Haunted Haus 2012Program Plan

New Braunfels Parks and RecreationTexas State Recreation Programming

Sarah WaltersAshley Krobot

Daniel LaneAlex Dominguez

Wyatt PolsonSheldon Coble

Haunted Haus

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part 1: Organization Overview Page 3

Part 2: Program Planning Page 6

Part 3: Program Operations Page 13

Attachments Page 17

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PART 1: ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW

Introduction

The City of New Braunfels Parks and Recreation Department is a public governmental organization that operates within the municipal government of New Braunfels. According to the city’s website, “the Parks and Recreation Department operates the city’s recreation programs, athletic programs and leagues, aquatic programs, and golf course along with maintaining 33 parks comprising over 500 acres.”

Demographics

The Parks and Recreation Department serves the community of New Braunfels, a mid-size suburban city. According to data recorded by the 2010 US Census, the total population of the city was 57,740. The area has experienced a time of rapid growth, with a 58.2% increase in population from 2000 to 2010. The vast majority of the population identifies as a member of a family unit, with 47,899 individuals comprising 15,054 families. Of these families, over 11,000 are traditional, or headed by a husband and wife. The median household income as reported by the 2000 US Census in New Braunfels is $40,078, and the majority of the population is of traditional working age. The over-65 and under-18 populations each are comprised of nearly 8,000 citizens. Ethnically, the city is majority White (non-Hispanic) with 35,132 citizens identifying as such. The largest minority populations are Hispanic at 15,000 and Black at 1,081.

Vision and Mission

The vision of the Parks and Recreation Department is “to enhance the well being of our community through laughter, play, conservation, and discovery.”

The mission of the department is “to afford diverse opportunities and access for all residents and visitors through innovative programs and facilities, open space preservation, and economic enhancement.”

Goals and Objectives

The goals of the department, as listed in the Master Plan for 2010, are:

To work towards transforming New Braunfels’ park system into one of the premier park systems in Texas;

To provide an even and adequate distribution of park facilities citywide; To plan neighborhoods so that parks become greater focal points in those

neighborhoods than they are today; To preserve and permanently protect unique natural open spaces,

floodplain corridors, and drainage corridors within the city and its extra-territorial jurisdictional (ETJ) land;

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To promote partnerships with other public, semi-public, and private entities to most efficiently use public funding to provide parks and open space in New Braunfels;

To maintain all of the City of New Braunfels parks and recreation facilities in a superior condition;

To develop a network of pedestrian and bicycle facilities throughout New Braunfels;

To provide a variety of recreation programs to meet the changing recreational needs and desires of the City of New Braunfels’ population

The objectives of the department are not formally listed.

Existing Resources

The Parks and Recreation Department draws the majority of its funding from the City of New Braunfels and its tax base. The city’s General Fund, comprised largely of tax revenue, provided over 3.5 million dollars during the 2010-2011 budget year. A city fund comprised of Federal, State, and Local grants provided $73,117. Other non-major city funds, such as the Special Revenue, Capital Projects, and Cemetery funds, provided over 1 million dollars.

The current budget lists 218 paid positions within the Parks and Recreation Department. This includes 46 full-time positions, 19 part-time positions, and 143 seasonal positions. These positions may not be filled at all times, but could be if necessary under the current budget. The department also receives assistance from approximately 100 volunteers per year.

The Parks and Recreation Department operates the city’s 33 parks totaling over 320 acres. This includes:

9 neighborhood parks, 6 linear parks, 4 community parks, and 2 regional parks

2 public sports complexes, 1 golf course, and 1 privately operated sports complex

6 special use plazas 2 cemeteries

Within these parks are:

2 recreation/community centers, an outdoor education center, and an event facility

9 large pavilions and picnic areas Infrastructure support facilities such as bathrooms 10 baseball fields, 3 outdoor volleyball courts, 5 outdoor basketball

courts, 12 tennis courts, 3 practice fields, and 5 soccer fields 11 playgrounds, a skate park, and a disc golf course A sprayground and 2 swimming pools 5.91 miles of trails

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The largest and most popular facility is Landa Park, a 51-acre regional park. Landa Park offers many amenities including a boathouse, a miniature golf course, a miniature train, an aquatic center with 2 pools (one Olympic, one spring-fed with sprayground), a recreation center, a nature trail, a playground, a fishing pier, and more.

