It's almost the end of the summer, and that's exactly the time of year I usually start planning my events for the half term holidays (well, after a week off to recover first, of course).
So, I thought as Halloween events were in my head at the moment I'd share some of the things I've learnt over the years that I think about in my planning, so that they can hopefully be of use to other people too.
Some of this advice is specific to trail-type events, such as a ghost walk, but various bits of it can apply no matter what type of Halloween event you're running.
Sell the scare
If you make something sound spooky people will be much more likely turn up for it at Halloween than if you make it sound educational; the challenge from a museum point of view is to then wrap up some real meaning into the event when they’re there. Ghost stories and costumed people are always a win, so that’s a great starting point.
Repetition is key
Halloween events usually take a lot of planning. If you can run the same with many groups during the day or night with timed tickets, you'll get the best out of your planning efforts.
Insist people pre-book
It's always helpful to know how many people you’ve got coming. Also, get people to pay their admission/fee when they book, as they’re much more likely to remember to turn up if they’ve already paid for it.
Timing is Everything
If you're running an event with multiple start times, staggered entry or even just 'turn up whenever' then you'll need to think about timing. Especially at Halloween, when guests are often being told a spooky story, overlapping can really ruin the atmosphere. Timed tickets are by far the easiest to managed. Guess how long your visitors will be at each ‘stop’ on the tour, then add five minutes (or maybe ten if you expect your guides to talk more than they’re told to); that’s your minimum interval between tours. And remember, you’re better off leaving too much time than too little. Also be aware of bottleneck points; where people might unexpectedly stop or take longer than you’d expected (toilet stops, an interesting artefact they’ll stop and look at, a volunteer who likes to engage visitors in conversation, etc.) and try and plan to avoid them or to find a way of moving people on quickly.
Fun for all the family
Halloween events are usually by their nature scary, so expect parents to ask if the event is suitable for their children. You'll need to decide what the minimum appropriate age is for children, based on the event content... then expect people to bring younger children anyway and prepare your performers to warn parents with young children if something is likely to be unsuitable for them. Maybe even plan an alternate route to avoid the scariest parts.
Use your captive audience
Expect people to turn up early for their tour and have something to do with them whilst they’re waiting; children are happy with colouring sheets, parents might be happy with the tearoom and shop to occupy them! A storyteller could set a good appropriate atmosphere. Don't let people get bored before they even start! Use waiting guests as a captive audience and use the opportunity to make their experience even better.
Like giving candy to a baby
If you’re planning an event at which children are welcome then sweets are a great investment; people associate Halloween with trick or treat and it’s amazing what scares or problems children will overlook if you give them a lollipop.
Too popular for your own good
Have a plan to deal with oversubscription; it's a good idea to prepare your performers to expect a late finish. If you don't need the extra time then everyone will be pleased with the early night, and no-one gets grumpy because they're out later than they expected to be. This also gives you some leeway for running over because guests enjoyed themselves so much they lingered to make their night last longer.
Scope out your spaces
Practice in the spaces to see how many people comfortably fit in the areas you’re using and use this to set your group limits. If possible, do this at night because spaces feel different sizes in the dark.
Atmosphere is everything
Try and maintain a sense of atmosphere; you need enough light to appease your risk assessment but if you can keep lights off in adjoining corridors and rooms or paths it’ll make the place feel spooky without you having to spend a fortune on set dressing or expensive effects. Use waiting to your best effect too; during the tour, if you can keep people waiting for a few seconds before your actors appear you’ll build a sense of apprehension and tension. It’s a fine balance though – don’t keep people waiting so long they get bored! There are other ways to creep out your audience also; you’ll know your spaces better than anyone else, but if you can lock doors behind people or create footsteps, bangs and odd noises in the next room, they’ll all help with your atmosphere.
Give the crowd what they want
Parents are looking for Halloween experiences which they can take their kids to which are safe and don’t encourage them to be knocking on stranger’s doors asking for sweets, so if you can schedule something on the 31st which appeals to that then do, it’s likely to be a winner.
Quality is better than quantity
Adults expect a great deal more in terms of quality of special effects than children do, so if you’re running events for adults (or even older children) then try and keep your effects more to the psychological than the physical if you don’t have a large budget. Flickering candles and the shadows cast from pumpkins are some of the best set dressing you can get, and they’re really cheap. If you’re worried about fire, I can recommend the battery powered tealights and candles; they look just as good as the real thing but they last much longer, have no fire risk and no risk of injury to the public either. Equally, the quickest way to make an event look amateurish is with cheap 'gory' effects; if you can't do it well, don't do it all.
Hopefully that's been a useful set of thoughts on Halloween events! If you've got questions, please ask, and feel free to suggest other hints and tips if you have them. :)
