“If you are really brave, why not stay over in our spookily themed hotels,” parks operator Merlin Entertainments dares consumers in its promotional literature. “With a choice of amazing family attractions and extremely frightening scare mazes on your doorstep, you can make your Halloween break as relaxed or as terrifying as you like.” This year, the Walt Disney Company has again chosen to take a not- so-scary approach to the holiday. Walt Disney World in Florida, US, has launched a children-friendly after-hours party, which runs every evening until November 1. The event features trick-or-treating, character greetings and popular attractions, all with an atmosphere that won’t scare the little ones. It also includes Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade, which starts with the Headless Horseman as well as the Happy HalloWishes fireworks show. These two examples of how operators can shrewdly promote their venues demonstrate
the potential of Halloween for the leisure business. However, it also becomes apparent that holiday promotions such as these are also beneficial to the economy as a whole. Six Flags America in Maryland, US, created more than 250 jobs in the run-up to its annual Fright Fest, which has become the region’s largest Halloween celebration, with “epic thrills by day and hideous frights by night.” A majority of the haunting opportunities available during Fright Fest are
in the park’s acclaimed entertainment department. Selected “spooks” will perform in the park’s Halloween-themed stage shows and inspire shrieks and screams in the park’s haunted walkthrough attractions. Halloween opportunities do not begin and end in theme parks. Qubica
AMF is helping bowling alleys and family entertainment centres to conjure up an ‘air of scare,’ with the HalloPin solution. The HalloPin environment includes special horror-themed scoreboard software. Combined with glow in the dark bowling balls and dim lighting, the system is set to be a sure-fire hit among both adults and children. Halloween is not celebrated in all countries and regions of the
world and among those that do the traditions and importance of the celebration vary significantly. However, operators who execute a shrewd, slick Halloween-themed business plan will leverage the already strong appeal of their existing rides and attractions, driving footfall and encouraging that all-important word of mouth advertising. As many within the industry are aware, word of mouth promotion is far more effective - and a great deal cheaper - than the technique of continual media bombardment that has been adopted by other business sectors.
38 InterPark September–October 2011
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