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PART 2: PROGRAM PLANNING

Event Description

The Haunted Haus is an annual event facilitated by the City of New Braunfels Parks and Recreation Department. It is open to the public for a small fee ($5 per person). The event is a traditional small-scale haunted house in which a guide leads small groups of participants through various rooms. An assortment of lights, fog machines, props, decorations, and costumed facilitators are used to produce the “haunted” effect. The Haus also includes a “debriefing room” at the end of the tour to survey participants about their experience and offer an opportunity to cool down with snacks and goody bags. The 2012 Creepy Carnival Haunted Haus marks the fourth year of the event and will be held from 8-10pm on both Thursday, October 25th and Friday, October 26th.

Target Audience

In 2011, the Haunted Haus drew an estimated 80-100 visitors per night. The majority of these visitors were local students from 13-18 years of age. Some families and young adults also attended the event. There was no record of more specific demographics regarding race or socioeconomic status. Very few, if any, persons with disabilities attended the event or are expected to attend. As such, the target audience for the 2012 Haunted Haus is local teenagers, as marketing towards this group seems the most profitable.

Rationalization

As noted in Part 1 of our Program Plan, the goal of the New Braunfels Parks and Recreation Department that is most applicable to our event is “to provide a variety of recreation programs to meet the changing recreational needs and desires of the City of New Braunfels’ population.” This event aligns with the portion of the department’s mission statement that reads “to afford diverse opportunities and access for all residents and visitors through innovative programs and facilities.” The Haunted Haus provides what would not typically be thought of as a traditional fall program for teens, families, and young adults. Instead, it offers a fairly innovative program that is a safe alternative for teens wishing to celebrate Halloween, yet also diverges from other opportunities enough to be attractive to those seeking a new recreation experience. It is also simply a fun and thrilling event for all those involved!

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Goals and Objectives

1. To provide a safe experience in a controlled environmenta. 100% of participants will show no signs of injury upon completion of

the Haunted Haus.b. Staff and volunteers will mark 100% of possible safety hazards

throughout production of the house.2. To provide access to a fun and affordable recreation experience

a. At least 80% of participants will positively rate their experience when surveyed.

b. At least 75% of participants will rate the event as affordable when surveyed.

3. To facilitate a successful eventa. The Haus will draw at least 100 visitors on each night of the event.b. The Haus will produce enough revenue to cover the expenses of

production by the conclusion of the event.

Evaluation

The most effective models for evaluating this event are the Intuitive Model and Evaluation by Goals and Objectives. The Intuitive Model will be used throughout planning, production, and active facilitation of the event to constantly provide quick overviews of progress and make any changes at the exact time they are needed. The Evaluation by Goals and Objectives model is the most effective method of systematically evaluating the success of the program after its completion. As we have clearly stated goals, many of which relate to the financial success of the event and participant satisfaction, it is fairly simple to objectively gauge the success of the event based on how effectively we have completed each objective and whether or not we have reached each goal.

The most effective way for us to gauge participant satisfaction, the largest portion of our evaluation process, is with an optional survey at the end of the Haunted Haus in the debriefing room. The survey has six easy-to-read questions with a simple yes, no, or unsure grading response for each question. The simplicity of the survey was used in order to avoid as many language and intellectual barriers as possible. Each question can be related to the goals and objectives of the event directly or to the overall personal experience of the participants. The survey also includes an area in which participants can provide additional comments. We will be able to implement our findings by taking the total number of surveys taken and the total of each response, and calculating whether or not we have met the percentages set within our objectives.

A copy of the participant evaluation form is attached at the end of this report and labeled “Attachment 1.”

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Venue

The Haunted Haus is held at the Landa Park Aquatic Complex at 350 Aquatic Circle Drive, New Braunfels, Texas 78130. The following maps, retrieved from Google Maps in December 2012, show the recommended route to the Aquatic Complex from IH-35 South and the location of the Complex within Landa Park. South Seguin Avenue/State Spur 453/TX-46 can be taken to Landa Park Drive. Aquatic Circle is located directly off of Landa Park Drive.

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Nearly all of the main building at the Aquatic Complex as well as some outside areas will be used for the event, save several areas that are used for storage or separated from the main tour route. Approximately 10 specific areas will be used for the event for various functions:

Cashier’s Room – Payment area and beginning of tour Hallway to Woman’s Dressing Room – “Claustrophobic noodle” room Women’s Dressing Room – Undecided room Women’s Shower – “Glowing masks” room Outside Lawn Area – Graveyard First Aid Room – “Fake-to-Real Chainsaw Scare” Break Room – “Fake-to-Real Chainsaw Scare” Men’s Dressing Room – Clown room Men’s Shower – “Birthday Party Gone Wrong” room Training Room – Finale and Survey/”Debriefing” room

Equipment, Supplies, and Material Needs

While the department has stored a large amount of equipment and supplies from previous years to be used again in this year’s Haunted Haus, there are still many supplies and materials that need to be purchased or solicited from donors. A real chainsaw will be borrowed for the event, and other necessary construction resources such as ladders, staple guns, etc. will be provided.

