Quoted from frolic:

Seems like that is the wrong direction, imo. Niches work. Trying to be all things to all people as a way to boost attendance seems like throwing stuff at the wall, instead of retooling to make the Chicago Pinball Expo the most important pinball show in the world.

Quoted from mrbillishere:

Got this email yesterday... Despite what Rob Berk posted earlier on in this thread it sounds like the rules may have changed for folks that bring their pins from home for use in the free play area. Am I mistaken? In short, per the bit in pink in the picture I've attached (which is also bolded out in the text below,) it seems like we who voluntarily bring pins for free play are going to get docked $$$ if we take off prior to 8PM on Saturday.
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Hello,
I'm Rob Craig. Some of you know me from our old Southern Illinois Pinball & Arcade Supershow in Herrin, IL which had its last stand in 2009. Some recall my involvement with GameRoom Magazine, or perhaps the Silverball Podcast. I've decided to jump out of the pinball shadow to help Rob Berk and David Fix with this 34th Pinball Expo event. My role is to recruit people to bring games to the show and manage logistics of moving games into the Expo hall, to make sure everyone that brings a game (or 12) receives compensation accordingly (armbands, VIP Event, raffle entries, even cash in some cases). For this, I have a "Compensation Matrix" that will help you identify how you get perks for bringing games. Most of you are receiving this e-mail because you were listed as someone who selflessly brought a game to the show in 2016. Thank you for doing that and making the 2016 show great. Others have been added to this e-mail because they are pinball friends and I know their passion for pinball and the Pinball Expo Show.
Game Compensation Matrix
[Please see the attached picture for the Game Compensation Matrix]
Games must be in 100% working order in order to qualify as a "Game Brought". Trophies will be awarded for Best EM game, Best Solid State Game, and Best DMD or Modern Era Game. You may (and are encouraged) to sell your game at Expo, but the game must remain at the show until Saturday Night 8PM at which time games can be removed without penalty. Early removals must be arranged by Rob Craig and his staff. You will be charged $30 per day for early removal (i.e. removal on Saturday before 8pm is $30 fee per machine, removal Friday before 8PM is $60 fee per machine) and forfeit your raffle ticket(s). Expo cash is real cash. Vouchers are provided when all games have been registered at the Games Table and cashed at the Registration Table.
To me, there are several benefits in bringing games to a pinball show and I'm sure you already can think of the same ones I have. Free entry to most parts of a show, ability to sell or trade games you brought, early access in setting up your game and seeing what else is in the hall. This year, I'm asking you to consider helping me PACK THE PLACE with nice working games. I've worked with Rob Berk to add more perks for those that bring a game.
Notice that the more you bring, the more perks you get. If you are interested in selling several titles in your collection - this might really work out for you. If you are looking to bring games and get enough bonus cash to pay for a Stern Tour or Seminars, that can certainly happen too. From what I've learned, compensation in the past has been a little inconsistent. This year, my goal is to make it clear up front and keep accurate records so everyone is handled the same way based upon the number of good games they bring. It won't be easy as the chaos of move-in can be a bit overwhelming. With this in mind, I'm also inviting you or other pinball people you know to join me in managing the freeplay move-in. There will be a table that needs attended throughout the show, many people on Wednesday afternoon through Thursday evening to assist with moving games into the hotel, and several to assist people in moving out. Even if bringing a game isn't something you can do, maybe helping me out is. I can offer a staff T-Shirt and free access to everything (except Stern Tour) for volunteers that put in 8 hours or more along with the VIP event. I'm looking to partner with someone that can work 20 or more hours during the event. If that is you, please contact me at [email protected].
I ask that you forward this e-mail to anyone that might have an interest in bringing a game or volunteering for the show. Simply reply to this e-mail if you intend on bringing games to the show AND/OR you are interested in volunteering. You could alternatively fill out the forms on the website but I believe an e-mail to me might be faster. Make sure to let me know Game Name, Year, Your Phone Number and if it is for sale or not. I realize game titles change even on the day before you come. You are not held to what you say you are bringing, but it does give me an idea on how much room we will need to gives people coming to the show an idea of what they can expect to see there this year.
Finally - if you have a pinball dolly that you can bring to the show and offer it up to the staff (once you are done with it) early in the week (Wednesday afternoon - Thursday Morning) please let me know that too. We'll need as many as we can get for the first 2 days of the show.
Sincere thanks to all. See you in October!
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Quoted from j_m_:

which guy was it? the one in the prius? or the bmw?

