Schedule gets updated closer to Expo.

http://pinballexpo.net/ 29th year this year.

And Mike and Rob keep trying to improve.

You have Stern tour. Seminars. Autograph sessions. Banquet. Time to play games keeps expanding. some all night. And I believe Mike posted maybe during the banquet this year.

Lots of games. All kinds of vendors showing of parts and games. Bruce Knightingale with the playfield tippers and what not. Marco Specialties always has a huge display. Mike has a large area with flyers, playfields, etc. Coin Taker is there. Great American Pinball And many more. Too many to remember.

And the people. I love Expo for the people. You never know who you'll see next. Ne friend, old friend. Famous people from the industry. And many of your friends from Pinside and RGP.

http://www.pinballnews.com/shows/expo2012/index.html Pinball News has show reports you can read up on and listen to the audio. ( previous Expo reports there to if you go through show reports )

Expo is the show you want to hit. Not hear about it later.

LTG : )
Official Disclaimer : Friday night October 18th. 10pm Lake Michigan Ballroom.

Yes, and all of what Lloyd said.

My girlfriend surprised me on my birthday by telling me she is taking me to expo! I've never been, but I couldn't be more excited.

In a couple words... F-YEAH ! It's a great time...bar right there in the hotel, hookers everywhere..its awesome....

Oh, lots of pins stuff to do too

Don't forget about the P-ROC booth this year. Many of the highest profile custom and boutique machines in a single booth for everybody to play. (http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/expo-2013-p3-predator-bop2-the-matrix-ccc-dm-on-steroids-and-more)

We'll also be showing off the latest developments on the P3.

- Gerry
http://www.multimorphic.com

I really just go every year for the hookers and the free candy.

IMHO, best show in the country. I've been to most shows, some great, Expo remains the best for me. Although the free play room needs help desperately. It's not about playing games always for me though. At Expo, it's the seminars, the vendors, the industry people, the Stern tour, and mostly the people. Meeting up with friends old and new, and hanging out is the best.

Most shows are two, maybe three days, Expo spans five days now if you do Wednesday through Sunday. That gives me time to meet up with people, go grab some great grub and maybe some beer. I still never seem to find much time to play any pinball. That's OK though, I get to do that the other 360 days of the year.

--
Rob Anthony
Pinball Classics
http://LockWhenLit.com
Quality Board Work - In Home Service
borygard at gmail dot com

Who cares what kind of hookers, theres hookers

I'm flying out from Cali to be there so.... Yes!

You'll love it J! Be sure to get up in time for the Stern tour. A must do at least once for every pinball fan!

--
Rob Anthony
Pinball Classics
http://LockWhenLit.com
Quality Board Work - In Home Service
borygard at gmail dot com

Pinball Mecca!!! I'm coming from Ga. Last year was my first pinball show, and I was in heaven!

Frist round of Hookers are on me

Expo is AWESOME!! Great show, love the people, and events that make it so! Looking forward to it once again this year. Will be there Wed. thru Sun.!

Phoebe

She's a keeper. You should propose at expo.

I went to expo last year.Was a great time,lots to see and do!!

I will be going again for sure

Expo is great. It's not the best show if all you want to do is play pinball, but it offers stuff that none of the other shows do. It's also 10 minutes from my house, so that's certainly a plus ...

Are you really? Guess thats the last Straw.. I'm coming too again this year!

Hands down the best all around show period. This is a class event. 1St class all the way. The westin is super nice, staff is more the nice.

Get the full package, so u don't miss anything. Just don't go to the casino at 3am.

WOOT!!!

Once Rivers opened up a few years ago, an alternate to Gene's show became a reality.

408056_10150546027479244_888262419_n.jpg

The lady surprised me with a trip to expo two years ago, it was awesome. Lots of seminars and people to meet and gain knowledge from. Also a lot of industry vendors and designers to get to know. We have made it a yearly ritual.

Im coming for the 2nd year in a row. Bringing my CFO as well to help find a pinball orphan for the collection.....

Well worth it. If you've ever wanted to meet the people behind pinball, Expo is the event to attend.

I only made about half of the seminars last year, and I barely had time to play a machine. Too busy talking to people.

