Downers Grove, IL
I will be there one of the two days and look forward to it!
(Topic ID: 61478)
1 week later
Great info from the Expo thread: Per Dan
First, if $30 is too expensive for you, come Sunday, it's $15.
Secondly, this is the thing that I'm sort of at a loss here. In 2012, we were told that the biggest problem is that we should try to hold down the attendance. That was a big part of the reason for increasing the fees, to use the money to expand the show's space while holding down attendance a bit for the people that felt that it was too expensive. It didn't work, which was a good thing because we ran overbudget badly before the show, but we attracted by far the most people last year.
We're working with a lot of different groups this year, and one has run some studies on us and see us as an event that has huge continued growth potential. If we lower the prices to $20 but have twice the number of people show up, we're going to have a bunch of people complaining about how many people are there. It's a double edged sword, and there is no perfect answer...
Although I'll point out that if you buy a two-day ticket, you pay $20 / day, which meets your suggestion already. And this year you'll get a bonus with that too, more details to be revealed...
We're hoping to relaunch the site within the next 10 or so days, and all will be answered then. I'll point out that there was a Fox news report on us this past year where I was interviewed directly, and we identified if the show doesn't find more space, we're in trouble. Since that point, I have had multiple meetings with people from local governments looking for the right solutions, and we've developed what we hope is a three year plan that is going to result in some pretty amazing things happening.
We won't be announcing tons in 10 days (or even this year) regarding this three year plan, but I can assure everyone that I have spent already countless hours on it putting everything into place to continue to provide an outlet for all gamers to come and show off what they love so much about the hobby. Big things are afoot. We'll see where it takes us.
Heh, thanks Ken - I need to go to bed, and I'm up monkeying on Pinside. Okay, last thing...
We *did* plan on relaunching the web site last week. We ran into three issues that we hope to have taken care of very soon... These weren't figured out earlier because of my epic battle with kidney stones that resulted in three surgeries recently, and the crazy nasty meds I was on afterwards that made me have zero energy... sorry. We're looking at about 10 days out now is my guess.
There is a TON of stuff going on, and there is a lot of information that should be headed out very soon. I'm the most excited by the potential that the show has right now than I ever has been, and we're hoping that we're going to be around and doing this for a long time.
Finally, I said this in another thread, Gary and I are *fiercely* protective of the spirit of the show, and we guarantee that as long as we're in charge, that won't change. The MGC only exists because of the spirit of others telling us that we had to keep doing it and that they wanted to help make it a success by involving what they loved with it too, so if the spirit and heart of the show ever changes, there will be no reason for anyone to go, myself included.
I know it's gotten ridiculous at this point Dan, but you realize that you're on the same dates as Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown for 2014 now?
MGC is definitely one of the best shows to do. Everyone involved is always great and ready to do anything to make the experience as great as possible for everyone.
--
Rob Anthony
Pinball Classics
http://LockWhenLit.com
Quality Board Work - In Home Service
borygard at gmail dot com
Quoted from Borygard:I know it's gotten ridiculous at this point Dan, but you realize that you're on the same dates as Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown for 2014 now?
That is unfortunate. But, we'd LOVE to have you ("and your little dog too!") in Milwaukee next April!
Jaz
Quoted from Jazman:That is unfortunate. But, we'd LOVE to have you ("and your little dog too!") in Milwaukee next April!
Jaz
It's going to be a tough call my friend. I really like both shows and have lots of friends in both areas I like visiting. Service call wise Denver wins out, but that's certainly not a deciding factor.
Lots of time to decide though.
--
Rob Anthony
Pinball Classics
http://LockWhenLit.com
Quality Board Work - In Home Service
borygard at gmail dot com
Quoted from Borygard:It's going to be a tough call my friend. I really like both shows and have lots of friends in both areas I like visiting. Service call wise Denver wins out, but that's certainly not a deciding factor.
Lots of time to decide though.
--
Rob Anthony
Pinball Classics
http://LockWhenLit.com
Quality Board Work - In Home Service
borygard at gmail dot com
so now you are saying we need to break our machines just so you will come visit and fix them? 
How about I bring you a few more boards to install NVRAM in? would that help?
You have to be at MGC!!!
Quoted from Borygard:I know it's gotten ridiculous at this point Dan, but you realize that you're on the same dates as Rocky Mountain Pinball Showdown for 2014 now?
Not trying to sound like a jerk at all here, and I truly apologize if it comes off that way, but...
At this point, we really are looking only for availability of the facilities that we need, and we're basically years out in advance. While it sucks that since we moved to late March / early April in 2008 that so many other great shows have cropped up at the same time, there's just no way to avoid it happening. People are generally willing to work together - and we had a chance to move off the same weekend as Texas and Pinburgh that was took this year - but our options were the weekend we are on or the other one, and nothing else.
