TransWorld’s Halloween and Attractions Show fuels nightmares. Held in St. Louis for the eighth year in a row this March, it supplies haunted houses around the world with masks, costumes, props, makeup, and all things scary. Three hundred exhibitors and more than 10,000 people from nearly 70 countries are expected to attend. “This show is the only show of its kind in the world,” says TransWorld Trade Shows vice president Richard Bianco. “Most of the exhibitors write 80 to 90 percent of their business for the entire year at our show.” SLM spoke with a few exhibitors to learn what they’re most excited about showing off.
Wrex, $700
Stay up-to-date with the local arts scene
Subscribe to the weekly St. Louis Arts+Culture newsletter to discover must-attend art exhibits, performances, festivals, and more.
Of the 400 different silicone masks that Immortal Masks is bringing to the show, co-owner George Frangadakis beams brightest when talking about Wrex: “We were able to accomplish a T. rex that goes over the human head. The snout comes really, really far off the face, which would traditionally be really hard with silicone because of its weight and flexibility. It would droop. But we’ve developed a couple cool techniques to make it so that doesn’t happen.”
Bucket-o-Bees, $3,500
Scare Products looks to nature for its inspiration. When synced with buzzing audio effects, the company’s Bucket-o-Bees oversized bee props and faux beehives rigged with laser-triggered air cannons induce a level of fear that resonates deep within the human psyche, says product manager Philip Rodriguez. “I think it taps into the subconscious and what we’ve learned as a species to avoid,” he says.
Pumpkin Props, Up to $1,000
Not every cutting-edge prop at the show is scary, though. Ghost Ride Productions president Michael Chaille says he’s most excited about his new pumpkin line: durable, realistic-looking pumpkin props that never decay and are just a tenth the weight of the real deal. The company molded real pumpkins, both fresh and rotting, to create the lifelike replicas. Chaille sees nostalgia and vintage growing as a trend in Halloween attractions: “It harkens back to an easier, more fun time when it wasn’t all stabbing and cutting people’s heads off.”
Kill-O-Watt, $700
Silicone masks are different than traditional latex masks because they move with the gestures of your face, says Frangadakis. He says his products are “most competitive with complex makeup applications and prosthetics rather than with standard latex masks.” The nuanced movements of silicone pair with electronic innovations in Kill-O-Watt, a mechanized alien mask with three light-up eyes that can be flipped on by remote control.
