Speaker Bios: Halloween

Ben ArmstrongBen Armstrong, NETHERWORLD Haunted House
Deep Theming, Wild Characters and Haunt Design! How the Stories We Tell Mold Our Creations and Shape The Guest Experience
Actor’s Toolkit For Scaring Haunt Customers
Ben worked in television broadcasting for 18 years in a variety of production roles including producer, director, set builder, editor, videographer, lighting director and as a twisted late night TV horror show host in the award-winning Tales from Six Feet Under. He has designed, built and acted in haunted houses since 1991, and is the co-founder and co-owner of the legendary NETHERWORLD Haunted House that launched in Atlanta, GA in 1997. Haunting for more than 34 years, Ben has worked in the film and video game industries, written countless magazine articles, taught innumerable seminars, consulted on a multitude of haunted attraction projects, served in leadership roles in a variety of haunted house associations and boards, and worked for decades to promote the haunted attraction industry in a positive light to the national media.

Randy BatesRandy Bates, Bates Motel & Haunted Hayrides
Hayrides of Horror! The Ins and Outs of the Haunted Hayride Business
Randy Bates, owner of the Bates Mottel and Haunted Hayride, has operated a successful Haunted Hayride since 1991. He teaches Hayride safety to the Pennsylvania bureau of rides inspector’s course and was the ASTM International committee chairman for the Hayride Safety Standard board, which was adopted in 2020.

Scott BibusScott Bibus, Frightprops
Pneumatic Nightmares: Bringing Monsters to Life with Air-Powered Technology
Scott has been working in the haunt industry for 20 years, beginning as a sculptor and mold maker and gradually learning about more technological subjects like pneumatics, controllers and more. As a person who started with no technical knowledge, Scott is passionate about educating others and sharing the know-how he has absorbed over the past two decades.

Alejo CasalottiAlejo Casalotti, Laurel’s House of Horrors
Holiday Haunt Makeups
Alejo Caselotti and Mandy Gibson are the masterminds behind some of the most terrifying and breathtaking haunt makeup designs in the industry. This dynamic duo has established themselves as leading experts in airbrush artistry, and makeup design. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for creating unsettling characters, Alejo and Mandy have become the go-to team for haunted attractions seeking to elevate their scare factor. Their innovative techniques, coupled with their artistic vision, have resulted in some truly awe-inspiring and fear-inducing creations. Alejo’s expertise in makeup design and application perfectly complements Mandy’s skills in airbrush artistry and body paint. Together, they form an unstoppable team that consistently pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in haunted house makeup. Their work has garnered international recognition, with features in publications worldwide. Alejo and Mandy’s commitment to excellence and their passion for scaring have solidified their position as masters of haunted house makeup.

Erin DavisErin Davis, Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary
How to Keep Your Staff Motivated – Ideas for Staff Engagement and Retention
Erin Davis is the Director of Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary, one of the premiere Halloween destinations in Philadelphia. Erin began her haunt career as an actor at a small family farm hayride in Northeastern Pennsylvania where she grew up. After moving to Philadelphia, she started working at Eastern State Penitentiary during the Terror Behind the Walls reign, and has held just about every position there is to hold there. She is currently in her 15th season with the organization. Outside of the prison walls, Erin works as a producer and editor in the entertainment industry and spent close to a decade living in Los Angeles. Erin is also a photographer and traveler, having led multiple international expeditions with National Geographic. Lastly, she is a mother of two young children, ages 2 and 4. She find a lot of joy in photographing the monsters at Halloween Nights, as well as the tiny monsters at home.

John DenleyJohn Denley, Boneyard Productions
Frighteningly Profitable: Unlocking the Secrets to a Thriving Haunted House Business
John Denley is the CEO of Escape Room International. He has designed attractions around the world and his team has become synonymous with creating cutting edge attractions. His clients include Disney Resorts, The U.S. Army, Norton Utilities and Foxwoods Casino and Resorts. He has been featured on many media outlets including Psychology Today, CNN and the Today Show.

Todd FedyshynTodd Fedyshyn
His & Hearse Spectral Dimensions: Mastering Projection Mapping and Immersive Terrifying Set Design
Todd Fedyshyn began home haunting with his family before the age of 10 and has since built three professional haunted attractions, amassing over 40 years of experience in the industry. For the past six years, his passion has centered on designing large-scale facades for Reaper’s Revenge and enhancing them with digital projection mapping. With a college background in audio engineering and video production, Todd brings a technical edge to his craft. He is also a member of the technical team at LUMA Festival, one of the premier projection mapping festivals in the United States.