If anyone is driving in and can pick up some "PINBALL PARTS" for my Friday night soiree, it would be much appreciated.

Thank you,
LTG : )

My one big suggestion that I have heard from other people... If you go to Expo, make sure you're outgoing enough to introduce yourself to people, ask questions and make friends. Expo always falls on one of the worst weekends of the year for me - almost always on the weekend I run a charity haunted house - yet I still always try to go for at least one night.

This last year I made it a point to play three machines before I left, and that surpassed my pinball playing in the last four years. And that is why I love it...

If you are going just to play, it may not live up to your expectations, but I don't think any show does in that case.

It's worth it. Kinda expensive. But it's great for networking.

If you like to compete, ExpoBrawl is great. I learned about the same playing there that I did in Pinburgh.

Dan is right. You tend to get out of Expo what you put into it.

Many years ago Rick Swanson went to Expo in 2000. He had a terrible time. Didn't fit in. Felt he was intruding. Felt like he'd never go back.

He did go in 2001. He asserted himself. He stuck his hand out, said hi, I'm Rick. Played pinball. Became the life of the party. Got Goosed.

Now he's one of the people at Expo you hope to meet. A legend. He's even shipped games there to be part of the action.

Go there, plan to have fun, assert yourself. Have the time of your life. You'll be glad you did !

LTG : )

+1 on the casino, the hookers are WAY more expensive there than at the Westin, and they aren't as hot

and I didn't find any pins there either

There's hookers at the expo? Aren't we there for pinball???????

By the way, they recently opened a Twin Peaks right next to the Westin. Yet another reason to attend Expo this year...

Twin_Peaks.jpg

I wonder if the Fast and Loud Bronco will be there at Expo time

What do know, I received the same gift from my girlfriend this year on my birthday. It's also the first time around for me.

What's in the area for her? I need to make sure I keep her interested so we can make it back for the 30th year..

Rick is a great guy with a great collection about 90 minutes away. I hope to revisit my former MM he purchased from me back in 2003. I miss it but know its in great company.

Does she like to shop? Northbrook Court is a very nice indoor mall about 10 minutes away ...

http://www.northbrookcourt.com/directory

And if she enjoys seafood, I highly recommend Bob Chinn's Crab House a few minutes down the road. It's a Chicago area institution ...

http://www.bobchinns.com/

I think she plans on goin on the tour and everything with me so Im kind of excited about that. Ever since I got fishtales she has really enjoyed pinball and started cutting me some slack with it. I have family in Chicago so I imagine we won't spend the whole time at expo. If you throw in a trip to the museum or landmark in there, I'm sure that will give her a break from it all.

Really wish a bears game was that weekend, but oh well.

which is good, but I prefer Tilted Kilt.

Where are they being picked up from?

Expo is great if you like to meet designers and attend seminars. There is also a decent vendor area. Other shows have more games to play usually. Expo is really about the people! And - There's LTG!

http://www.tiltedkilt.com/kilt-girl-calendar/featured-kilt-girl/

DAMNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

I think that is really the case with most shows though. Speaking from what I know of the MGC, we have people who yearly make the trek from across the pond to it and don't play a game. They come to hang out with their friends that they haven't seen for a year. The draw of the show isn't the machines, the vendors, the tournaments, the presentations and VIPs, or anything else - the draw is the friends that they met from the first time that they came.

No matter what show it is, if you go and are open to meeting more people, the people in this hobby are some of the friendliest people that are out there, and rarely do people get so up tight in real life when you're talking to them (no one in the real world has ever called me a troll for thinking that Williams Indiana Jones sucks or that Viper is awesome). It's the reason that I always love going to Expo, hell, it's the reason that I run the MGC... it's because it's an opportunity / excuse to hang out with people that I might not see for the rest of the year, relax, and talk about a topic that I rarely get to talk about in the real world.

There's a Tilted Kilt just 15 minutes from the Westin in Vernon Hills.

Expo rocks. Always a great time!

Do not miss Pinball Life's open house. Wally

Tilted Kilt skeeves me out. All the women working there have giant body tattoos. Its not my cup of tea.

I've never been there. Only went to Twin Peaks once. Ordered a hamburger. It sucked.