Existing supplies, nearly all of which are reusable save the fog juice, include: “Black Out” Plastic, pre-cut Tombstones Gargoyles, various other monster torsos Baby parts Fake chainsaw Various wigs, masks, and other costumes Various fake weapons Black lights, strobe lights, string lights, and solid colored and white

lights Hanging witches, ghouls, other monsters Fog machines and some fog juice

Needed supplies that will be reusable include: Black Out Plastic Pool Noodles and PVC frame Clown wigs and masks, costumes Plain white masks “False Escaping Door” materials (door, frame, pulley system, cart) Plastic table cloths Red velvet material Creepy Clowns sound tracks

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Needed supplies that will be mostly or completely depleted after the event has concluded and the amount of each necessary for this year’s event include:

Fog juice, 5 gallons Spider webbing/cheese cloth, 2 ounces/2 yards Face Make-up, 30 tubes Clown Noses, 32 Glow Sticks, 30 Fake blood, 1 pint Gorilla Tape, 5 35-yard rolls Zip-Ties, 100 Staples, 1000-count box Thin rope/string, 300 yards

Marketing and Promotion

We have used and will continue to use various types of marketing and promotion materials including:

Flyer Poster Social Media – Facebook Event/Fan Group Word of Mouth Professional Networking – Announced at A.R.E. meeting, added to calendar for

participants and volunteers Sponsorship letters/queries

Attached at the end of this report are a flyer, labeled “Attachment 2,” a sample sponsorship letter, labeled “Attachment 3,” and a press release, labeled “Attachment 4.” The press release was not used in marketing, but was completed for academic purposes.

Budget and Pricing Information

For the 2012 Haunted Haus, we have budgeted between $1100-1250 to be spent on the production of the Haus. About $450 is to be spent on “must have” items necessary for construction, while about $750 is to be spent on decorative items. An initial $250 was given to our group to spend on items of our choice, with approval. The remaining $1000 was spent by department staff with input from our group.

The New Braunfels Parks and Recreation Department prefers to format their budget for events in an Excel spreadsheet. As such, a spreadsheet documenting our budget has been attached at the end of this report and is labeled “Attachment 5.”

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Inclusion Plan

Our target audience is teenagers around the ages of 13-18. That being said, the event is open to the public and could draw participants of any population or demographic within the city of New Braunfels and surrounding areas. While we will not target persons with disabilities, as it does not seem appropriate for the nature of our event, we have planned various accommodations for anyone who does wish to participate in the Haus. We have decided to retain the ADA standard width of all doors and hallways in the complex and to avoid any surfaces that could not easily be navigated with minimal assistance. Were someone with a seizure disorder or some other condition triggered by lighting, fog, etc. to wish to participate, we would temporarily alter the presence of strobe lights or fog machines to avoid any issue. Essentially, our goal is to accommodate rather than include. We will not turn anyone away, barring safety concerns that we could not resolve, but we will not actively seek the participation of anyone with a disability.

Staff Management Plan

The Haunted Haus requires different numbers of staff and volunteers for different stages. Planning requires two city staff members and our team of six student volunteers in order to budget, market, design the Haus, etc. Construction requires 10-12 staff members and our team of six student volunteers in order to black out the complex, move and organize supplies, and decorate the Haus. Facilitation of the event itself requires the majority of the staff and student volunteer construction team, as well ideally 10 additional volunteers per night. We will have operation plans that allow for the house to be operated with a minimum of 20 people and no maximum number of volunteers.

Most staff and volunteers on the nights of the event will be used within the Haus as tour guides or within rooms. They will be responsible for basic tasks involved in operating rooms as well as acting out various parts for scaring people. Other staff and volunteers will be involved in running the line and payment, as well as administering surveys, “debriefing” participants, and handing out goodie bags. There will be no special training necessary for volunteers, as responsibilities and basic explanation of tasks will be given on the night of the event.

