I went through hotels.com and got a 4 person room for 188 a night at the Westin.

I saw it last year, but didn't get a chance to play it. Hoping to this year. Will it be on the main floor again?

Thanks,
Ryan Claytor
Elephant Eater Comics
www.ElephantEater.com

Room booked, toy trailer booked, just need to set up my annual expo pin trade with someone, one of my favorite things about expo, trading for another pin wtih a pinsider!! cant wait.. the last 4 or so have been pretty awesome..

Room is booked and Ill be there.

Wait... Did Pinside just groan?

Probably a moan

SEXY!!!

Just booked my hotel room. Gonna be my first expo. I'm excited. Long drive ahead of me.

Cool. Fiona is looking forward to having another margarita with Mrs Mods!!

Rd

Rooms are still available at the Expo rate of $121 a night. Use the link from pinballexpo.net, don't bother with other booking sites, use the one from the hotel for that rate. I just booked Thurs-Sunday, only showed Kings bed available.

https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/events/start.action?id=1503246078&key=1DBEDE9B

Damon

I was having trouble finding a rental car from Midway.
$390-$435 for 5 days.

Strange, I went Hotwire, and they gave me a rate, offered it as non refundable,
but came up with Hertz at only $165. Wow!

Perhaps this will help Someone else.

Also this hotel was able to be booked with American Express Points on SPG.

free drink on me at "the peaks" to anyone that beats me at a best 2 out of 3 games of joust (if phoebe brings it again this year)

I'm interested to see if she's finally put the new playfield plastics on her's

Yeah j_m_ I'd take you on, but that might be considered home field advantage! I'm planning to bring Joust again...but no I haven't had a chance to put my new plastics on her yet. Chances are not favorable that I will get a chance before Expo either. They do look great!! Just no time!

Phoebe

cool, might be there this year (keeping my fingers cross)

Do it!

I'll be there

i really want to, as of right now i have nothing that weekend, i hope it won't change.

I bet people would pay me not to go. But seriously am thinking about going this year. Could get my work to pay for flights and just work out of our Chicago office. Whysnow, should we split a room?

This would be my first time going. What days would be best? Looking to do only 2 days.

I would go with Friday and Saturday, until the schedule goes up. Then you might find things you like on Thursday too. Like the Stern tour in the new building.

LTG : )™

wife says we have room for your girlfriend but not you. Sorry buddy. We can link you the webcam if you want and you can watch from the hallway...

I usually get my COmpaNy to pay for one or two nights of Expo as I have business in downtown Chicago as well as South central Wisconsin. I usually drive unless my business is only in downtown then I take the Blue line from O'Hare or the Orange line from Midway to the Loop. Not FM-98, which is a radio station in Chicago as opposed to a Farm to Market road in Texas.

I'd do Thursday & Friday. Thursday is my favorite day because nearly all the games have arrived, almost nothing has broken or been sold & removed, and it's not crowded yet. Friday is still pretty great, but starting to get crowded. Saturday is jam-packed and games are starting to go down and disappear. If you primarily want to socialize, I'd recommend Friday/Saturday instead.

I'm with Yancy. Fly in Wed and I have enjoyed a full show and out Saturday.

If I make the trip out its on J_M.

Yes, it will be in the vendor hall in the Multimorphic booth amongst all the other great P-ROC controlled games that will be there as well.

I'll be there at least one of the nights. I live 15 minutes away. I haven't decided if I'm bringing any machines this year though. Last year I brought two and they sat out in the hallway unplugged while there were at least 20 pins sitting in the main room out of order. I eventually loaded them back up and we went down the road to Pete Miller's steak house and had cocktails and $50 New York Strips.

I went back the next evening by myself and just played pinball and said "hello" to some of the people I know. One thing I was really disappointed in was that they were all out of my size of the T-shirts too. I tried to buy one early on the first day and they were already sold-out. It would be nice if we could order shirts in advance to ensure we can get one. I would be willing to pay in advance.

Oh yeah, can't wait, I'll be there wed-sun. Anyone started the official expo buy/sell/trade thread yet?
I've got a Ripley's and AC-DC to trade this year.

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/chicago-expo-2015-have-anything-for-sale-that-you-can-bring#post-2625870

I am going to wear my pinside badge, i hope some of you do the same

20150826_093536.jpg

I'll have to try and find mine now

edit:
found it right where I set it down a year ago

Anyone know when expobrawl registration opens?
http://www.slam-tilt.com/expo/

no info on their website yet.

Why do prices seem so high? $25 for 1 hall day pass. $50 for 1 factory tour. $60 for seminar. Extra banquet ticket, $90!!! Never could understand expo prices. I mean people bring the games for free so the overhead is just rent and technicians correct! Are the rent costs that high or is the show operator making early retirement $$$ off one or two shows?

