Shaquille O’Neal has been identified by many titles throughout his storied NBA profession, amongst them: “Diesel,” “Superman,” the “Huge Agave” and the “Huge Aristotle.”
Add to that checklist the “Huge Reveler” now that O’Neal is increasing his enterprise empire to occasions and leisure, internet hosting events with 1000’s of celebrants.
The Corridor of Famer will take over the Halloween festivities on the Queen Mary ship in Lengthy Seaside, in a partnership the town hopes will likely be a slam dunk with households and spook-fest followers.
O’Neal is teaming up with ABG Leisure and Thirteenth Ground Leisure Group to supply a competition that’s being dubbed “Shaqtoberfest,” representatives for the businesses introduced Tuesday.
In distinction to the Halloween occasions beforehand held on the Queen Mary, O’Neal’s shindig is designed to enchantment to households, with sights for kids within the early night equivalent to trick-or-treating, stated Christopher Stafford, chief government and founding associate at Thirteenth Ground Leisure.
After darkish, the celebration turns into extra grownup oriented when “Shaq’s minions” are launched to scare the patrons, he stated.
“Not everybody desires to be scared, however everybody desires to rejoice Halloween,” Stafford stated.
Thirteenth Ground Leisure is aware of one thing about Halloween occasions: It has produced the Haunted Hayride, a Halloween attraction operated close to the Merry-go-Spherical at Griffith Park, since 2018, together with dozens of haunted sights in Chicago, Phoenix, Houston and Austin, Texas, amongst different areas.
The occasion, starting in late September and operating on choose nights by means of Halloween, is O’Neal’s newest enterprise enterprise. The previous NBA All-Star is already concerned in product endorsements (Icy Sizzling patches and Carnival Cruises), quite a few meals franchises (Papa John’s pizzas) and has hosted annual Tremendous Bowl events throughout the nation, generally known as Shaq’s Enjoyable Home.
Final yr’s Tremendous Bowl celebration on the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles featured Shaq spinning data for a raucous crowd earlier than he launched rapper Lil’ Wayne. It drew about 5,000 individuals, with tickets beginning at $250 per particular person and going as excessive as $1,300 for VIP.
Previously, the Halloween occasion held on the Queen Mary, dubbed “Darkish Harbor,” was produced by City Commons, the earlier operator of the ship. The mum or dad of City Commons, Eagle Hospitality Belief, filed for chapter safety final yr and agreed to give up its lease settlement. City Commons didn’t apply to function Darkish Harbor this yr, in line with Lengthy Seaside metropolis officers.
“The town is extraordinarily excited to be working with a number of occasion promoters in an effort to proceed activating the property all year long,” stated Tasha Day, supervisor for particular occasions and filming in Lengthy Seaside.
Earlier than the pandemic compelled the town to shut the ship, Darkish Harbor and different particular occasions hosted in and across the Queen Mary generated almost 1 / 4 of all income, with the remaining coming from the leases of rooms within the ship.
Creatures and ghouls combine in with guests to “Darkish Harbor” on the Queen Mary in Lengthy Seaside in October 2015. The Halloween celebration is being taken over by a partnership led by former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal.
(Los Angeles Occasions)
Darkish Harbor featured carnival rides, contortionists, curler skaters preforming stunts, food and drinks cubicles and haunted mazes, together with excursions by means of the stomach of the 86-year-old ocean liner.
The Queen Mary is present process $5 million value of rehabilitation work, which prevents Shaqtoberfest from inviting visitors aboard the ship. The entire sights, meals and beverage cubicles will as an alternative be held on the 65 acres round it.
The Shaq fest will embrace six Halloween-themed areas with “Halloween trails” that Stafford stated will likely be devoted to trick-or-treating early within the night however will likely be transformed after darkish to haunted mazes that make use of actors in costumes, a scary soundtrack and automatic creatures to scare adults. The paths needs to be spaced far sufficient aside to keep away from creating lengthy queues, he stated.
Stafford hinted that Shaq could make an look himself through the occasion.
“You by no means know with Shaq,” he stated. “He likes to have a great time.”
