I thought the vendor room was great, I bought several items. But I wish it was open earlier on fri and less so on sat. What I’d love to see is a flea market room. Not for my cat as he already has plenty, but for small one off items from small sellers. Maybe put it with the video games. Have small 4x6 tables that people can occupy for four hour blocks. Love to see broken boards, project cabinets, books, whatever pin/arcade related.
Quoted from rosh:Missed a few I would have liked to have seen, since so easy to lose track of time.
Quoted from rosh:Be good if free game room and vendor room were open to each other, when they are both open.
This!
Quoted from chuckwurt:Challenge accepted.
Honestly, that should be a show thing. A pin challenge card with every pin listed, and you have to play them all. Pins that die during the show are no excuse, so everyone would hit the pins that are most unreliable first.
I want expobrawl back. It is a highlight of expos of the past. I have met, played and discussed pinball with all kinds of folks of various places/ countries. Expo is better with the expo brawl. If some folks dont want their games to be in it, then they can just say so. Or do it in one of the other rooms.. but find a way. My 2c.
Regarding signage: the hotel's own daily-activity displays (on big screens in portrait) were actually informative in matters of show events and navigation. Expo staff put up lots of signs, but it seems like there are always people who find incompletenesses.
If you want to provide constructive feedback about incompleteness of the signage, please specify both what you wanted to locate and where you were when the question arose in your mind. For example, "I was in Rob Anthony's room and wanted to figure out how to get to the seminars."
.................David Marston
Quoted from PINTEC:Suggest no Video games at Pinball Expo seems like this was a last ditch effort to fill a hole after purchasing ALL the space at the hotel so to block Mike to not to try "have his show" in any form.
Have disagree, bumped into a number of people that enjoyed them. Thought it was a great way to spread the crowd over multiple rooms. Heck in future years it might allow others to share in both hobbies or bring in more people to enjoy the show.
I want to clarify a little about the repair system at Pintastic, because remarks like "I didn't realize we should call the owners" apply at Expo but not at Pintastic. At Pintastic, we have game cards and the owner's name at a minimum. The owner may provide a phone number or email on the card, which is more about selling the game. The card also has instructions about reporting problems into our repair-ticket system. Members of the Tech Team from Pintastic respond to tickets in the queue according to their respective skills and aptitudes, and there are guidelines for when they should contact the game owner.
We have a whiteboard, but it is mainly to be used for messages from Pintastic staff to game-bringers. Repair tickets can be entered in a variety of ways, including written paper forms. We have plans for several improvements for 2019.
.................David Marston
Quoted from dmarston:I want to clarify a little about the repair system at Pintastic, because remarks like "I didn't realize we should call the owners" apply at Expo but not at Pintastic. At Pintastic, we have game cards and the owner's name at a minimum. The owner may provide a phone number or email on the card, which is more about selling the game. The card also has instructions about reporting problems into our repair-ticket system. Members of the Tech Team from Pintastic respond to tickets in the queue according to their respective skills and aptitudes, and there are guidelines for when they should contact the game owner.
We have a whiteboard, but it is mainly to be used for messages from Pintastic staff to game-bringers. Repair tickets can be entered in a variety of ways, including written paper forms. We have plans for several improvements for 2019.
.................David Marston
Please don’t take this negative. I like the system and feel it works with the correct number of techs. Do you ever find anyone abusing the system with games that need too much work?
Xpo is now treading water, and not well. It will sink, the locals will watch it happen with non-locals no longer coming to watch the ship break into two distinct pieces and much lost for later discover on the History Channel.
Quoted from SuperDaveOsbourn:Xpo is now treading water, and not well. It will sink, the locals will watch it happen with non-locals no longer coming to watch the ship break into two distinct pieces and much lost for later discover on the History Channel.
English-motherfr-do-you-speak-it (resized).jpgQuoted from Gryszzz:I'm still up. Thanks Expo.
Must have been all of that coffee!!!!!
Quoted from Eric_S:[quoted image]
A game or two, here and there.....
Quoted from Gryszzz:I'm still up
I would be too, If I would have made it this year! Missed getting drunk and playing pinball with ya Gryszzz! Next year for sure, and maybe I can get my head poked into a TNT vid. 
Quoted from Gryszzz:I'm still up. Thanks Expo.
He's alive!!! It's been seven days since you last posted. That must have been one crazy Expo if it took you a week to recover!!! 
Quoted from gweempose:must have been one crazy Expo
Is it any other way with Gryszzz? Security called on him three nights in a row (shocker!). Just glad nobody was hurt. 
Quoted from ViolinSteve:Is it any other way with Gryszzz? Security called on him three nights in a row (shocker!). Just glad nobody was hurt.
