Thank you Mike, for your tireless work.

My wife and I had a wonderful time, and are still in Chicago.
When I return, I want to share some of the external fun we had in the area.
My suggestion is maybe an additional page on the website of exciting things to do within the area, in the hopes more wives might come, or ones stay extended.
From dining, architecture, to the Elk preserve,
the area has been wonderful to explore!

Huge thanks to all the volunteers and staff!
Nona is a Gem!

Not enough happened on thursday. The only day I can go.
Two years ago, everything happened on thursday. It was awesome.

I went Thursday, alone, and spent almost the entire day in seminars. It was fantastic.
Friday, I took my 13 year old son. Went to some seminars, and a lot of time with vendors and Free play.
Saturday, I took my 16 year old daughter. Mainly free play. We all had a great time.
Not sure if it would've been such the great time, if I only had one day. I think each day
brought in different experiences. I'm not sure if it's truly possible to catch everything there is to do in a do.
If I had to say any improvements would be maybe to have the vendor/free play area open at 1:00 PM on Thursday
also.

Thank you for all your hard work. It was such a fantastic show. So much to see and do and listen to.

To put it bluntly and simply, the more that can be done to remove Mike Pacak from being involved in the day to day activities, the better.

It is apparant that the free play room has improved greatly the past 2 years and that Mike has pissed off the VOULENTEERS that make this room possible.

Mike, it seems obvious to everyone but you that the more you can just stay out of the way, then better.

I know I was personally yelled at by you when I was helping a friend set up their game in the free play room. You tried to run us over on your stupid cart, yelled at us for being in your way, yet we were working to help setup a game to make your show better.

I spoke with all the door voulenteers and it is apparant they despise you and how you treat them. They all felt the need to make excuses for your behavior for the greater good of the show. It is UNACCEPTABLE to talk to and treat voulenteers, paid vendors, or paying customers the way you continue to.

The show was amazing this year. I only heard 1 complaint and it was loud and clear. Mike Pacak is a jerk, treating people like crap, and is disrespectful to those doing lots of work behind the scenes to keep the show afloat.

Every other show seems to be growing exponentially, yet Expo is decreasing each year. The majority point to 1 person and 1 reason for this.

As said in another thread -

Don't be a dick!

Let's change up qualifying for main tournament. Giving 2 games on 8 machines ( I think) means long line all day. It took over a half hour wait in line for every chance to play one game. To play all 16 of my tickets would have meant 8 hrs standing in line. And lines were that long all day and night. I said the hell with it after I got 4 scores in. Limit it to 1score on each machine might help get some people finished and out of the line.

Let's vote Andrew Barney for president.

If you don't get multiple wristbands for multiple games, and those wristbands don't also get you into seminars, then I won't be bringing games next year. (Well, maybe one that doesn't work...)

And another reason why I'm not a vendor at Expo anymore, the Vendor hours are getting way too long....I'm mean 14 hour days...? Come on !! From a vendor's stand point anything beyond the first two days is a wasted effort, if people haven't bought whatever it is there looking for in the first two days there not going to buy it and the remaining two days is a loss what with the hotel expense, food, booth space.....etc.

Check with my wife on this, she's the expert when it comes to doing stuff in downtown Chicago for four days each year.

This just simply isn't going happen and I think your all fooling yourselves if you think it will happen. Rob and Mike started this show back when there was no other shows around and it's there baby and I think trying to go through Rob to get Mike pulled away from the show is just silly. I'm not saying I agree with what he may or may not have done in the past but to think that he's just going to go away is nonsense. Sure I think Mike needs to tone it down a few notches but I've never had a problem with him at either of his shows. Personally I like the Ohio show the best of them all for a few various reasons and Mike and I seem to hit it off at that show since it doesn't have the stress level that I'm sure Expo does.

If people think there just going to start up another show that will somehow compete with Expo....., We'll I think your dead wrong.
That's just my two cents.

