Rob,

Thanks for this honest, to-the-point, write-up. I didn't attend expo this year (for the first time in 4 years), but enjoyed witnessing the hype from afar. Visiting you and Taro is one of the things I missed most. Hope to see you around another show before too long.

Sincerely,
Ryan

Is THAT what they look like?

I really hesitate to post in this thread after it's turned to comments about Mike Pacak's current influence on Expo, but there's certainly something to be said for the diminishing number of vendors. I even know a number of other vendors (besides Rob) who have been belittled, yelled at, and personally attacked by Mike. I haven't voiced this publicly, but I have also been the subject of Mike's outbursts, so I'm not speaking second-handedly here.

Unfortunately for the vendors, the pinball show with the worst customer service in the nation (I think that's safe to say at this point. I mean, has anyone else heard accounts of another show organizer that comes close to the frequency of Mike's reported rudeness and aggression?), is also the longest-running, most industry-integrated show in the nation (due largely to it's number of years in existence and proximity to pinball's historic point of origin).

However, if these reports continue, the tide of the Chicago Pinball Expo's industry stronghold could easily be supplanted in a few short years. Chicago no longer holds a monopoly on pinball manufacturing. Sure, Stern is an undeniable part of the pinball landscape, but there are other production facilities that are shipping bona fide pinball machines in New Jersey, Wisconsin, and the UK, with more parties interested in joining our rich and fabulously addictive hobby. We're living in an increasingly globalized marketplace and there are plenty of other shows in the U.S. that are listening to attendee feedback (Texas Pinball Festival continually revamping and improving their tournament), expanding on their programming (Southern Fried Gameroom Expo inviting a wide breadth of special guests from pinball industry veterens to video game record holders to podcasters), providing more games (ReplayFX hauling hundreds of games from their collection across town to a convention center to make pinball more accessible to the casual player), and valuing their vendors (Midwest Gaming Classic providing a unique, family-friendly, experience with individualized spaces for sales).

I'm not trying to tear-down Expo, or Mike for that matter. I'm trying (likely in vain) to contribute to the collective Mike Pacak wake-up call. Mike, you and Rob created a helluva show. Back in 1985, you were both so passionate about this great hobby that you conceived of and brought to fruition the first convention to celebrate it. On top of that, you both had the drive to organize it annually for the past 32 years. You are both trailblazers. For that, we should thank you. I've also attended the show in 2012, 2013, 2014, & 2015, during which time I've met many fellow hobbyists, personal heroes, and lifelong friends. For that, I thank you.

However, somewhere along the way something happened. I don't know what. Maybe it's the pressure of running a show that's weighing on you. I am the Director of an annual event that's celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, so I can relate to that feeling. Maybe it's the financial burden of being responsible for this event year after year. Thankfully, my event has sponsorship, so that's not a concern for me, but I can see that becoming a compounded form of stress. Maybe it's a catalyst in your personal life than none of us should know about. Again, I don't know. The problem is, whatever happened, it's manifesting itself in really unhealthy ways.

Mike, you're in a really unique situation, one that is quite specific to you. As co-founder of the inaugural event celebrating pinball, you're sitting on a really important part of history with this show. But if you're not careful, all your hard work keeping this show running over the years could crumble under your lack of tact. I sincerely hope you can take some self-reflexive moments, reevaluate your relationship to the show, and make some hard decisions. For the show to thrive, one of a couple things will need to happen. Either there's going to be...

A) a monumental change in your demeanor

...or...

B) a changing of the guard.

With your identity being tied so tightly to Expo, I can't imagine the latter happening, although it would certainly have an immediate and positive effect. If neither of these things happen, passionate people spearheading newer shows will treat their volunteers with the respect they deserve, entice more attendees, and consequently continue to draw additional vendors. They understand that forming that perfect storm will benefit them in the long run, not just financially by allowing their show to continue growing and run in perpetuity, but also (more importantly) with respect to the personal relationships they develop. I imagine that passion was present in you at one time, but sadly it's been absent for a number of years now.

My sincerest hopes are that this difficult-pill-to-swallow will be received with the constructive sentiments intended.

Long live Expo,
Ryan Claytor