Fingers crossed that we should have some things fall into place that we can plan the event dates out 5 years in advance very soon.
Where is the show this year? I remember last year the big news was that the show had outgrown the Brookfield Sheraton. I'm hoping it will be at the Wisconsin Center http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Center
Can't wait! There's always a post expo depression that's only remedied by knowing that MGC is only months away.
long, cold months... 
I'd like to know where the show is as well so that I can secure a hotel room for the weekend.
Quoted from goatdan:We *did* plan on relaunching the web site last week. We ran into three issues that we hope to have taken care of very soon..
I do not know what type of website issues you may be having, but I'd be willing to offer assistance. I can do server side work and a little design work as well.
thanks for the GREAT show.
Quoted from Borygard:It's going to be a tough call my friend. I really like both shows and have lots of friends in both areas I like visiting. Service call wise Denver wins out, but that's certainly not a deciding factor.
Lots of time to decide though.
--Rob AnthonyPinball Classicshttp://LockWhenLit.comQuality Board Work - In Home Serviceborygard at gmail dot com
I bet the midwesterners can break more stuff than the mountain folks if that's what it'll take to get you to Milwaukee.. 
Quoted from metallik:I bet the midwesterners can break more stuff than the mountain folks if that's what it'll take to get you to Milwaukee..
I volunteer to break stuff, just point me in the direction..
Quoted from mattenno:Where is the show this year? I remember last year the big news was that the show had outgrown the Brookfield Sheraton. I'm hoping it will be at the Wisconsin Center http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Center
I really hope not. That looks expensive and lacks easy access to food and hotel.
Yeah, last years location had the mall (with food court) right across the parking lot and more than a few restaurants/bars/liquor stores in very close proximity.
One word...bruschetta. That alone puts MGC waaaayyyy out front!
--
Rob Anthony
Pinball Classics
http://LockWhenLit.com
Quality Board Work - In Home Service
borygard at gmail dot com
Quoted from Deaconblooze:Can't wait! There's always a post expo depression that's only remedied by knowing that MGC is only months away.
long, cold months...
Agreed. We need 2 MGC events - then we don't have to wait an entire year.
What'da think Dan?
Quoted from mattenno:Where is the show this year? I remember last year the big news was that the show had outgrown the Brookfield Sheraton. I'm hoping it will be at the Wisconsin Center http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Center
Absolutley not!
I attend an annual convention at that location, and it's dissapointing all the way around.
Plus you're stuck in the middle of Milwaukee - .....
Quoted from Methos:Plus you're stuck in the middle of Milwaukee - .....
Which typically doesn't ever end well....
They do have a Bronzed Fonz, tho. Not many places can boast that..
Quoted from Borygard:One word...bruschetta. That alone puts MGC waaaayyyy out front!
Ug - 5 more months to talk about bruschetta...
Jaz
Quoted from Whysnow:I really hope not. That looks expensive and lacks easy access to food and hotel.
The Midwest Express Midwest Frontier Delta Wisconsin Center's (or as I usually just call it, new MECCA since it seriously changes names seemingly every year) actually attached to two different hotels directly, and has food service options on the inside that are regular fair-going stuff. We've done a lot of negotiating with them, actually, although you are completely accurate about the expensive side of it.
Without trying to let too many cats out of bags, they are a future possibility depending on how other things fall into place. The toughest thing actually is that they have certain rules that it seems like we can not change that would greatly affect the non-operating-hours of the show, and we're pretty fiercely protective of those. I remain in communication with them about future possibilities, but like I said - not for 2014
Quoted from Borygard:One word...bruschetta. That alone puts MGC waaaayyyy out front!
Waitaminute... I live about 7 minutes away from the hotel where the MGC is, and I don't know about this bruschetta. Is there some local secret that I haven't been let in on yet?
I guess that is what I get for usually visiting the East side for restaurants...
Quoted from jonogo:Which typically doesn't ever end well....
They do have a Bronzed Fonz, tho. Not many places can boast that..
I found that on the riverwalk - and had my wife take a picture when him...well I had to beg her to do it.
Downtown Milwaukee has a lot to offer. If the Wisconsin Center would agree to the terms of MGC, it would solve the space issue and have room to grow. Many more games and events could be added. And it would draw people from the city that wouldn't normally go to the burbs for the show.
Quoted from goatdan:Waitaminute... I live about 7 minutes away from the hotel where the MGC is, and I don't know about this bruschetta. Is there some local secret that I haven't been let in on yet?
I guess that is what I get for usually visiting the East side for restaurants...
