Vendor Packet - West Coast Haunters Convention

May 15 - 17, 2015
Doubletree Hotel Lloyd Center
Portland, Oregon
Featured Guests
Brett Hays, Fear Fair
RJ Haddy, Face Off
Cig Neutron, Face Off
Steve O, Garage of Evil
Costume Ball  Haunt Tour
Seminars  Education  Tradeshow
Vending at WCHC
A great opportunity to promote your work, drive sales and interact
customers in a new and exciting way.
West Coast Haunters Convention vending offers businesses and artists a relaxing and intimate environment to sell their
best products, and a fun shopping experience for our attendees. But it’s about more than just making sales. The WCHC
is an exciting three-day vending event that provides a great venue for meeting your customers in person, enhancing your
image, and introducing yourself to a new audience.
We seek unique, high- quality products that fit our Halloween culture.
We will be holding workshops with the crew of Face Off all day on the show floor in
order to attract attendees, who will spend time shopping. We will also be holding
makeup and workshops on the show floor, too, to keep the energy on the show floor
buzzing!
This year we’re adding more free events, such as a new Haunters
Meet and Creep mixer party on Thursday night. Also, our
popular Sunday movie night, the Nightmare Nightmare
After WCHC is bringing our gests a custom Spike and Mike
animation festival (R rated), followed by a specail surprise
feature....ssshhhh, it’s a secret!
These events should really tempt our attendees to arrive early
and stay through Monday, allowing them more time on the show floor on Sunday. As
a sweet treat, we are selling custom made WCHC donuts from Portland’s world famous
Voodoo Donuts!! Each year we strive to increase our reach with expanded marketing and
more social media integration, and we’re open to creative ideas for attracting customers to
your booth.
We want you to have a fun and profitable experience working with us, and for our guests
to have fun shopping with you! Please feel to let us know what we can do to help you
increase sales. To encourage convention purchases, we offer attendees a lottery to win free
tickets to next year’s convention based on how much they spend on the show floor.
The vision for West Coast Haunters Convention comes of our love of the Halloween
industry. West Coast Haunters Convention creates a fully themed weekend, where
haunters and haunt vendors can share ideas and resources. We have created the West Coast’s best and longest running
Halloween convention and gathering.
Even though West Coast Haunters Convention (WCHC) started in the gymnasium of the Oregon School for the deaf
(OSD) and Ed Roberts its founder and President works for OSD the WCHC was formed as a 501(c)3 that offers mini
grants to professionals that work with deaf and or autistic children but not necessarily ones that work with OSD. WCHC
Vending at WCHC
West Coast Haunters Convention is an annual celebration of everything
Halloween and what the holiday inspires!
Sample Weekend Lineup
Thursday
Vendor load-in is from 9:00 am until Midnight Thursday, and a convention staffer will be on the tradeshow floor to
make sure you have what you need and get you registered for the event. The tradeshow floor will be open late to allow
you time to get your booth ready for the show on Friday morning. Guests can start registering for the convention at 3:00
p.m. on Thursday, and we will have an attendee registration event to answer questions for attendees on what to expect
for the convention.
Free Thursday Night Event - For all of you that worked so hard to get here early so you do not miss a minute of the
convention we are throwing you a party! We are calling it the Meet and Creep!
Friday
The convention begins on Friday at 9:00 am until 5:00 p.m.. We have a busy weekend planned including:
This years specail guests include: RJ Haddy, Cig Neutron, Brett Hays and Steve O from Garage of Evil ! Tradeshow floor
opens at 10:00 am. It is free to attendees, but we are also offering a discounted show floor-only pass to attract attendees
that are more interested in “shopping” rather than attending the convention. A series of classes on how to improve your
haunted house or home haunt begin at 9:00 am. There are four classrooms full of valuable information for haunters of
every level.
The famous Bar 13! Yes, the host hotel has a 13th floor, and we have it all to ourselves! That being
the case, we can run it how we want…..and as haunters, we all know there will be a bar.
