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Due to two major changes, the entire structure and tone of the show had changed this year.  In an effort to appease people in the Haunt community, both the admission policy and physical layout of the show were changed.  Last year only 'qualified buyers' (individuals who registered, presenting copies of their business license, five thousand dollars worth of recent receipts, etc) were allowed to see the entire show.  All registrants who couldn't provide those credentials were given a restricted pass, only allowing them to see a small portion of the show.  This year all of that changed and many of the registration restrictions were rescinded.  Regardless of credentials, everyone who could prove that they were in some way associated with the Haunted Attraction Industry were allowed access to the entire show floor.  As could be expected, this change in admission policy resulted in a resounding positive response from show attendees.    

The second major change was the physical layout of the show.   In previous years, the Haunter Section and wholesale Halloween Sections of the show were both hosted, side-by-side, on the first floor of the convention center.  This year, the show was divided.  The wholesale Halloween Section was still hosted on the first floor, but the Haunter Section was moved to the second floor of the convention center.  This split resulted in quite a change in the overall 'mood' of the show.  Without the Haunter animatronics, the Halloween Section seemed very subdued. It was very quiet and business-like, compared to previous years. In contrast, the Haunter Section on the second floor was much different. Everywhere you walked, you could hear the mechanical sounds of animatronic props and other loud sound effects emanating from various booths. There was a lot more excitement and I can definitely say that it was a very 'fun' environment to be in.  Also located in the Haunter Section of the show, the Dark Zone, while seemingly smaller than last year, was jam-packed with animatronic props. While three companies occupied the Dark Zone, Scarefactory took up most of the real estate.

The rest of this Transworld Overview consists of two main sections, the New Prop Overview and the picture galleries. Be sure to read our New Prop Overview, as it contains pictures and descriptions of the latest products & services introduced to the Haunted Attraction Industry, from 23 different companies!  

In the seven different picture galleries, Haunted Illinois has included more than 280 pictures for your viewing pleasure. While a picture is worth a thousand words, we at Haunted Illinois have tried to make the galleries more value-added than just a plain grouping of pictures. For a large number of the images (especially in Gallery #2), we have included captions with descriptive information and website links, so you can visit a related website, to find out more information. Here is how the picture galleries have been arranged:

To visit the different sections of this overview, use the navigation menu at the top of this page.  I hope you enjoy our Transworld Overview! 

Happy Haunting,

Webmaster of HauntedIllinois.com

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