I heard of one incident where one player got angry and damaged the coin door on a game.

I was surprised to hear about that since significant and intentional damage is rare. However, I understand completely if a new owner wants to pull the game to avoid any technical (or attendee) issues.

Honestly, at the very least, I would pull a new purchase off the floor for at least a short time so I could thoroughly inspect it for issues, address any problem areas on the spot if I could, and put some wax down. If a game is not bullet-proofed to my standards, I would remove entirely, rather than risk a board going up in smoke. Unfortunately, I heard of a couple incidents of BBQed boards.

I find the withdraw fee perfectly reasonable. It helps keep games on the floor longer by providing a small deterrent, but the fee isn't so ridiculous where people who need to leave or want to remove new purchases can do so without hurting the wallet too badly.

Obviously, there are some issues with the way the show rules are (or aren't) enforced, just like any other show. I'm sure next year will be better as a result of the feedback from this year's show.

Bringing one (or more) pins to a show is no small feat.

You have to break it down, put it in your vehicle, bring any necessary parts/tools you think you might need to fix any problems, haul it into the venue, set it up, check for any issues that surfaced after being moved, and then keep constantly checking it throughout the day for problems (since most people don't bother to call/text if a game is malfunctioning). I always make a point to call/text an owner if their game is malfunctioning, but sometimes there is no game card or number on a game.

Then if a game malfunctions, you're responsible for getting it back up and running, which can take time, effort, and expense. I know I spent a number of hours working on my game, which took me away from being able to enjoy the show at certain points.

Then you also worry about the game being mishandled by a player, additional wear, or something breaking or frying because the game has been on all day (and I'm sure most owners only have their game on for short periods of time when at home).

Then if you bring the game back home, you typically have to do a cleaning and maybe replace rubbers after having been played hundreds of times in the span of two or three days. Add that to any possible repairs, and you can easily exceed the cost of admission.

For folks who bring a game to sell, all that is acceptable for the opportunity to sell at a big show. However, for folks who just bring games to share with the community, a big kudos should go to them for taking the time and effort to share their game with everyone.

Yeah, more carrots would probably be more effective for keeping game out on the floor. Maybe a raffle of some sort at the end of each day?

So, since the stick didn't work (ie, early removal fees), you're thinking about getting a bigger stick?

Honestly, to me, this sounds like the wrong direction to go.

If you want people to stay, come up with reasons for them to want to stay longer, and not put the place into lockdown in order to keep people from leaving if they want to.

The reason why people are leaving is that there are no incentives to stay. They play a few pins, they do their buying and selling, they catch up with fellow hobbyists, and then they're done for the day and are ready to go off and do something else.

Add perks, incentives, and other side activities, and they will likely want to stick around longer. It would probably be less expensive in the long run than hiring a whole crew of security guards who won't add anything to the show experience. I can only imagine the complaints that would roll in if there was suddenly a big security presence there and not much else about the show changed.

Maybe have a clearly marked staging area marked off with red tape and/or signage for breaking down or setting up pins?

[edit]: then again, this might not work since a lot of folks use a hand truck to move pins. You can't really use a hand truck to move a pin around after it has been set up. So, maybe a few pin carts?