We were on the same floor, a few doors down. We could hear it all... 
Quoted from tamoore:We could hear it all...
Fortunately, I had my own room, on a different floor, all the way at the end. My safe zone.
Quoted from ViolinSteve:Fortunately, I had my own room, on a different floor, all the way at the end. My safe zone.
Good call.
Quoted from waldo34:Have disagree, bumped into a number of people that enjoyed them. Thought it was a great way to spread the crowd over multiple rooms. Heck in future years it might allow others to share in both hobbies or bring in more people to enjoy the show.
This is a pinball themed venue anything pinball:
Pinball seminars,
Pinball tournaments,
Pinball parts and supplies,
Speakers discussing pinball,
Pinball News.
Never implied video games were not cool or not fun, there are several venues where its everything arcade related is mixed. already been done.
I don't get why some people are so vehemently opposed to the arcade games. It's not like they were taking up space that could have been used for pins.
So the show isn't allowed to evolve? Look at MGC. Basically the exact opposite happened. People love that show, and it didn't start off with any pins at all. In fact, I think it was originally some kind of Atari Jaguar enthusiast club.
Quoted from gweempose:So the show isn't allowed to evolve? Look at MGC. Basically the exact opposite happened. People love that show, and it didn't start off with any pins at all. In fact, I think it was originally some kind of Atari Jaguar enthusiast club.
Yeah, it was rough to remember that the console museum is really the heart of what started that show when they were scraping a big chunk of the pin/arcade space out for it last year. heh!
Quoted from epthegeek:With the entry door on the 'front' hall and the high number of games to play in the main vendor hall (several free play banks, pin stadiums huge row, american pinball's bank, jjps bank, sterns setup, cgc) I think a good number of people never even went down the hall to the freeplay room.
I know traffic in Rob's room was down, I've heard comments that the free play hall wasn't crowded at any point and every time I was in that hallway it seemed pretty barren.
I was there all day Friday. Most of the work hours the free play room was not too bad. But around 3, it got pretty busy. Between 3 and 6, it was annoying. Lines for most of the unbroken non-EM games. Everyone was waiting for the vendor hall to open. Had it been open, it would have been fine. I would have left earlier in the day if I didn't have to wait so long to make it into the vendor hall. Opening that late sucked for us day trippers.
I also didn't know about the "other" room until I was on my way out and walked down the hall to go to my car. Signage could have been WAY better.
Quoted from gweempose:So the show isn't allowed to evolve? Look at MGC. Basically the exact opposite happened. People love that show, and it didn't start off with any pins at all. In fact, I think it was originally some kind of Atari Jaguar enthusiast club.
You are correct. It started as a Jaguar user group in a hotel in Rochester, MN(IIRC). Fast forward several years later, and Wizard of Oz pinball is revealed there, with thousands in attendance.
You can still mail order tickets to Expo, no? Heh
Had a good time at Expo.
I was glad I volunteered and could help out where & when I was able. (hopefully it was good enough for the naysayers, to volunteer next year)
Thanks to Rob Craig & Darren leading our rag-tag bunch.
Evel Knievel (SS) = 589 total plays
Night Rider (SS) = 340 total plays (was apparently 'down' Thurs night/Fri morn, for a simple flipped rubber on a slingshot)
(both machines there Weds - Sunday)
Quoted from Marvin:it was berks, and cool. bonus, since it was pure EM and no mechanicals on the field it actually worked well.
Wrong. Read the card on the machine. It says Neo Skywalker.
My 2 cents
Expo was awesome!
More games in the free play areas this year than in any recent year I can remember!
I liked the video crossover as thats how I got started in this hobby
Lots of cools and unique games.
Well organized and the groupon was a bonus
Maybe next year I bring a few games......
Video Games? This was presented to the team about 6 months ago as an option. I was for it. Here are a few reasons .. selfish or not.
- Video games and the golden SS era of pinball co-existed for some years in the late 70's into early 80's. These are super nostalgic.
- Video game people are often passionate about pinball too, they just don't get to experience it publicly. Drawing some of them in is a good thing.
- Galloping Ghost is a very cool place, a Chicago venue, made sense to have them there if we had the room. We got the room, they came. Doc is great!
- Shows have changed since the late 90's and early 2000's. There are more of them, and many feature this golden arcade era of games. Why not? This is a reboot year.
- Many video games were manufactured by pinball companies and shared some of the same talent. Gottlieb, Stern, Williams, Bally/Midway, all had video divisions or licensed video product to manufacture. This history is precious to many of them. I find it all interesting too.
