Fiendish Friday Interviews :: Barry Schieferstein of the Midwest Haunters Convention

What’s the agenda this year and what types of events are you planning?
The 2008 version of the Midwest Haunters Convention will see some major changes. For the first time in its history the event will be held in June. June 13-15 to be exact. We will also be moving into a much larger facility. In the four short years we have been doing this, we have grown the show to the point that the only facility left as an option is the Greater Columbus Convention Center. This will allow us to feature a 25,000 square foot tradeshow with over 90 vendor spaces!

MHC 2008 will also have all of the activities that we have become known for: over 50 hours of seminars, Monster Makeup Wars, Miss Scary Midwest pageant, pre-convention bus tours, and our auction.

What’s the cost?
As always, admission to our tradeshow is free! If anyone wishes to take the seminars, they can sign up for the entire weekend for a very affordable price. While 2008 prices have not been determined, it was only $79 to attend all of the classes in 2007.

Who's your competition and why?
I think we have two major competitors. First is the calendar. Finding a date to hold our event that does not conflict with other activities in the industry and, at the same time, does not run into another major event here in Columbus is nearly impossible. The second competitor is ourselves. We are reaching the pint with MHC know where we are starting to question how big do we really want the show to be.

As for the other conventions in the industry, non of the MHC organizers really consider them competition. We try to work with all of the other event to promote each other as well as grow the industry as a whole.

What Is your 5 year goal?
In five years I hope to still be producing an event that provides everyone attending with an enjoyable and memorable weekend. I hesitate to look at where the show will be at in five years because, as I mentioned, we really are not sure where we want to take it. That combined with the fact that other things happening in our industry can dramatically effect us for the good or bad. Right now we are content to just concentrate on the next show and not worry about anything after that.

What’s the most interesting thing that has happened at your convention?
That is probably the most difficult question you have asked! My initial thought was the fact the winner of the of the first Miss Scary Midwest pageant was actually a guy. There have been many memorable things that have occurred but for me, the thing I have taken out of each show is how humbling of an experience it is. To have so many people attend an event that I help organize and then thank us for doing it seems to be the opposite of the way it should be. I always say Thanks to everyone I can for coming because it is all of them that make MHC happen. Without the attendees, the vendors, the speakers, and the volunteers, there would be no MHC. We simply provide the atmosphere and venue.