Dan, buddy. I can't believe you don't know about the legendary bruschetta!
So the story goes like this. Years ago my buddy Tom from KC, and his wife took me to an Italian restaurant, Bravo. I had no idea it was a chain, but greatly enjoyed the food, especially the bruschetta. It was literally melt in your mouth good, better than any bruschetta I've ever had, and better than most foods period.
At the first year of MGC at the new hotel, about fifteen of us went to the mall for dinner. I saw Bravo and about died, we had to go there! While waiting for a table for our large group, I made sure to let everyone know to try the bruschetta. And, the running joke began..." have you tried the bruschetta?"..."I hear the bruschetta is very good here."... "maybe we should try some bruschetta."
It took on a life of its own, and on RGP for months the running joke continued..." you've got to try the bruschetta."..." I think I've heard that the bruschetta may be good." To the point that many regulars thought that the joke went well beyond its shelf life (hi TheKorn! 
).
So there you have it, not the most entertaining story ever, but the "why" of why people kid that I like and live off of bruschetta.
So Dan, have you been to Bravo? Have you tried the bruschetta?
--
Rob Anthony
Pinball Classics
http://LockWhenLit.com
Quality Board Work - In Home Service
borygard at gmail dot com
Im already figuring out what will fill the massive 26ft truck this year. LOL
I know one thing ill be in the doc first to load after the show sunday night.(we helped another arcade company move there games out of the basement last year for over an hour, a few fo us were moving 2 to there one games out with there guys )
Hears the real kicker, they left to go get pizza as soon as they were done loading, instead of lending a hand to us, like they said they would!
Just Saying thats shitty business.
You guys that run this show dan, tully etc. are awesome to us. We show up with a load of heavy ass games and you guys grumble a little LOL, but jump right in to help out with unloading and loading back up.
Look froward to the show every year
Pincades
JT
Quoted from Jamaster10:Im already figuring out what will fill the massive 26ft truck this year. LOL
OOOOH OOOOH OOOOH!!!!
Do we get to vote on what DOESN'T go in the truck this year!!!
PPPPPLLLLLLLEEEEAAAASSSSSEEEEE!
Jaz
Quoted from Jazman:OOOOH OOOOH OOOOH!!!!
Do we get to vote on what DOESN'T go in the truck this year!!!
PPPPPLLLLLLLEEEEAAAASSSSSEEEEE!
Jaz
Yeah! My knee just quit hurting! I vote just Donkey Kongs in those balsa wood cabinets!! Oh, and we don't mind the pinball machines!! 
Quoted from tullster:Yeah! My knee just quit hurting! I vote just Donkey Kongs in those balsa wood cabinets!! Oh, and we don't mind the pinball machines!!
Yea more pinballs not 40 overpriced arcades taking up all the room.
Quoted from mattenno:Downtown Milwaukee has a lot to offer. If the Wisconsin Center would agree to the terms of MGC, it would solve the space issue and have room to grow. Many more games and events could be added. And it would draw people from the city that wouldn't normally go to the burbs for the show.
I will reamin as the loyal opposition to Milwaukee. Downtown Milwaukee (and I used to live there) is fraudlent with crime and just a pit in genera,l let alone their new highway interchange. Try and get out of the city anymore is a headache.
Brookfield is convenient and much more easy to get to than Milwaukee.
As someone who has been a part of planning other conventions of similar size at the Midwest Express Center/Frontier/New MECCA, it's better off in Brookfield. We had similar needs as MGC, and having it in Brookfield makes it easier for people attending and running the convention. I do agree, the space would be great in downtown Milwaukee; but there are a lot of other concerns/issues besides space.
Quoted from Borygard:Dan, buddy. I can't believe you don't know about the legendary bruschetta!
I've heard about it a lot, but I'm always so far behind in knowing what in the hell is going on at the show that I always figured it was something I probably heard and just forgot. Which it very well may have been...
Quoted from Borygard:So Dan, have you been to Bravo? Have you tried the bruschetta?
Nope! Actually, for all of the ages I have been in Milwaukee, and all of the times that I have visited the mall, I have never even SEEN a restaurant entitled Bravo. I almost went tonight with my son though, seriously.
Quoted from Methos:I will reamin as the loyal opposition to Milwaukee. Downtown Milwaukee (and I used to live there) is fraudlent with crime and just a pit in genera,l let alone their new highway interchange. Try and get out of the city anymore is a headache.
Brookfield is convenient and much more easy to get to than Milwaukee.
As a guy who drives through the interchange every day and who regularly goes to things downtown, that area of downtown Milwaukee is actually pretty awesome. There really isn't any crime to speak of in that area, and while the highway interchange isn't awesome, it really isn't hard to get through there. I do it twice daily, and it really isn't bad. Compared to driving through Chicago at basically any time, I'll take it... Regardless...
