Quoted from ninjadoug:
Seminars are gone because they were mostly sparsely attended. Bouncy houses gone beacuse the floor space was needed for Pinburgh expansion / other things you'll see when you get here.
The Gary Stern one my friend and I attended last year, had nearly every seat filled.
The Brian Colin one also had a pretty decent amount of folks, even though both of these were in open areas where volume and outside distractions were major issues for enjoyment.
This really stinks.
I'm not a competitive player, I have many of the retro games and systems in the arcade area, and sadly being around so many incredible games has me more walking around them than playing them. As a highly attuned introvert, it's just way too much stimulation to take things in properly.
That's why I enjoy and love so much, guest panels. My friend and I drove to Midwest Gaming Show for the first time this year, solely to take in panels and meet panelists just for one evening.
I do hope you reconsider for next year, as otherwise it's a phenomenal event, but even as a diehard pinhead, there will be considerably less for my friend and I to enjoy, sans guest speakers.