Haunt Tour of the newly remodeled Nightmare Factory. Busses will
leave the hotel to take attendees to Nightmare Factory, a unique haunt in
Salem, Oregoin and featured on Extreme Home Makeover. Dinner will
be served on the bus in a souvenir lunch box that you can only get by
attending the tour.
There is a VIP/Vendor hospitality suite on the 14th floor. Food and beverages provided all weekend..
Vending at WCHC
Saturday
Tradeshow floor opens at 10:00 am. It is free to attendees, but we are also offering a discounted show floor-only pass to
attract attendees that are more interested in “shopping” rather than attending the convention.
A series of classes on how to improve your haunted house or home haunt begin at 9:00 am. There
are four classrooms full of valuable information for haunters of every level.
WCHC Costume Contest and Body Art Competition. We are changing up the contest this year,
we will have a dedicated costume contest before the ball with celebrity judges. This year there will
be a $10 entrance fee for the contest and a $500 first prize and long with other prizes.
Half way to Halloween Costume Ball. The party opens at 9:00 p.m. and will go until 2:00 am.
Light food and a no host bar. New party DJ! Details are being worked out, more to follow.
There is a VIP/Vendor hospitality suite on the 14th floor. Food and beverages provided.
Foam Dart Alley (N*rf Zone) - There is now a designated row for vendors that want to participate in the fun that is
the dart gun event. There will be two times each day that vendors and attendees are able to enjoy themselves and take
part of a great WCHC tradition. To make sure it does not disrupt the flow of the show, no gun fire is allowed in the
tradeshow outside the desinated area and time zone. Let the games begin!
Sunday
Tradeshow floor opens at 10:00 am. It is free to attendees, but we are also offering a discounted
show floor-only pass to attract attendees that are more interested in “shopping” rather than
attending the convention.
A series of classes on how to improve your haunted house or home
haunt begin at 9:00 am. There are four classrooms full of valuable
information for haunters of every level.
The famous Bar 13! Yes, this hotel has a 13th floor and we have it all to
ourselves! That being the case, we can run it how we want…..and as haunters,
we all know there will be a bar.
Nightmare After the West Coast Haunters Convention BACK BY POPULAR
DEMAND! Not ready for it all to end? Staying one more night? The West Coast
Haunters Convention will host a night at the movies. This year we got the
twisted guys at the Spike and Mike Festival of animation to make us a custom zombie theme
collection! Dress in your jammies and unwind after the WCHC is over.
There is a VIP/Vendor hospitality suite on the 14th floor. Food and beverages provided.
Attendance
Attendance
West Coast Haunters Convention draws guests from all around the West coast and
beyond, with the highest concentrations from the Portland area, but we have high attendance from both California and Washington. Most stay for the entire weekend, while
others come just for the day to enjoy the activities, or for hard-ticketed events such as
seminars and shows.
Facebook/Social Media
West Coast Haunters Convention has a popular and lively social media presence that includes email subscriptions, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The
event’s online properties have dramatically built its audience and will continue its
growth in 2015 with new promotions and expanded outreach to not only promote and communicate about the event, but also to promote our sponsors and
partners. Tap into this audience as a West Coast Haunters Convention sponsor!
Email Marketing 2013 2014 2015 projected
--4,6122,500 views
Facebook Likes 2013 event 2014 event 2015 projected
2,0554,1256,200
Facebook Weekly Reach 2013 peak 2013 peak 2015 projected
11,063 views
17,063 views
24,000 views
Facebook Weekly Impressions 2013 peak 2013 peak 2015 projected
76,456103,026143,000
Come haunt with us!
Vending Options
The primary theme of West Coast Haunters Convention is Halloween, of course, but that means different things to
different people. We see it as an appreciation for haunted houses and the art, music and fashions they inspire. But our
theme also allows for spooky decor, creepy cars, and fashion, Halloween culture,
and more. We will consider any vendor application, but priority is given to original haunted house/haunter props and decor, small batch artisan products, and
independent businesses that are a good fit for our Halloween-loving audience.
Tradeshow Floor
The West Coast Haunters Convention tradeshow is held in the expo room, part of
the hotel, and is just outside the main entrance at the base of the parking garage.