Risk Management Plan

The nature of the Haus as well as the facility in which it is held bring several potentially dangerous aspects into our event, most of which are easily managed. Safety hazards or potentially dangerous situations include:

Uneven Surfaces/Low Ceilings - Uneven flooring and potential head hazards will be marked using brightly colored tape prior to opening of the Haus 

Off-Limit Areas - Office rooms, baby pool, spring fed pool, and undesignated outdoor areas outside of tour route will be blocked by staff and/or tape

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Physical Contact – Staff/volunteers and participants will have no physical contact in order to assure no altercations

Sturdy Construction – False walls, hanging items, and particularly the false door will be constructed as well as possible and constantly observed by staff/volunteers; false door will be manned by one staff member/volunteer at all times and significantly reinforced

Seizures/Heart Conditions/Mental Illness – People who are prone to seizures or could be negatively affected by a haunted theme and potentially intense situations will be advised to participate; a sign will be placed at the entrance advising participants of this information

Contingency Plan

The main risks to our Haunted Haus are weather related. In the event of rain or high winds, various changes and repairs will be made to the Haus in order to protect its integrity. Staff needs to be prepared to fix any damages to the Haus if it is damaged by wind and zip ties, black plastic, and cutting utensils will be on hand to repair any damages at a moments notice. Heavy rain or wind would prevent us from having our outdoor graveyard area, and these items would simply be removed and stored to assure they could be used again and the tour would be diverted past the area. In the case of rain, electrical cords, splitters, and outlets will all be covered and raised off of the ground as much as possible to prevent any water reaching them and causing safety hazards.

Management Plan

The realistic timeline for planning and managing the Haunted Haus is most effectively represented by a Gannt Chart. This chart is attached at the end of the report and is labeled “Attachment 6.”

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PART 3: PROGRAM OPERATIONS

Event Set-Up

As specified in Part 2 of this report, the Haunted Haus was held at the Landa Park Aquatic Complex at 350 Aquatic Circle Drive, New Braunfels, Texas 78130. The layout proposed in Part 2 was a fairly accurate guide for the final layout for the event. The majority of the main complex, as well as some outdoor space, was used for the event, save several areas that were either reserved for storage or separated from the Haus tour route. Approximately 16 specific areas were used for the various “rooms” along the tour route:

Cashier’s Room – Payment area and beginning of tour Hallway to Woman’s Dressing Room – “Claustrophobic noodle” room

and “mirrors” room Family Bathroom – “Saw” room Women’s Dressing Room – “Big Top games” room Women’s Shower – “Glowing masks” room Outside Lawn Area – Graveyard Outside Concrete Area – “Fake-to-Real Chainsaw ” scare and Jack-in-

the-Box with “Joker” scare Break Room – “Fake-to-Real Chainsaw” scare Hallway to First Aid/Break Room – Moving door scare Men’s Shower – Doll room Men’s Dressing Room Part 1– Clown room Men’s Dressing Room Part 2 – Monkey escape room Men’s Dressing Room Part 3 – Bearded lady’s room Men’s Dressing Room Part 4 – Video Finale room Men’s Shower – “Birthday Party Gone Wrong” room Training Room – Survey/”Debriefing” room

The majority of the rooms, 14 of 16, served as decorated scare zones along the Haus tour route. The remainder of the rooms were used for the more clerical functions at the beginning and end of the route.

Detailed Running Sheet

The preparation and set-up of the venue began in the days and weeks before the event. The first step involved using heavy black plastic to “blackout” the venue as well as to designate the route and “build” rooms. Next, all rooms were decorated using various supplies, and fog machines and lighting were set up. This part of the process lasted throughout the event, as non-permanent items such as glow sticks and fog juice were added as needed.

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On the day of the event, the venue set-up was nearly complete. Finishing touches were made on several rooms, particularly the doll room and big top games room. The “debriefing” room was also set up completely on the day of the event as it had previously been used for storage. Final steps in set-up were to assemble the graveyard, sweep the venue for trash, and move any items not in use to storage.

As we prepared to begin the event, we assigned staff and volunteers to their positions and got into costumes and make-up. Fog machines and lights were set shortly before the first tours began. We had regular tours throughout both nights before finishing with short debriefing meetings with Jason. The Haus was torn down on the Monday and Tuesday following the event, and all items were returned to storage. Our final evaluation of the event as a group was in a meeting with Jason in late November. Please see the following detail schedules for both Thursday and Friday, the days of the event:

Thursday, October 2512:00pm – Arrive at Haus12-2:00pm – Finalize room set-up2-2:30pm – Set up graveyard2:30-3:00pm – Sweep for trash, move items not in use to storage3-3:15pm – Walk-through with Fire Marshal3:15-5:00pm – Break for lunch5-6:30pm – Finishing touches on rooms 6:30-7:00pm – Welcome volunteers, assign positions, costumes/make-up7-10:00pm – Tours10-10:15pm – Group picture, meeting, tear down graveyard, cut lights

