New England Haunter’s Gathering MMXXIII
(that translates to 2023)!!!
That’s right, we are back, and Covid-19 be damned! (Throwing a little salt over my shoulder. No need to poke the bear). First off, a big thank you to all who attended “Gathering Light” the past couple years. That definitely helped keep this event going and its because of all of you this year is our official 23’rd year! We hope you have had as much fun as we have producing this event.
| When: | Saturday, August 12, 2023 |
| Where: | Courtyard by Marriott Billerica, MA |
| Time: | 9:30am (start time may change) |
| Admission: | $35 |
Please Note: ** All events are intended for Gathering attendees only
Please Note: ** All start/end times may change
Please RSVP a.s.a.p. so we know how much food to order!
So far on the agenda….
~ Stay tuned for details about The New England Haunter’s Gathering 2023!
~ In the meantime, take a look at our agenda from 2019!
SATURDAY:
New England Haunter’s Gathering 23 – 9:30-4:00
~Haunter’s Hangout – Please bring one of your homemade props, decorations or special effects and be a part of the spooky show-n-tell. (This agenda item will depend on the amount of participation.)
(** JUST ADDED **)
~ Use Natural Materials to Create Incredible Sets and Props the Haunted Overload Way! By Niki Tracchia and Morgan Cameron – You wanna get a little of that Haunted Overload feel at your place? If so, you won’t want to miss this! Niki and Morgan will explain steps and details on projects they have worked on at Haunted Overload. How to use natural materials at little to no cost, as well as mid-grade cost and lastly materials may cost a bit more for certain details, but not necessary to accomplish a cool scene.
Going strong on their 4th season, Morgan and Niki are set builders and roaming actors. They also do interviews, seminars and give tours! (basically, you can call them Eric’s assistants – haha). Go and visit www.hauntedoverload.com
Owner of “Scales, Feathers & Fur“, a growing family of surrendered animals,
Niki has been working as an animal caretaker and educator for 12 years. She works with wolves/coyotes/foxes, alligators/caiman/monitors, skunks, chinchillas, bunnies, flying squirrels, tarantulas of all kinds, emus/parrots/birds of prey, enormous and small snakes, tortoises of many kinds, and the list goes on! Niki also brings her friends out for interactive educational programs as ambassadors for their species in efforts to bridge the gap for humans and animals, teaching appreciation and understanding. Programs for all ages and plan to keep expanding! Go visit the website: www.scalesfeathersfur.com
Outside of the haunt, Morgan is an Artist, mainly working in painting. Morgan Cameron Art is my animal art business and Dark Hollow Arts is a branch of my art business that focuses exclusively on haunt/dark art.
Morgan has an art website that hosts all her artwork, as well as an Etsy shop for my exclusively dark art and costume crafts. Go visit the websites: www.morgancameronart.com and www.etsy.com/shop/darkhollowarts
~ Combat Moulage by Dani Masterson – Moulage is the art of applying realistic, mock injuries for the purpose of training emergency response teams, medical, and military personnel. (Hey, I can’t be the only one who didn’t know what that meant – haha). Dani will show us how to create hyper realistic wounds for real world scenarios and how to apply these techniques to the Haunt world!
This Moulage Specialist has been haunting and demonstrating this particular form of makeup for 38 years. Every hear of a little place called Kevin McCurdys Haunted Mansion..yup Dani’s been there!
~ Facades, Gravestones and Monuments by Glenn Parmenter – Glenn is going to demonstrate some of his foam making craftsmanship he uses to create his Facades, Gravestones and Monuments.
Glenn, a sub-contractor, has 30 years Haunting experience and has been involved with many charity haunts. Also, about 20 or so years ago, Glenn entered a contest with M&M Candies. He made an animatronic bat with baby bats hatching from peanut butter M&M’s. He won first place and a 4-day trip to Universal Studios Florida!
~ Looks, sounds & acts like hell!!! by Amanda Reevenge & Dick Terhune – What turns a “haunt actor” into a GREAT CHARACTER? Hey! Let’s ask the Experts! Amanda Reevenge (Amanda Reevenge Haunting & Black Widow Modeling Co.) and Dick Terhune (The “Voice From Hell” & host of “The Marketing Morgue” on The Big Scary Show) have combined millennia of Haunt Acting experience (if you count up all the characters they’ve created including backstories, timelines and variations…frankly, it’s exhausting) in Haunted Attractions big, medium and small across the US, Canada, and the UK.