The room is open with lots of natural light from the windows along two walls.
It has power and free wi-fi.
Vendor Perks
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Based on availability and level of participation
Website and event program listings
Social media shout outs
Inclusion of your card or flyer in attendee bags
Lunch for two people each day
Bring an extra banner to put out on the windows
facing two very busy streets in Portland.
Two free tickets to our Halfway to Halloween
Costume Ball
Vending + Sponsorship = Synergy
Create some serious synergy for your business with a cash or product sponsorship. It’s a great
way to launch a new product or enter the West Coast’s Halloween scene with a scream! We’ll include your product in our gift bags, or put your company’s name on one of our signature events.
Check out our Sponsorship page for details.
Vendor Guidelines
Our goal is to give you the best possible vending experience and present
our guests with an inviting shopping experience
Important Dates
Booth Registration deadline - May 5th, 2015
Shipping/Moorage
Fee Payment deadline - May 10th, 2015
We understand that many vendors have to ship their
booth supplies to the hotel before they arrive. Please
contact Double Tree 503-281-6111 for shipping details.
Shipping date to hotel - not before May 10th, 2015
Safety and Security
Setup date - Thursday, May 14th, 9 am - midnight
Show dates - Friday, May 15, - Sunday, May 17
Booth Payment
Improper and/or inadequate booth stabilization may
result in loss of merchandise and create potentially unsafe conditions. The event and/or hotel staff reserves the
right to ask any vendor to make immediate necessary
adjustments.
You can pay for your booth on our website. Just choose
Please report any unsafe, disruptive or suspicious bethe booth size and other options and add them to your cart havior to event staff immediately.
prior to check out. We use PayPal for online payments. If
you need to send a check, please send us an email and we
Services
will make arrangements to send you an invoice.
Space Specifications
Booth spaces will be measured and marked with pipe and
drape prior to your arrival on Thursday. Displays, equipment or products must fit within the space provided in
order to keep walkways clear and respect the other participants and vendors.
Arrival
When you arrive, please check-in with the onsite vendor
coordinator in the Double Tree lobby, as there may be last
minute loading instructions. The timing of many aspects of
our event is finely tuned. We ask that you observe load-in/
out times and consider the ease and speed of your booth
set-up and break-down. If you have a large vehicle or
trailer to maneuver, please plan to arrive early.
Vendors are requested to remain open for business
for the full duration of vending hours. Break-down of
booths should not begin until the show floor is closed.
Table (one) additional tables can be purchased, chairs
and electricity for booths and tables will be provided,
but vendors must bring their own extension cords,
lighting, etc., for use inside the booths. Please indicate
your needs on the application form.
Vendors are responsible for cleaning their area of trash,
leftovers and waste.
Parking
Free parking is available for one vehicle for anyone
vending at the hotel whether you are staying at the hotel
or not. See the vendor coordinator on the show floor
for you daily pass.
Vendor Guidelines
Our onsite vendor coordinator will be on hand to ensure your load-in
goes smoothly and that you have an enjoyable time.
Load-in/out directions for booth vendors
Please check in with the on site vendor coordinator when you arrive, and be set up and ready for operation by
midnight on Thursday to ensure a prompt opening of our Tradeshow Floor.
Load-in Time: 9:00 am until 12:00 midnight
Vending Hours: 10:00 am - 5:00 p.m. Friday through Sunday
Load-out time: 5:15 p.m. until midnight Sunday
Vendors must remain open for business during the full duration of the vending hours.
The primary load-in route (#1) starts in the loading area in front of the tradeshow floor. Parking is limited so
please leave your vehicle in front of the entrance only while you are loading. Please move your vehicle to the parking lot as soon as you are done unloading to allow other vendors space to unload.
Please load-out using the same routes used for load-in.
This information is subject to change. Additional
instructions will be provided as needed.
Hotel address:
1000 NE Multnomah St.
Portland, OR 97232
503-281-6111
tion
Registra
Vendor Load-In thru parking garage
Vendor Load-In