Quoted from delt31:I do think $20 sounds awfully low especially if the crowd size is expanding
I would think the amount paid to people bringing games should increase as the show grows.
For the record, people are not paid to bring a game. In exchange for bringing a game you get free admission on the days the game is there. Bring 2 games, get 2 admissions. But you get more than that really. You can get in on Thursday for setup. You can get in early (with no lines mind you) on Friday and Saturday. When you do that you can talk to collectors, vendors, and pinheads without the crowds and noise (like the OP wanted).
I don't play much at the show at all. I walk around, look at the new stuff, look for parts, and talk to some wonderful people. I like to see people enjoying pinball, and especially the machine(s) I bring to the show.
And if anyone thinks Ivan is getting rick off this I sincerely doubt it. He had a great staff who work very hard and I am betting they don't work for free (although I don't know that). The building isn't free. He puts it all together and it is very stressful. I think he SHOULD make some money for that. But getting rich off the people who bring games? Nope. Ivan doesn't live in a mansion in the Hamptons. I've been to his house. He is a local who love pinball and wants to let others love it as well.
Chris