Shawn FennerShawn Fenner, Empire State Haunters Association
Monsters and Mayhem: Designing Iconic Haunted Attraction Characters
A haunter in Upstate NY since 2015 and Co-founder of the Empire State Haunters Association in 2022, Shawn has been an actor trainer and manager for the majority of his 10 years in the haunt industry. Drawing on many years of amature theater and performace background, as well as being a former New York State Fire and EMS instructor, he brings and unique approach to Haunt Traning.

Mandy GibsonMandy Gibson, Laurel’s House of Horrors
Holiday Haunt Makeups
Alejo Caselotti and Mandy Gibson are the masterminds behind some of the most terrifying and breathtaking haunt makeup designs in the industry. This dynamic duo has established themselves as leading experts in airbrush artistry, and makeup design. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for creating unsettling characters, Alejo and Mandy have become the go-to team for haunted attractions seeking to elevate their scare factor. Their innovative techniques, coupled with their artistic vision, have resulted in some truly awe-inspiring and fear-inducing creations. Alejo’s expertise in makeup design and application perfectly complements Mandy’s skills in airbrush artistry and body paint. Together, they form an unstoppable team that consistently pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in haunted house makeup. Their work has garnered international recognition, with features in publications worldwide. Alejo and Mandy’s commitment to excellence and their passion for scaring have solidified their position as masters of haunted house makeup.

Allen HoppsAllen Hopps, Dark Hour Haunted House
From Ceiling to Floor: Rooms to Die For
Deep Theming, Wild Characters and Haunt Design! How the Stories We Tell Mold Our Creations and Shape The Guest Experience
20 Mega Tips for Amazing Haunt Design
Allen has owned and operated haunted attractions for over 30 years. Seen as an industry leader in Actor training, attraction design and management While acting as a consultant and supplier of costumes and props for haunts of every level through Stiltbeast studios. The Stiltbeast Studios Youtube channel is a go to source for attraction decor and prop ideas. A frequent presenter and educator on all things haunted attraction Allen has a passion for learning and sharing anything that will better the industry.

John LaFlamboyJohn Laflamboy, HellsGate Haunted House
Deep Theming, Wild Characters and Haunt Design! How the Stories We Tell Mold Our Creations and Shape The Guest Experience
John LaFlamboy, founder of Zombie Army Productions and owner/operator of HellsGate Haunted House, has been producing award winning haunted houses, events, films, and theatre for the past 25 years in Chicagoland (Statesville Haunted Prison, The Fear at Navy Pier, Dragon’s Dome, Zombie Prom Chicago, The Moleman of Belmont Avenue). His theatre and film background give him the foundation to create massive interactive haunted attractions that leave the audience feeling like they had just walked through a live horror film. His latest creation, HellsGate Haunted House, is his dream project and the culmination of 20 years of haunted house experience. “HellsGate, it’s not just a Haunted House, It’s an Adventure!”, says John. When he is not working in the halls of his haunted houses, he is on stage as an ensemble member of The Artistic Home Theatre and working on independent films in Chicago. If you want to learn more, go behind the scenes of the haunted house industry with John and his Zombie Army crew with the reality web series DaysOfTheLivingDead.com.

Katie LaneKatie Lane, Bansheette LLC
Upcycling Clothing into Costumes
Katie Lane is an actor, costume designer, and consultant for haunted attractions and entertainment venues. She first performed in a haunt at only 9 years old and worked her way up to queue performer, makeup artist, acting coordinator, and production manager. Training actors is a passion that she shares by working with haunts all over the country and providing educational seminars at Transworld, Midwest Haunters Convention, and East Coast Haunters Convention. Spending the last two decades as a traveling actor, she has performed at haunts such as Scarehouse, HellsGate Haunted House, Factory of Terror, Terror on the Fox, Fear Fair, and Niles Scream Park. She has run several haunted events, most recently the Legendary Haunted School & Laboratory. Katie has spoken out about sexual assault in the industry and works with attractions to implement reporting and safety proceedures. Working with Evilusions, she launched the “Dead Katie” prop line which was created from her lifecast. Outside of the haunt industry, she has designed and implemented attractions, created costuming, and trained performers for escape rooms, zoos, and family entertainment centers.

