Hello and welcome to our coverage of this 35th annual Pinball Expo, being held at the Westin Chicago North Shore in Wheeling, northwest of Chicago.
The Westin Chicago North Shore in Wheeling
This 35th show is a major anniversary and is being celebrated in many ways. You can expect to see reference to this in various events held during the five days, which begin on Wednesday.
The first order of the day for all attendees is to visit the registration desk to either pick up their pre-ordered pack or to fill in a form and pay there and then.
The registration desk
The full package costs $210 if you buy it on arrival. That seems a lot, but includes all the seminars, access to the game rooms, the Stern Pinball factory tour, the Bumper Blast meal on Wednesday night, the show guide, and a ticket for the raffle to win a Jurassic Park pinball machine.
Individual parts of the show can be purchased separately, but the full package is usually the best deal and it can be discounted further with advance purchase. The team at the registration desk handed out the registration packs and answered all kinds of questions.
Your Pinball Expo registration team
While guests were signing-in, lots of work was going on behind the scenes to make sure the show will be ready when the Bumper Blast, the Vendor Hall, the Games Hall and the Seminars Hall open.
Games come through the Game Registration room before they are allowed to move on to the Games Halls or somewhere else in the show.
This year there will be games in the Bumper Blast welcome banquet
The first Games Hall has lots of machines already set up
More machines in Game Hall A
More machines in Game Hall A
All machines must come through here before going onto the Game Hall floor
Machines are checked-in, just like the guests
Machines are prepared in the room before heading to the halls
Although the Vendor Hall doesn’t open to the public until Thursday evening, Rob Anthony had his Pinball Classics room set up on Tuesday to catch the early visitors.
Rob Anthony is in there somewhere
More goodies in Rob’s room
Also
