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A horror convention in Florida’s summer heat, sounds crazy right? Well this is exactly what Spooky Empire’s summer convention is.
iHorror sat down with Petey Mongelli, creator of Spooky Empire, to discover the origins of this halfway to Halloween even entited May-Hem.
Hail to the King, Baby
Spooky Empire’s autumn convention had long been established eight years prior to the first May-hem. However, we t iHorror wondered what spurred the additional summer horror event. The answer will surprise you.
For years Mongelli tried to get Bruce Campbell to attend Spooky Empire as a guest. However, the horror veteran’s availability never made him available for the October event. To the dismay of horror fans, Campbell’s insane schedule of conventions and movie shoots prevented him from coming every year. Nevertheless, Mongelli was determined to bring him to the Florida fans.
“We had been trying for years to book him, and we finally just told him to pick a date he was available, and we booked a whole new show around his appearance.”
Campbell and Mongelli finally found a date, and on the weekend of May 27-29, 2011. The King finally arrived in Florida, and Mongelli finally caught his white whale.
In attendance alongside Campbell at the 2011 event were Evil Dead co-stars Ted Raimi, Betsy Baker, Theresa Tilly, Ellen Sandweiss. Other guests included Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters), Veronica Cartwright and Tom Skerritt (Alien), and Alex Vincent (Child’s Play).
Swampy Empire!
May-Hem 2011 found its home at the Wyndham Orlando Resort, where it stayed until 2024. In 2025 and 2026 it moved to the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Orlando at SeaWorld.
If you have ever been to Florida in the early summer you know the sunshine state is not always sunny. In fact, you can pretty much count on a rain storm at least once a day. While brief, these rainstorms can dump a substantial amount of rain in a short amount of time. Unfortunately, this crazy weather does not allow for runoff to drain quickly, nor for the ground to absorb the pooling water. This means one thing… I give you the birth of Swampy Empire!
The layout of the Wyndham Orlando Resort is rather unique. Instead of a traditional tower-based hotel layout, the Wyndham is a sprawling tropical resort with multiple villas housing a total of over 600 guest rooms centered around a 10 acre lake. These buildings are connected by outdoor walkways to the main buildings that house restaurants and ballrooms where Spooky’s events are held.
During the 2011 rainstorms, attendees, guests, volunteers and staff alike dredged their way through ankle deep water to the main buildings. But Spooky attendees were not going to let a little rain stop them. Come hell or high water, the convention would go on!
The Birth of Summer Traditions
The inaugural summer horror convention also set into motion many of the staples that still make up the event today. This includes such classics as open air night parties and themed poolside swarays. Oftentimes celebrities enjoy drinks, mingling among the fans and zombies.
Another tradition set into motion was the VIP cake cutting.
In typical Bruce Campbell fashion, the man himself cut the Evil Dead themed cake by revving up a gas powered chainsaw. As he sliced into the cake he sprayed his co-stars and onlooking fans with icing.
Is May-Hem Busting at the Seams?
This year Petey claimed the summer convention drew three times the amount of attendees of the inaugural convention fifteen years ago.
“It was a record breaking show for our summer event!” He told iHorror.
This year every seat at the Q&A panels were filled, with some even resorting to standing in the back of the room. Such popular panels included Warwick Davis talking about his experience in Leprechaun, as well as the Child’s Play panel featuring creator Don Mancini alongside Brad and Fiona Dourif.
This leaves many to wonder, has Spooky’s summer show grown too large for its britches? With big name guests drawing not just Floridians but out of state visitors as well, are bigger accommodations necessary going forward?
Many attendees believe so. Some even suggested additional panels and events to keep them occupied and out of the crowded vendor room as they found it as the only way to kill time in between panels. A hope for more vendor space was also voiced. Booths overflowed into the courtyard Saturday of the event in the scorching summer heat.
However, Mongelli assured us at iHorror;
“Yes, we were definitely busting at the seams this year at the DoubleTree, but we are very realistic and know that can change from year to year.”
Spooky Empire, a Family of Horror Fans
While there is no doubt that May-Hem continues to grow substantially every year, there is something bigger at work than just celebrity guests, tattoo festivals, and vendor rooms. Mongelli has created two horror conventions that offer the opportunity to be part of something special; a safe and welcoming atmosphere for horror fans, many of which call it their second family.
Stay up to date on all things Spooky Empire with their website and Facebook group!
