IAAPA Expo 2025 returned to the Orange County Convention Center with record-breaking attendance and a show floor packed with innovations across the attractions industry. Among its newest and fastest-growing areas is the Haunting Grounds, a dedicated pavilion in the North Concourse focused on Halloween and seasonal events.
According to Michael Shelton, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of IAAPA, the pavilion reflects a larger shift in how attractions are expanding their offerings.
“We’re exceeding attendee expectations and attendance better than we ever have,” Shelton said. “Seasonal events are becoming more popular as parks try to extend their seasons and create new revenue opportunities.”
He explained that IAAPA intentionally created curated spaces like the Haunting Grounds so operators wouldn’t have to search the entire floor to find relevant vendors. “We created these really specific areas to address the needs of our members,” Shelton said. “The haunted area is one of those—so they can go there and find attractions, vendors, and activations that are specific to what they’re trying to do.”
This year, exhibitors inside the Haunting Grounds showcased tools for building themed environments, creating interactive moments, and integrating digital layers into Halloween and fall experiences.
Plague Productions Exhibits at IAAPA for the First Time
Plague Productions made their IAAPA Expo exhibiting debut with a fully themed vintage dark-ride-inspired booth. Designed by Jon Cooke and his team, the installation demonstrated how a complete narrative environment can be achieved within a compact footprint.
The booth’s stylized scenic approach underscored Plague’s broader message: operators increasingly seek cohesive storytelling—not just props—when building seasonal experiences. Their presence in the pavilion highlighted the growing crossover between haunt design, dark-ride thinking, and year-round themed entertainment.
Nethercraft Highlights Rapid-Install Scenic Architecture
Nethercraft (NCV Creative) returned with a wide array of vacuform architectural panels, providing modular scenic solutions for haunts, trails, and permanent installations.
“We make vacuum panels for all sorts of different things, from facades to photo ops, even just transition halls,” explained Elise from Nethercraft. “It’s a quick and easy way to make an entire room and an entire experience for your haunted attraction.”
The booth featured cathedral walls, crypt textures, large scenic kits, and versatile elements that can scale from a single room to a full haunted house. “You can use them on a small scale or large scale,” Elise added. “It took about three days to set everything up.”
IWG Showcases Mirror Mazes and Overscale Décor
IWG (Ironwood & Glitter) brought a section of one of their signature mirror mazes—an homage to a classic attraction that continues to evolve with modern effects.
“A mirror maze is one of those all-time greats from the past that just keep on getting better with time,” their representative noted. The company also creates large-scale seasonal décor, agricultural-themed pieces, and custom scenic elements for theme parks, farms, and holiday events.
Dogwood Entertainment Debuts Its 12-Foot Pumpkin Treehouse
Dogwood Entertainment introduced a new family-friendly installation: a twelve-foot-tall Pumpkin Treehouse designed as an immersive photo op for fall festivals and themed attractions.
“Dogwood Entertainment builds bold scenic pieces, immersive photo ops, full trail shows—really any three-dimensional prop or idea that a client has,” said Kat Parness. “This is designed for spooky, not scary, family-friendly fall attractions.”
The Pumpkin Treehouse includes interactive components for children to touch and activate, supporting operators seeking playful — not frightening — seasonal additions.
Verse Immersive Unveils Trick ’r Treat AR Experience
Verse Immersive showcased its newest glasses-based augmented reality attraction created with Legendary Entertainment: an interactive Trick ’r Treat experience featuring Sam and the Rules of Halloween.
“We’re the only glasses-based augmented reality attraction in the world,” said Jack Meyer of Verse Immersive. “Guests can still see each other, still see the room around them, engaging with a layer of 3D holograms over the real world.”
Placed within the Haunting Grounds, the demo allowed guests to collect candy, interact with pumpkins, and engage with AR overlays that blend fear, play, and family-friendly storytelling.
IAAPA Leadership Highlights F&B as a Key Area for Growth
Beyond seasonal events, Shelton pointed to food and beverage as another major driver of development across the attractions industry.
“Food and beverage is really becoming a big thing,” he said. “Different ways to engage a larger group of people at your venue.”
This year’s show highlighted that trend with experiential zones like the Street Market, featuring live chef demonstrations and culinary innovations designed to reduce prep time and increase profitability. The focus reflects how many operators are enhancing their seasonal events—not just through décor and storytelling, but through upgraded hospitality offerings.
Shelton also emphasized IAAPA’s evolving show-floor strategy, including dedicated spaces such as the Digital Sign Innovation Lab, and the organization’s continued expansion into additional halls in Orlando and new markets like the Middle East.
Sally Dark Rides Reveals New Animatronics and a Mini™ Dark Ride
Sally Dark Rides revealed the first new animatronics from Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare, debuting at Kings Island in 2026. The attraction brings back classic characters such as Maestro and No Legs Larry, along with interactive “spellbound” flashlights used to capture escaped “ghost notes” before the curtain rises.
Sally also announced its first Mini™ dark ride installation: Guardians of the Hidden Chamber at Doha Quest in Qatar. Featuring trackless vehicles, dynamic lighting, physical sets, and more than four minutes of gameplay, the experience demonstrates how compact dark rides can still deliver cinematic immersion.
A Dedicated Space for Seasonal Innovation
The Haunting Grounds continues to solidify IAAPA’s commitment to supporting the rapidly expanding seasonal attractions market. From modular scenic solutions to interactive AR layers and dark-ride-inspired storytelling, exhibitors showcased a diverse range of tools designed to help operators grow their fall and holiday offerings.
By bringing these vendors together in a curated pavilion, IAAPA is making it easier for buyers to envision complete seasonal expansions—reinforcing Halloween and holiday overlays as essential components of the modern attraction calendar.