Brandi MorrisBrandi Morris, BrandiBeast
Stand Up and Stand Out! Creating an Original Character
Brandi has always been enthusiastic when it comes to creatures. She has been drawing up original monsters since she could hold a crayon. It was through this love of the fantastical and horrific that she would find herself pursuing a professional career of monster-making. From being on the makeup team of Reaper’s Revenge, to managing Circle of Screams for a few years, Brandi knew that she’d always have a love for the haunt world. She spent 5 years professionally working and training in Los Angeles under KNB EFX after her time at Cinema Makeup School through the Ve Neill Scholarship. She has worked on pieces that could be seen in “The Walking Dead,” “Lovecraft Country,” “The Orville,” “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood,” and more. She pursued this dream of becoming a union makeup artist, working with prosthetics and effects for the silver screen, but then covid hit. It was this turn that allowed Brandi to work for herself, and thus, BrandiBeast was born. Now she takes everything she’s learned from her adventures and brings them to the Haunt and Entertainment Industries. She’s eager to share the heart of what makes a character special, be it through the products she makes or the lessons she shares.

Jim SchopfJim Schopf, Field of Screams
Hayrides of Horror! The Ins and Outs of the Haunted Hayride Business
With over 3 decades of owning and operating Field of Screams in Mountville PA, brothers Gene and Jim Schopf have seen their event grow from 3,000 attendees in 1993 to now over 100,000 attendees seasonally. When a single-season night can generate over 10,000 visitors in a short time span it is crucial knowing how to handle massive crowds. To date, Field of Screams has entertained over 2 million visitors on their property!

  • Co-founder of Field of Screams LLC which began in 1993 as a Haunted Hayride Operation on the 33-acre family farm in Mountville PA.
  • Field of Screams now consists of
    • 4 Haunted Attractions: The Haunted Hayride, The Den of Darkness, The Frightmare Asylum, and The Nocturnal Wasteland.
    • An impressive haunted mid-way featuring live performances, a Scream Shop souvenir shop, The Chainsaw Bar beer garden area, Axe Throwing lanes, 5-minute Escape Rooms, Carnival-style games, an abundance of food options, and roaming scareactors.
    • A daytime, non-scary event called Corn Cob Acres. This fall, agricultural-based event is geared towards children 12 and under and was added in 2009
    • The Zombie Fun Run, a 5K obstacle run held on the Field of Scrams grounds in mid-November which was added in 2013.
  • Jim was instrumental in helping the PA Department of Agriculture get their Haunt Inspector Program Started back in 2007.

Chris ShraderChris Shrader, Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary
How to Keep Your Staff Motivated – Ideas for Staff Engagement and Retention
Chris Shrader is the Senior Operations Manager and one of the General Managers for Halloween Nights at Eastern State Penitentiary, where he has dedicated 17 years to creating customer service excellence amongst their operations staff. Beyond his work at ESP, Chris is an IT professional with a passion for continuous learning, reading up on the realm of customer service strategies so he can continue to inspire future guest interactions.

Jim SlankerJim Slanker, Chicago Haunt Builders
Kinetic Creativity: Using Motors to Bring Props to Life
For over two decades, Jim Slanker has been breathing life into Halloween with his innovative and award-winning animated props. What started as a humble Home Haunt has grown into the nationally renowned Canyon Trail Cemetery, a spooky spectacle featuring over three dozen pneumatic props and countless motorized creations. Jim’s dedication to blending creativity, engineering, and Halloween spirit has earned his haunt multiple awards and a respected place in the haunted attraction community. As a leader of the Chicago Haunt Builders, the largest Home Haunter community in the United States, Jim has made it his mission to inspire and educate fellow enthusiasts. He regularly organizes “Make & Takes,” where Haunters come together to craft their own versions of Jim’s prop designs. His commitment to sharing knowledge and fostering creativity has made him a cornerstone of the DIY Halloween community. An experienced convention speaker, Jim brings his expertise, passion, and step-by-step guidance to help others dive into the world of animated Halloween props. Whether you’re a seasoned Haunter or a curious beginner, Jim’s seminar is guaranteed to leave you inspired and ready to bring your creations to life—just in time for Halloween!