Either way hope you all have fun. Wish I could go but have other Oct events. Look forward to reading the post expo thread and comments!

Pretty sure this is a large money making thing for MikePin. Mainly run by voulenteers and profits go to a few. That has always been my understanding and what I have been told from a few of the old schoolers when I first started going 4 years ago.

Yea and you suckers keep paying up!

You're welcome to stay home if you think it's too expensive

I'll be there probably Thursday night, and Satureday morning/day. Not staying at the hotel though because I live 10 minutes away.
I may take a cab, or an uber over there though, because I tried going last year, but blew it off because there was no parking whatsoever, and I wasn't preregistered, so I figured with that line and the crowd why bother. But if I just get dropped off, it will be easier, and I can drop in at the bar/bars around there and tie one on if the games get too busy!

See you all there!

Tom

They need to change the terrible policy of locking people out of the vendor / game hall as punishment for not buying a $90 plate of crappy banquet food.

For $90 I, personally, would expect lobster or prime rib. Lol, maybe both

I still come and enjoy, but am allowed to point out it is very pricey and obviously alot of profit on the top.

The costs are relatively fixed and can be calculated with ease. Much of the labor is done by a bunch of great voulenteers.
The price could be less but that woudl mean less profit for some.

Obviously lots of profit. Obviously. I'm looking forward to a full audit from you, since Mike's "lots of profit" can be calculated with ease.

Begs the obvious question... if this show is so profitable, why are you letting Mike make all the moolah?? Surely someone named "Hilton" could find a way to put on a better, even more profitable exposition? Or maybe you'll figure out that eveything costs more at a 4 star hotel vs a Holiday Inn...

No desire to run a show of that size. No need to get so defensive bub. Just pointing out the obvious that it is expensive to come to the show and is run largely by voulenteer staff.

You can call and check what it costs to rent the hotel if you want. It is not as much as you may think, esp when you are handing them a gaurentee fill of rooms for the week.

I will make sure that all-volunteer staff gives you an extra-big smile as they take your money. When you're ready to back up your 'obvious' claims with some real numbers, I'm all ears. Til then, I'll just turn this game up a smidge to drown you out....

or you could take the feedback to your buddy Mike and help him understand that the show could bring in even more people and be even better if prices could be decreased a bit and things continue to improve (hence likely meaning even more profits). LOTS of people that do not even attend due to the cost > recently was a post on a local FB group about why the people are NOT attending expo and cost was a large factor.

He seems to be listening to feedback and expo was almost dead 2 years ago until he listened and thankfully made some good changes (sounds like mainly letting other get it done better and getting out of the way by letting others take charge of the game hall) to improve last year. Hopefully that trajectory continues. It surely wont continue if all feedback falls on dead ears.

X 1000....yes, that is the dumbest thing ever. ....and $50 for the Stern tour?!!! It ain't Disney people.

Especially considering that you could make an appointment to stop by pretty much any weekday and get the walkaround from Jody for free. No idea what the busses cost though.

Mike will price the show where he needs to to make the show happen. You have this unfounded belief that there is gobs of profit, and apparently 3 posts joking about it weren't enough to convince you you're wrong. There isn't gobs of profit. If you think there is, do it yourself and make the profit yourself. Oh wait, you don't have time because you have a regular job. Expo is Mike's job, and I bet you he's working on it right now, earning the entry fee you'll pay in 2 months.

As for those (supposed) people not showing up due to cost (got any names?) ...it's their loss. The hotel sold out earlier this month anyway so no biggie. Expo fee isn't going down so get used to it. All your whining and false statements do is .... make you look like a whiner

They did. The game hall stays open thru the banquet now. Was that way last year and is on the schedule this year as well. Vendor hall closes coz most of them go to the banquet.

Hella Yes!! my room & flights are booked , cant wait for my very first expo & first trip to Chicago to boot

I feel bad. It was my post, regarding high prices, that triggered the quibbling here. I am sorry for that. I was just shocked after visiting the website and seeing the prices. I am equally unhappy about Michigan pin expo. It was $12.50 back in 2012 I think. It goes up each year and is over $20 I think now. It is at a college campus too. How costly could that be? A rumor was going around that the campus actually charged less money for space after 2012. So go figure.

Anyway, same with Chicago. I was shocked at the package cost over $200. If a friend visits you for one day and eats.$25 for the pass and $90 for a food plate. That just seems rediculous. $115 total for that person for one day! Ouch. I hope we can express opinions regarding cost without triggering a nuclear war in this thread! Pretty please!

Looks like the hotel room block is booked up =(

Anyone have any luck calling the hotel?

JJ

I would really like the Vendor hall to remain open during the banquet. At a minimum, allow the vendors themselves to be in their booth. The booth acts as home base for a lot of us.

Aaron
FAST Pinball