John P. Dayhuff
Battle Creek, MI.
269-979-3836

Who started this thread?

I just want to say that I was definitely not tempted to joyride around in that cart when Mike stepped away from it for a minute, and anyone who thinks I was should be ashamed of themselves.

If he did that to me, a buddy and I would literally carry that stupid cart out back and throw it off the dock.

I purchased quite a bit on Saturday and I was there starting Wednesday. I understand and sympathize with you on the drain manning a booth for that long can be is though.

I'm not gonna pile on Mike but I will say Mike and Rob are ambassadors to the expo they started. I leave it to everyone to judge how each carries the title.

the thought crossed our mind...

just wanted to say that anyone that got there before 1pm seemed to have zero issue with the tourney.

I showed up at 11am (did not play in tourney) and there was zero line to play on any of the games. I also had a friend that played his 18 attempts in under 2 hrs, since he got there when it started.

Please hire a website designer with relevant experience in the 21st century, and keep the website current.

Mike gave you an upvote!

For us beer drinkers/hellraisers it is the highlight of the year. Thanks to everyone who makes this happen and especially the Cincy group that always brings an enormous amount of machines.
THANK YOU !

I see Mike gave Hilton a thumbs up. Not quite sure what to make of that.

Mike. As a vendor I'll give a bit of input. First off I appreciate the changes made this year to help the vendors have a better show. It was an improvement for sure. I would suggest shutting down the vendor hall at 10pm. Most have left by then.

I would also like to see an updated website. I have been there 3 years and have not ever been added to the vendor list. There are also old vendors that are on the list still and haven't been there in years.

I have a very talented web designer available and ready to fix the site for a very reasonable amount. This needs addressed immediately.

Maybe it's because he just banned him from future Expos?

Quick question. I didn't go this year due to last years main vender/pinball room hours or lack there of on Saturday. Was it open most of Saturday or still closed most of the day?

That was fixed!! It was open 10am till midnight

Thanks Glad you enjoyed them! Our group likes to bring alot of games that folks don't get to see often or get a chance to play. Hubby and I didn't stay up real late any of the nights. Hubby got sick Thurs. and wasn't feeling real good the rest of Expo. So we went to bed fairly early (around 11) most nights. Others in our group were in the game room late playing dollar games. It was Fireball shots in our room then beer in the free play room and vendor hall till 2 or 3am. So you had to probably see or hear them at some point in the night! We need to meet you guys and have some drinks some time. Hubby considers himself a Metallica champ but he didn't get a chance to play ViolinSteve's pro every time he got a chance to walk over and play it there was a line. I always think I'm gonna get to meet some new people, but time just flies and before I know it it's time to pack up and go home! See you next year or at Louisville or Ohio show!

Phoebe

Change the expo from wed-sun to wed-sat because Sunday is just a packing up day and nothing really going on. If someone decided to go just on Sunday they would be very disappointed.

I got kicked out with a ton of people every midnight.

Here's the thing, because I get that the vendors are tired and burnt. The hall really serves multiple masters. There's a big difference between everyone wanting to line up and play Dialed In vs people wanting to buy flipper rubbers or a playfield. Or the new Sterns. Or whatever. Those aren't really "vendors" in the traditional sense.

If there was any way to maintain access to the games but let the vendors shut down and have their wares be safe it would seem to be to help everyone.

Here's the thing Mike, we all go to expo because we like expo. The main complaint about expo is always you. The changes made the last few years, hours, and load in help, are greatly appreciated. But for the good of the show the best thing that could happen would be someone installing one of those invisible fences around your booth and the collar on you so that your couldn't leave your booth to go to other vendors area's out the other rooms. You and your stuff are needed at expo, your terrible public relations skills are not.

This was my first Expo, and over all I was vary happy. I was thinking about being a vendor this year, but I was really concerned about all those hours, it was just going to be to long to man. I am planning on being a vendor next year, but really want shorter hours.

