Midwest Gaming Classic (MGC) 2019 - April 12,13,14 at the Wisconsin Center

Quoted from cavalier88z24:

MGC Facebook screen shot
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Quoted from goatdan:

Friday night is actually a different ticket than what game bringers get. There is a huge explanation behind this that I'll spare everyone right now, but a game brought gets Saturday, Saturday Night and Sunday, but unfortunately not Friday.

Quoted from goatdan:

Hey, better to catch it now than wait until later.
Here's a bit more of the reasoning behind it:
Unfortunately a number of people were selling machines at the MGC on Friday. Now, I'd usually say that's a great thing, but here was how some people were doing it...
- Bring pinball machine
- Register pinball machine, get weekend and Saturday night tickets
- Game bringer meets pre-arranged purchaser, who they show the machine to (purchaser did not need a ticket)
- Purchaser packs up machine, loads it up and takes it home
We had now given out that person's tickets for absolutely nothing on the show floor, and the purchaser didn't pay to come either, and we had to reshuffle the show floor. Thanks to people like this - and it happened more than once and the final straw was someone bragging on a Facebook group I'm part of about how if they came Friday they could get in and buy their game without it even being used for free, and it was stupid to pay - we realized we had to hire additional security and come up with a whole system beyond the "trust them if they say they are setting up a game" thing to handle this.
Ultimately, the genesis of Preview Night came from us realizing that we were going to have more expenses to properly organize this, and then thinking about what else we could do with it. In it's current form, it addresses two other issues:
The MGC focuses strongly on content - more than 100,000 square feet of the show floor is content - and the vast majority of that content is individuals, collectors, or independent groups setting is up, so the expenses to run this show are absolutely absurd, and while we do have vendors, the money that is charged for their space doesn't even make up the costs for their own space compared to what we pay to the Center.
Preview Night has allowed us to increase revenues a bit to be able to expand things more than we otherwise would have. The Game Room in particular this year will be ~63,500 feet. Two years ago, the combined space for the Arcade, Museum and Tabletop areas was about ~15,000 square feet.
It also allowed us to address the request by long time show-goers that the show had gotten too big and the lines were too long. Based on the number of tickets we sell, if people were playing four player games of pinball, 100% of the people coming to VIG would be able to play on JUST the NIB machine count that are opened and brought to the show at the same time. But, since all the video games are open, table top, D&D, arcade video, and there are special tournaments, the likelihood on Friday Preview Night that someone will be able to walk up to a new game and play is extremely high.
We can't make the same promise about Saturday or Sunday, but we wanted to create an experience for people to do that.
Preview Night ultimately allowed us to do all of this stuff, while people who bring arcade machines still get the similar (but with food, an auction, drinks, and less people!) After Party on Saturday night.
Hope that all makes sense. A lot of thought went into it, and while it isn't perfect, I think it's the best compromise we could have made!

Quoted from goatdan:

I'm surprised no one called me on this. It's true. Jersey Mike's is going to be a show sponsor.

Quoted from goatdan:

Amazing subs. They've done the show as an outside vendor with us for like seven years, and they are totally stepping up their involvement this year! Might even be revealing a new product for MGC showgoers (like...a club sub which they haven't taken before!)
The Midwest Gaming Classic, presented by Jersey... . Has a nice ring to it!

Quoted from epthegeek:

Should have put some of that in the frunk to balance the weight.

Quoted from trilogybeer:

Whatcha gonna do with all that junk ? All that junk up in your frunk .

Quoted from wcbrandes:

not only uses the airco system, but has back up brought up to make sure stalagmites are forming on his ceiling!

Quoted from ACcookDC:

I’m taking part in the Marco/Stern offer. Anybody know what time I need to be there by to unbox and setup the machine myself?

Quoted from Jazman:

5pm to teardown. Not sure on setup but will find out

Quoted from Whysnow:

is this not the correct route?
I dont know what "kilbourn tunnel" means as it does not show up on google map[quoted image]

Quoted from Jediturtle:

Well...since you are bringing (buying) a game, you will have weekend wristbands, so technically you can "get in" any time. You just can't break down and remove the game until 5pm.

Quoted from Whysnow:

sounds like it closes sometime today?
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2019/03/29/milwaukee-traffic-kilbourn-ave-tunnel-close-repairs-april/3315106002/
Anyone familiar able to draw out the correct/easiest reroute?

Quoted from PTHermes:

whysnow The article states "The Kilbourn Avenue tunnel exiting I-43 will be fully closed June through October." It is only closing tomorrow for getting back on. So your route is OK to arrive at MGC, but you'll have to find a different ramp to get back onto the interstate. I usually rely on google maps, they are usually up to date.

Quoted from goatdan:

Mgc 4 Life.
You get funny looks checking out when you buy a metric ton of sharpies and pool noodles. Just in case anyone else ever has to do that, be warned.
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Quoted from ACcookDC:

Marco said I can get in between 7:00-8:00pm Thursday night if I want to unbox and setup my own game. I wrote back saying I was under the impression we could get in to do it Friday.

Quoted from Borygard:

I will have a couple of them.
--
Rob Anthony
Pinball Classics
http://LockWhenLit.com
Quality Board Work - In Home Service
borygard at gmail dot com

Quoted from Eric_S:

https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/event-map/

Quoted from goatdan:

We generally don't specifically label where certain vendors will be, as we have so many of them and it is really tough to map out. In general, the pinball ones are in the arcade room (The spot on the map is sort of off, they are in the center more).

Quoted from hayrebear:

In re the Thursday unboxing party, I have a quick question or two. I emailed Marco, but never heard back. Do we just show up at/around the window they mentioned to us?
Also, should we be bringing anything along for this? More curious with regard to whether others bring wax, tools, new balls, etc. Any feedback or guidance is much appreciated.

Quoted from hayrebear:

In re the Thursday unboxing party, I have a quick question or two. I emailed Marco, but never heard back. Do we just show up at/around the window they mentioned to us?
Also, should we be bringing anything along for this? More curious with regard to whether others bring wax, tools, new balls, etc. Any feedback or guidance is much appreciated.

Quoted from epthegeek:

Moving kingpin in.[quoted image][quoted image]

Quoted from epthegeek:

Pin forest.
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Quoted from CKrueger:

Holy crap dude, don’t sell your head!

Quoted from NoQuarters:

Head is probably HUO only.

Quoted from dirtbag66:

If I ever told a fellow Pinsider that I couldn't sell a machine because my wife wouldn't let me, I would expect to get ripped apart. My wife will NEVER have any say at all when it comes to my one and only hobby. Ever.

Quoted from Yokimato:

Went to the wonka reveal, played wonk, oktoberfest and bksor.
After playing them all a bunch, I actually bought the bksor. Best of the bunch imo, but hopefully everyone got what they were looking for!

Quoted from Goonie:

I think that's MilCog you're referring to. Those guys are awesome.