Friday, October 265:00pm – Arrive at Haus 5-6:30pm – Finishing touches on rooms, sweep for trash6:30-7:00pm – Welcome volunteers, assign positions, costumes/make-up7-10:00pm – Tours10-10:15pm – Meeting, tear down graveyard, cut lights

Final Budget

The final budget for the event is attached at the end of this report and labeled “Attachment 7.” In total, $1,1082.95 was spent on supplies for the event and $710.00 was drawn in revenue, resulting in a net loss of $372.95. However, there was a strategic move to spend the remainder of a fund from the 2011 budget year before it was lost at the start of the new budget year on October 1. Spending from this fund accounted for $611.38. If this expenditure is removed from the total project expenditure, the net profit for the 2012 budget year is $238.43.

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Evaluation

The goals and objectives for the event were listed in Part 2 of this report:

4. To provide a safe experience in a controlled environmenta. 100% of participants will show no signs of injury upon completion of

the Haunted Haus.b. Staff and volunteers will mark 100% of possible safety hazards

throughout production of the house.5. To provide access to a fun and affordable recreation experience

a. At least 80% of participants will positively rate their experience when surveyed.

b. At least 75% of participants will rate the event as affordable when surveyed.

6. To facilitate a successful eventa. The Haus will draw at least 100 visitors on each night of the event.b. The Haus will produce enough revenue to cover the expenses of

production by the conclusion of the event.

In evaluating the success of the Haus, we have assessed how well each goal and objective was attained. Goal 1 was attained completely, as no staff member, volunteer, or participant was injured during the event and all safety hazards were marked throughout production of the Haus. Goal 1, Objective 2 was verified in a walk-through by the Fire Marshal. Goal 2 was more difficult to evaluate, as the we did not obtain the results of the participant survey from the department. Based on word of mouth and brief scanning of the surveys, we have confidently assessed overall participant satisfaction at close to 100%. There was no question regarding affordability on the survey but, based on word of mouth and attendance, we have confidently assessed participant satisfaction with the price of the event at close to 100%. Goal 3 was attained less successfully. On the first night of the event, we fell short of our goal of 100 visitors by a significant margin. On the second night, we fell only a few visitors short. The final budget shows that we had a net loss at the conclusion of the event, so Goal 3, Objective 2 was also not attained completely.

As briefly stated in our discussion of Goals and Objectives, we did not obtain the formal report of results from the participant evaluation. Instead, our evaluation has relied on word of mouth and an informal scanning of the surveys. This limited information suggests that participants were very satisfied with the event overall. The small number of suggestions made by participants for improving the event were often either impossible according to risk management policies or simply regarding trivial matters.

We also evaluated the success of our event by considering the 5 P’s for evaluation. As we were satisfied with the number of participants and reached our target audience, we feel that we were successful in this regard. We also feel that we had the right people in the right place at the right time when it came to managing

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personnel. The number of staff and volunteers on each night of the even led to a successful Haus and limited the initially expected stress of management. The venue used for the event, while not a traditional haunted house venue, was an effective setting. The routing and physical set-up were also successful in producing an enjoyable and safe Haus. The administration and policies of the city and department led to a safe and successful Haus through sufficient fiscal support and effective risk management guidelines. These four aspects all came together in a successful program that effectively promoted the mission, goals, and objectives for the city and department.

Regarding modifications for the Haunted Haus in 2013 and following years, it seems as if the main area of concern is with marketing. There is limited concern as far as budgeting, purchasing supplies, and production of the Haus as all of these areas seem to have reached a position of perennial success. However, as far as marketing, the event is still growing and simply lacks the desired popularity. It seems as if the best solution would be to market more heavily earlier on in the event planning process, as well has marketing more heavily to local students. This could involve working more closely with sponsors, partnering with local schools, or advertising more successfully using social media. Increased attendance could also be achieved through a scheduling change, such as adding a night, moving the event to Friday and Saturday, or increasing the time for tours offered each night. This could be more difficult for the department to achieve, however, and so marketing seems to be the more effective solution.

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ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 1: Participant Evaluation Form

Attachment 2: Flyer

Attachment 3: Sample Sponsorship Letter

Attachment 4: Press Release

Attachment 5: Proposed Budget

Attachment 6: Management Plan

Attachment 7: Final Budget

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