Rockwall, TX
I know there are a lot of reviews and feedback on Pintastic, but I wanted to make a thread all it's own about my experience because I think the experience justifies it.
I have never been north of NYC before, never been in New England. When I heard about Pintastic I was interested and curious as to what these guys may be planning. Having done several events myself over the years and now a veteran of several pinball festivals I have a good grasp on what a good event is. It was obvious to me up front that Gabe and Derek were going all out.
In the months leading up to the show I assisted the team with their facebook page, press releases and ultimately the program itself which I built for the show. I was asked to provide live streaming access to Pinside from the show so it was really an honor to be asked by a show organizer to do this rather than have to sneak around and do it unofficially at Rob Berk's show (which has sense been fixed, thanks Rob!).
Arriving in Boston, I met up with LTG and we got a Lobster roll at a place on the harbor near the airport. I rode in a suburban with LTG, Greg and Dennis Nordman to the show. It was funny, in the car Greg was like "Oh! You are THAT Jared" when he realized I was also a Stern employee. lol. We had been in the car talking together for about 30 minutes at that point.
As we drove along I could not help but notice how different the bushes, rocks, trees and leaves were. Totally different vegetation. Craggy rocks jutted out of the side of hills amongst flowers and lush greenery. This place was different than anywhere I had seen before.
Pulling up at the hotel in Sturbridge, I was shocked as I saw a massive lake lined with trees adjacent to the hotel. It was very picturesque. Entering in the hotel, a specific musk came over my nose... this place was aged.. and dark wood features stood out from the ceiling around a very large wood fireplace that I imagined got quite a bit of use. After checking in, I walked a long walk to my hotel room. Along the way I passed through a large dark room... as big as a mall food court... that had empty gazebos and stone walk ways. Perhaps sometime in the past this was once an outdoor area that was later enclosed... but the vibe here on Thursday was very creepy... like you were walking around in a old mall after hours.
The room itself was nice, but dated. Not that I actually cared, as my room was just a place to shower and crash. Outside my window I could see what looked to be a pretty good miniature golf course. Never did get a chance to play that.
I finally made my way down to the show area where setup had started. In the large exhibitors hall, vendors were busy setting up games and the area was well planned and laid out. Lighting was outstanding. There was a good mix of pinball industry vendors and local sponsors in the hall that I thought was a good call for a regional based show.
Around the corner in the hallway was a video game tournament area and a game specific vendor, a restoration room, a seminar room, and the big free-play room. This was not the largest show I have seen, but there was an impressive amount of machines and I would be lying if I said that I got to play even 5% of them during my time at the show.
Gabe and Derek were outstanding hosts, very concerned with the well being of others. Constantly I was hearing "Jared you ok brother?" or "Anything I can do to help you Jared?". In the seminar hall, Dave Marston was extremely detailed in his organization and planning, and as a result we had nearly no errors or problems in that area.
Friday came and the show was alive. The familiar hum of pinball machines drowning one another out was heard and its one of the best sounds in the world. I was particularly impressed to see CARNIVAL GAMES AND RIDES outside the main hall, as well as a professional magician and clowns entertaining the kids. I have seen a lot of things at shows, but never professional clowns. The kids loved it.
The weather was perfect, like 68 degrees, (its July, what the hell) so it was very nice to walk in and out. I noticed as I looked around that the market for Pinball machines in New England was like 30% less than in DFW. Games I would sell for $900-$1100 were being sold for $700-800. Super interesting... so hard to not buy several titles. In particular I saw a nice working Killer Instinct arcade that is a easy $2500 in Dallas... for $800. Wow.
There was an afterparty on Friday that had a cash bar and free food, along with the game-room being open until 1:30am. Only sponsors, volunteers, hotel guests and game exhibitors were allowed. This was a really nice touch. Man, those Sanctum guys get wild when they drink!
Saturday was a buzz and all the seminars went well. Even the minor seminars were well attended although I didn't get as much pinside interaction as I had hoped to.
Lots of people were saying that it was their first ever show, which makes sense since the region has not had a show since 1994. Shows are so critical to the growth and love of pinball, and I am so thankful to know that New England now has a show of their very own.
The organizers deserve a huge pat on the back here. Every detail was considered and thought out. Things like pens, pins, keychains, shirts, a tournament, a magician, clowns, arcade tournament, pinball tournament, amusement rides, seminars, concession stand, hotel accommodations and a live band during take down were all very well executed. Little details like the branded lanyards and custom name-tags... these are the kinds of details you expect at the nations top shows... not a first time attempt.
The truth is, Gabe and Derek have jumped right up to the major leagues of pinball shows in a single try. That is beyond impressive.
I am so honored to have been a small part of this great event, and to have been invited to attend by the show organizers. They put on a hell of an event, and I know it will continue to grow and expand as time goes on. Plus... the Lobster was amazing... but thats another story.
-Jared