Quoted from cdf12345:

I typically lurk here. But I made a donation just to post this because I felt it was important and I hope it’s fixed next year.
So my tickets were not honored at the expo tonight. I’ve been to a bunch of Chicago expos in the past, done the factory tour, the whole bit. Now I work third shift and this year Friday night was the only time I could go, and I knew I’d miss the exhibit hall, I was fine with that, I just wanted to play some games. I purchased 2 tickets from Groupon, for Friday, so a co-worker and myself could go and play some games. We drove about an hour from home to the expo. We arrived at about 3:30 am. There is 1 security guard in front of the game hall, and she absolutely will not let us in without a wrist band, tells us registration opens at 8am, and basically we’re screwed.
She wont look at my groupon voucher, or attempt to use any common sense in the situation. It’s a wristband or nothing, and I’m told “everyone is sleeping”. I look inside and see maybe a dozen people inside the game hall at most. I see a friend of mine inside the game hall and we both attempt to find a reasonable solution but to no avail. I ask the guard who she works for, the hotel or the event, she says the event. At this point I’m frustrated and ask her what will happen if I go into the game hall with a ticket and not a wristband? She just says I can’t. I say if the organizers have a problem with someone with a ticket being in the game hall, they can come and let me know. I literally take a single step in the hall, and the guard calls the Wheeling police.
Look, I understand I didn’t have a wristband, but I did have tickets I paid for, and I just drive over an hour to come to the expo to play pinball for a few hours at 3am. Now I’m having to deal with police.
In the past there was ALWAYS someone with a cash box and wristbands at the game hall all night. The fact that the expo sold groupon tickets to an event with a 24 hour game hall and then stopped giving out wristbands at midnight is insane.
This is on the pinball expo website:
“Attendees who purchase daily tickets can play in the “24 Hour Game Hall” overnight until the "Registration Table" opens the next morning for people to purchase the next day's pass. Daily ticket prices for the “Vendor Hall” and “24 Hour Game Hall” are $30.00 Thursday, $30.00 Friday and $35.00 Saturday.”
It seems like a reasonable expectation to believe that , like previous years, would be able to access the game hall when they arrive with prepaid tickets, even if you chose to not sell tickets between midnight and 8am as in past years.
This was the only day I could attend this year. I’m filing a chargeback with groupon and my credit card. I’ll be posting this to various pinball groups, boards and communities. It’s 6am right now and I’m fuming. While I’m angry, I’m hopeful that this will be fixed for future expos. It’s likely that I won’t be able to arrive next year until after midnight as well.
The fact that the police were called by whoever was hired to check for wristbands really doesn’t sit well with me. Images of the response by wheeling PD as I left.
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Quoted from lpeters82:

I've only been to Expo twice: this one and two years ago. There was no doubt this expo was better. Thank you to the organizers, volunteers, vendors, game bringers, and all who made this event happen.
PS: I don't know a lot about Groupon, but couldn't a printed piece of paper be copied or passed around by multiple patrons? I don't blame them for not accepting them after hours. Perhaps they need to make that more clear on the Groupon page, but if I was in the shoes of the upset person, I wouldn't have assumed that piece of paper was an "event ticket". You exchange that peice of paper for your wristband at the registration table. If you can't make it until after hours, maybe email them in advance to ask if they could make some exception for you.

Quoted from mikepin:

This incident with the groupon would have never happened with me involved and should not have happened .. first off yes my people sold armbands all night. secondly if there were ever any problem any time my people called me even at 3 am if needed.. Someone i guess never told door people to do this.. sad WOw that police had to get involved in this..