Alan, and please guys,105701:00:14.800 --> 01:00:17.199
there are to go cups so you could actually take105801:00:17.280 --> 01:00:19.960
coffee with you into the show floor. That's very exciting.105901:00:20.960 --> 01:00:24.440
Remember we are always available at Booth twenty thirty one106001:00:24.599 --> 01:00:27.280
auction tonight at five at the close of the show.106101:00:28.119 --> 01:00:30.519
Thank you all so much for your attention, and have106201:00:30.639 --> 01:00:34.039
a safe and productive trans world. Thank you good as.106301:00:35.239 --> 01:00:38.800
Today's episode was edited by me Philipernandez, with post production106401:00:38.880 --> 01:00:42.440
by David Swope and original music composed by Chris Thomas.106501:00:42.880 --> 01:00:45.960
Support for today's episode comes from Gantum Lightning and Controls.106601:00:46.079 --> 01:00:50.440
Gantum illuminates attractions worldwide with the world's smallest intelligent spotlights,106701:00:50.880 --> 01:00:53.440
from Dark hourg to nether World, Super Mario Land to106801:00:53.559 --> 01:00:57.599
Hagrid's Bike Gantum goes where other fixtures can't. See what106901:00:57.639 --> 01:00:59.840
you're missing with a free demo. Sign up at gantum107001:00:59.840 --> 01:01:03.519
dot com slash demo. That's scantum dot com slash demo.107101:01:04.360 --> 01:01:08.360
The h A N Team includes Daryl Plunky, Emily Luis Rua,107201:01:08.559 --> 01:01:15.280
Megan Spells, Gavin Burns and Omniadventures. Until next time, stay scary.107301:01:16.000 --> 01:01:20.280
This is a Haunted Attraction Network production
