As someone who has run a lot of local and a couple big tournaments, runs a pinball map with 250 locations/450 games, and a pinball blog, here's my 2 cents.
A lot of people talk about what will make pinball popular again. The world has changed. The arcade is dead. If you want to get people to come out, give them an experience. Give them something they can't get on facebook or on the internet.
I ran the tournament at Pin a Go Go last year, probably my best tournament in terms of overall quality. One of the players was super-enthusiastic and kept asking me tons of questions about how to run a league. He hooked up with one of the organizers afterward and they started a pinball league. The Capitol Corridor league is now in its second or third season.
I recently started running local tournaments at a neighborhood bar. One of the attendees started a "meet-up" in Marin County for pinball enthusiasts. My kind of event was just what she'd been looking for and she wanted to do her own. I said, "Why don't you be in charge of the next tournament and get some experience?" She agreed and we did it. Just bought her first game, too.
That's all it takes, just getting people playing, having fun and meeting cool people. If you have a positive attitude and are willing to do a bit of work, the rest will follow.
If anyone has questions about running a local league or starting a pinball map in their area, drop me a line.
"If you build it they will come." When you get the word out there it happens. You can be the Ric Flair of your local pin community.