Quoted from animesuperj:I do agree, the space would be great in downtown Milwaukee; but there are a lot of other concerns/issues besides space.
This sums it up. We're not - at least for now - moving down there because of other concerns and issues. That isn't to say that we will never move down there, as you can overcome things like that - we've had city ordinances changed due to the show already and met with people within the city limits of Milwaukee to help change things so we could operate within them, so anything is possible, but it simply couldn't happen for this year. Next year? Who knows
Quoted from Methos:I will reamin as the loyal opposition to Milwaukee.
I make it a personal rule not to go east of HWY 100.
Yeah one thing i like is to drive right through Milwaukee heehee, Brookfield is close enough at least its more on the southern side.
I would be a bit concerned more into Milwaukee might bring some more undesireable people to the show though.
And hell yes on the shower post perhaps a deodorant rule would be nice lol.
I also agree with too many overpriced videos taking up pinball space in the hall esp many repeat games.
Would there be anyway for sale video machines to go into the vendor hall someway? Us pinball guys need to bring more pins this year.
Im just throwing the thought out there but is there a way to segregate the video/pin halls a bit more? Just an observation but seems like having the games mixed all over might have caused more crowding becouse then you have both groups fighting over the same area seemingly causing extra crowding.
Try too keep videos downstairs or move extra in the hallway over by the vendor hall and keep the pinball hall more pinball might help distribute the people around better instead of both groups trying to all fit into the pinball hall together . i would think videos would be better suited for the hallways than in the game hall becouse of them taking up a smaller footprint keeping the halls wider.
Just a suggestion
1 week later
Quick update...
We're still plugging away at the web site and it's getting closer. To put it nicely, I have had a 'situation' with my life that has been taking up a ton of my free time and a lot of my mental capacity. Everything will eventually be fine and I've got a lot of amazing friends and a great wife to help me out, but the delay is more or less totally from this situation, and I apologize.
Anywho, we are moving forward with the site steadily, and I do hope it will be announced very soon. We don't want to rush it because we want to make sure it is right. I've had a few people email me and ask about reserving hotel rooms, and long story short we'll have that information when the site goes live, but it's part of what I've been "slacking off" on, finishing up some of those details.
Do not worry - there is NO way that the 2014 MGC will not happen, and I guarantee already that it will be bigger and better than ever before. We're hoping to get things smoothed out and ready to go as soon as possible, and we appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.
Quoted from Methos:I will reamin as the loyal opposition to Milwaukee. Downtown Milwaukee (and I used to live there) is fraudlent with crime and just a pit in genera,l let alone their new highway interchange. Try and get out of the city anymore is a headache.
Brookfield is convenient and much more easy to get to than Milwaukee.
I agree, born and raised in Milwaukee's south side (Bay View) and I despise having to go anywhere in Milwaukee County....Yeah, Im that guy
Quoted from PinballKen:I make it a personal rule not to go east of HWY 100.
I used to live at 34th & Oklahoma.
Hwy 100 was the old crusing strip back in mid/late 80's until West Allis changed the driving patterns and basically put it to an end. It was harmless fun back then - many great nights listening to Judas Priest, Whitesnake, and Crue.
Quoted from Methos:I used to live at 34th & Oklahoma.
Hwy 100 was the old crusing strip back in mid/late 80's until West Allis changed the driving patterns and basically put it to an end. It was harmless fun back then - many great nights listening to Judas Priest, Whitesnake, and Crue.
Thanks for the flashback! Vivid memories of jamming Still of the Night while cruising. Only difference was I cruised on Telegraph Rd. (and many others) in the Detroit burbs. Good times!
1 week later
1 week later
Ticket and hotel room purchased! Now I just need to wait for one of those awesome Southwest $100 round-trip sales.
Now ... who can I con into bringing an extra game so I can get in to the after party?
Quoted from tonymiddendorf:Ticket and hotel room purchased! Now I just need to wait for one of those awesome Southwest $100 round-trip sales.
Now ... who can I con into bringing an extra game so I can get in to the after party?
Is the webiste live again?
I can not find it...
http://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/ works for me ?
Hotel website is quoting 172 a night for a room ?
Edit : never mind, the new website is hard to get used to..
Went live last night
I for one am glad it isn't April yet... Lots to do, but looking very good! Site will start getting more info soon.
Tip - if you are interested in either Tom Taylor 's open house or the VIG package, preorder those sooner than later, we expect both will sell out again quickly this year.
And while we are at it, hotel rooms too. The Sheraton sold out far in advance last year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it sold out by Christmas.
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