Will it come back in the same way next year? I don't know, but I would think they are welcome. Ted seawolf was very key in the video game lineup in the freeplay room. He had 15 classics lined up and at one time, all were being played on that back wall. ALL OF THEM at a pinball expo. Amazing. Ted, I appreciate you bringing your games and should have thanked you in that ridiculously long post a couple days ago. You're a great guy!
I've never had a "bad" Expo, but this was one of THE best. Security was a little too enthusiastic, but they're just doing their jobs.
I really missed seeing the door guy that's been at every Expo prior. I always looked forward to catching up with him.
This year's highlight: Presley Franchi. 
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Quoted from Lermods:Thanks, that’s very nice of you to say this, we just loved being there. I showed this to Mrs. L and she was really happy to read it. The DI CE in our booth is owned by Rob Berk that he lent us for the show. I modded it with an rgb flashing mod and our DI sidelights mod. Game held up without a hitch the entire show.
My son really enjoyed the modded out DI.
Quoted from Gryszzz:I've never had a "bad" Expo, but this was one of THE best.
I bet you didn't even drain your car battery.
Quoted from chuckwurt:Hahaha. Love how all of Gryszzz’s photos are blurry.
Maybe I shouldn't have given him my extra drink tickets at the Pinball Life party.
Quoted from chuckwurt:Hahaha. Love how all of Gryszzz’s photos are blurry.
Wtf you talkin bout Willis?
Like they were taken with my pupils and no camera was even involved.
It was great meeting Gryszzz. It was for not long enough, I'm sure we could have'old punk rocker' bonded longer. Next time.
I'm cool with the vids, start some crossover and mix up the seminars. With pinball we know all of those stories already, get some fresh meat in there.
Just need to get the power figured out ahead of time.
-c
Haha thanks mar dudes! You know I love you all!
I think the REAL highlight of Expo this year was getting Target Alpha home and set-up and everything is working. Honestly think I played more games on it than any other new pin I've bought. Last night I played till 4 am. Been up till 4 every night this week THANKS EXPO.
Quoted from RobCraig:Many video games were manufactured by pinball companies and shared some of the same talent. Gottlieb, Stern, Williams, Bally/Midway, all had video divisions or licensed video product to manufacture. This history is precious to many of them. I find it all interesting too.
Rob has opened a 55 gal drum of woop ass on Robotron many times.
Robotron (resized).pngQuoted from RobCraig:Wrong. Read the card on the machine. It says Neo Skywalker.
I couldn't read the card, I wrote that on Tuesday and was trying to remember what I saw Friday. I saw the correction but couldn't respond to a hot topic.
Quoted from RobCraig:Video Games? This was presented to the team about 6 months ago as an option. I was for it. Here are a few reasons .. selfish or not.
- Video games and the golden SS era of pinball co-existed for some years in the late 70's into early 80's. These are super nostalgic.
- Video game people are often passionate about pinball too, they just don't get to experience it publicly. Drawing some of them in is a good thing.
- Galloping Ghost is a very cool place, a Chicago venue, made sense to have them there if we had the room. We got the room, they came. Doc is great!
- Shows have changed since the late 90's and early 2000's. There are more of them, and many feature this golden arcade era of games. Why not? This is a reboot year.
- Many video games were manufactured by pinball companies and shared some of the same talent. Gottlieb, Stern, Williams, Bally/Midway, all had video divisions or licensed video product to manufacture. This history is precious to many of them. I find it all interesting too.
Will it come back in the same way next year? I don't know, but I would think they are welcome. Ted seawolf was very key in the video game lineup in the freeplay room. He had 15 classics lined up and at one time, all were being played on that back wall. ALL OF THEM at a pinball expo. Amazing. Ted, I appreciate you bringing your games and should have thanked you in that ridiculously long post a couple days ago. You're a great guy!
Yeah Ted is an amazing guy
He pointed me in the direction of a seller and drove to Ohio with me to pick up a game I really wanted
We talked the entire way there and the time just flew by...
except for when he had to stop and shit his taco's from the night before
Thank god we made it to a bathroom when we did.......
And I think it was a big disappointment that he didn't bring one of his 2 robotrons to expo
Perhaps its because he didn't want everyone to know that I own the high scores on both of them...... just sayin
LOL
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Quoted from Gryszzz:I've never had a "bad" Expo, but this was one of THE best. Security was a little too enthusiastic, but they're just doing their jobs.
I really missed seeing the door guy that's been at every Expo prior. I always looked forward to catching up with him.
This year's highlight: Presley Franchi.
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Sweet pics, looks like you captured the spirit of Expo. I enjoyed your pics. Next year will be even better..
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Allyn, WA
Saskatoon, SK