For the first time anywhere, Amanda & Dick join their dark forces to reveal the arcane secrets of Fully-Realized Haunt Characters that engage your guests’ imaginations and deeply immerse them in your Haunt’s story. Think of it as a really really fun exorcism! Learn how to release your inner demons and become a fan favorite! This class is sure to teach you how to Look, Sound & Act Like Hell (duh, that’s why we called it that)!
Amanda Reevenge has over 15 years of experience working with haunted attractions, including creative directing, acting, management, make-up, marketing, costumes, set design/build, booth babe-ing, modeling, and training for all of the above. Amanda has dedicated her life to the Haunted Attraction Industry working with many well known attractions (including Fright Kingdom, Dark Hour, and currently at Legends of Fear), and has proven to be a powerhouse in her field, constantly teaching people how to level up their scares and leveling up their haunted attractions.
Dick Terhune “The Voice From Hell” is the Haunt Industry’s Master of the Dark Arts (of Advertising & Marketing) and host of the popular Marketing Morgue segment on The Big Scary Show. Dick creates memorable results-getting advertising & characters for haunted attractions worldwide. As a professional voice actor, his commercial credits include Great Wolf Lodge, Little Caesar’s, Yoplait, Blue Freedom, Pepsi, Verizon and Google. Gamers know him as the Worgen in “World of Warcraft,” Patchwerk in “Hearthstone,” the title villain in “Pinstripe,” and various roles in “Diablo,” and “Vampires: The Masquerade.” He also starred in the Cartoon Network animated series “Transformers: Cyberverse” as MacCadam, Prowl, and The Quintesson Scientist.
~ SURVIVING SEPTOBER by Bil WithoneL – As most of you know, haunting takes a toll on you. Doesn’t matter if you are new to haunting or a seasoned professional. After Halloween if you’re not ready to sleep for a month, you are doing it wrong (haha). Bil, through his years of experience, has put together a Haunter’s guide for making it through haunt season, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Eating do’s and don’ts, pre-show training, and avoiding drama (maybe).
This CNC Programmer and Machinist has been haunting all over New England for the past 24 years and currently he is scaring it up at Barrett’s Haunted Mansion.
If you are looking for more Bil, along with his good friend Jeff McLargehuge, has a podcast. “This week was way better last year” (Bil’s own words), but don’t trust him, listen for yourself. Visit: https://www.flowcode.com/page/twwwbly
~ More to come as plans solidify…
SATURDAY NIGHT:
Dinner & Costume Ball: Think about it — dinner, dancing and in costume! It doesn’t get better that this! Price is $60 per person.
Cash bar will be open from 7pm – 12am. ( times may change )
Buffet dinner will be served 7:30pm-8:00pm. ( times may change )
** PLEASE NOTE: The Dinner/Costume Ball is one price, we cannot charge separately – sorry!
** THE EXTRAS
FRIDAY NIGHT:
Beast Feast – If you are coming in Friday, instead of spending money eating out come to the Beast Feast! Bring one of your favorite ghoulish, homemade haunted cuisines. Appetizers, desserts, snacks, etc, anything goes. It keeps getting better every year. Location TBA
OTHER INFO:
Silent Auction: To Benefit Team Halloween!
As always, some members will be cleaning out and donating their Halloween items for a silent auction to raise money for Team Halloween. Team Halloween is a charitable project, started by Mike “Tattoo” Krausert of Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, that raises money for cancer research & support. A portion of the money raised will be donated to the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC). So, bring cash and maybe you will find a treasure while contributing to a worthy cause!
For more information on MBCC, please visit: www.mbcc.org
Hotel Information The Courtyard Marriott Billerica, MA is holding a block of rooms for us for Friday August 11, 2023 and Saturday August 12, 2023. The cut off date for our block of rooms is ( July 12, 2023 ).
– To book via phone, call (800) 228-9290 and identify you are with the East Coast Haunt Club to get our rate.
Door Prizes: You don’t have to be a business to donate a door prize. Whether you own a business or simply have a prize to contribute, the East Coast Haunt Club and its gathering attendees would appreciate any donation! Please contact pam@hauntclub.net.
** Click here to RSVP for this year’s Gathering **