In the panel rooms you need to have streaming capabilities for Twitch. Not having panels streamed at a major expo in 2016 is unacceptable. The only way the rest of the world was able to watch history as Pat Lawlor, a man who many people including myself hold on some high shelf of respect, was able to announce his new game with a new platform was a grainy Periscope video. In 5min of that Periscope video which I am presuming was Jack doing the stream, it garnered well over 1,500 people.

Aside from Jersey Jack Pinball, Jack Danger streamed Ghostbusters which was neat but we wanted Batman 66 but that wasn't up to him. I also happened to see Stern did a live cast of their factory tour on Facebook which we have all seen many times. Steve Bowden another major kudo's to him, Periscoped a "Dialed In!" panel.

What we need is to have a stream for panels and we need to have support for streamers like Jack Danger, etc playing these new games. The world and market wants to see these new games rather than read firsthand account on Pinside or some cellphone video. It used to be you were told about the new games from friends who went there or you went yourself and you would eventually see this stuff in the Pinball Journal. It's 2016 people and the Pinball community needs to adapt to technology.

Sounds like everyone had a good time, NOT.

Will be at Larrys next party Phoebe, see yous guys there !

Yeah I get it. The vendor room is more multi purpose than just a few vendors.

I said something similar last year. Even if we can't get live streaming, or streaming sucks because of bandwidth (grainy video). Please just setup a halfway decent point n shoot camera in there and record every seminar (for history at the very least).. And even if I have to wait until after expo to watch them, I would happily pay a fee to watch them on youtube (no cost to you, it's just work). You would make a killing on downloads, it's a win win. Hell, hire pingeek, he's used to recording seminars. Give him a free voucher for the weekend or something.

Row of Sinbads was mf spectacular.
20161015_025042 (resized).jpg

But probably needs to be doubled to atleast 9.
My only suggestion.

Mike was a Gentleman to me
at every instance our paths cross.
This isn't to negate any specific issues
one may have had, but more to share
with others who weren't there,
I did not see a 24/7 monster, as posts
might read.
With my apologies to my friends, the scooter
is to help disabled.
I am close to needing one, and would hope
for a bit more empathy.

Perhaps the more respectful
route, is to suggest Mike gets some help,
and takes a focused position behind the scenes.....good for him and everyone.

That is awesome....

He recorded them at Expo some years back. Picture was all shaky. He interrupted the seminars. And was kicked out of Expo.

LTG : )

Maybe there needs to be a "retail section" of the Vendor hall that can be roped off and closed for the vendors who want to go to bed. There are many of us in the Vendor hall that would love to late.

The Vendor hall really is an exhibitor hall with vendors. Our FAST Pinball Booth was setup more like a workshop/hangout with custom games and projects getting worked on in real time. We enjoyed havin so many FAST/MPF users and developers all in the same place. We would have loved the later shutdown time of the past.

Aaron
FAST Pinball

Just wait till I get my scooter next year. Not only will I be running over you at maximum cart speed Hilton I'm gonna reverse it and back over ya and then honk my horn and wave goodbye.

I also recall that recordings were sold of each seminar (on cassettes) when Expo was held at the Ramada O'Hare. Maybe 1st year at the Wyndham as well. But, sales waned and the guys doing it stopped as they could not make the business model work.

#1 You had better bring a scooter next year!

#2 You had better install a wheelie bar cause we are gonna be doing crazy shit on it late night!

What about the possibility of setting up the P-Roc and Fast sections in the overflow room from a couple years back? That would be a great way to allow the vendor hall to close earlier and keep the fun time creator games acessible.

Just a thought.

The behavior of how Mike blasts through and yells at people is the issue, not the scooter or his need for one.

You and your buddy might end up in jail for a night and then face a Judge. Unless you repaired the scooter or bought a new one.

"Maybe if we released it on LaserDisc, it would do much better? I hear that's what the kids are into these days."