Mini Spotlight’s Custom Creations

Bert: tech guy. I don't get in costume. All my stuff's behind the scenes.

Scott: That's a Perfect answer.

Philip: Coming up, this year's top seller from Mini Spotlight.

From the Haunted Attraction Network, I'm Philip. And this episode is part of our vendor showcase series in partnership with the Haunted Attraction Association. Here at the network, we connect, inform and educate the industry through daily podcast, a weekly newsletter and original research. If you're new to the show, you can browse our catalog of over 600 episodes covering every topic in the industry on our podcast website at haunt.news. Okay.

Since 2006, Mini Spotlight has been providing LED lighting solutions for haunts. They have the standard fare, sure, but as you'll hear, their real differentiation is in the custom creations they make, like the LED Warp Tunnel and Jacob's Ladders. This interview was recorded during this year's Transworld, and you'll hear Scott interviewing Bert from Mini Spotlight. Okay, here's Scott.

Scott: What has been your top selling item, either in this show or just kind of in general? What's the one thing that everybody just comes and goes, "oh, I'm going to buy that product."

Bert: That would have to be our Jacob's Ladders. They're all one-of-a-kind items, I hand built all of them. They're all one of a kind and really unique, and low voltage, so they're super safe, but they look just like a real Jacob's Ladder art.

Scott: That's cool. I don't know that there's anybody else doing that. Is there?

Bert: No, no. We're the only ones that make a product like this that looked so real.

Scott: So, every vendor has a product that they really like, I call it the pet project product, that they really like, that they think is super cool, but hasn't quite hit the buyers yet. Either they don't know it exists or they don't know exactly how to use it, or whatever. Do you have, one of those that you think is really cool? It's like a hidden gem product?

Bert: Nothing I can really think off hand. When they discover like our faux tubes, our fluorescent lights, stuff like that, where they can simulate a bad fluorescent fixture with a controller in the lights, that's pretty unique. But all the time, our favorite is the Jacob's ladders. They sell out fast, and everybody can come and design their own, and we'll build it to the size that they need.

Scott: So, you actually work with the customer to build what they want, not just what you want to build?

Bert: Correct. Yeah, I always have some standard ones I bring, but if they have something in mind, like a bigger, taller, stack on it, or more tubes, more elaborate or built into their scene, we're more than happy to oblige them.

Scott: Great. Now I know this is not your first time being at a Transworld show. What is the advantage to being at this show?

Bert: Oh, that's just the number of customers, the relationships you build with them. I mean, it's just, there's nothing like in the world. If you're selling haunt products or buying haunt products, this has gotta be the place to be.

Scott: Excellent. Now you guys are also a member of the Haunted Attraction Association, and different people are members for different reasons. For example, I'm a member, for me I do it to continue to support the haunt industry as a whole, and I like the idea of kind of the unification of everything that it brings together. What advantages do you find from being a Haunted Attraction Association member as a vendor?

Bert: Well, as a vendor, it's again, the relationships you build with your customers, and we're also a haunted house owner. So, the support we get from all the resources that they have is just unmatched.

Scott: Great. Now is the one random silly question, because I always like to throw in one random silly question. What was the favorite, either costume or character, you have ever done on Halloween, and why did you do it?

Bert: That's real easy, I'm a tech guy, I don't get in costume. All my stuff's behind the scenes.

Scott: That's a perfect answer. That's the perfect answer. So, if people want to get in touch with you and find out more about your products, where can they go? How can they reach out to you? And do you have any ongoing, either discount codes or deals that you can offer people who are listening to this?

Bert: Anything you need to know is at MiniSpotlight.com and you can email me info@minispotlight.com. We have our show special, 10% off all our products, and we'll run that for another 30 days after the show.

Scott: Perfect. Thank you so much.