With Stern Pinball attending IAAPA Europe 2024 in Amsterdam, the Dutch Pinball Museum jumped on the occasion to host an evening with Gary Stern. Pinball Magazine was present to report on the events.
Considering that Amsterdam time is seven hours ahead of Chicago, the Stern Pinball delegation arrived the weekend before IAAPA Europe. The special evening with Gary Stern took place on Monday, September 23rd, 2024. Tickets for this special evening were limited to 100 and cost 30 euros. The doors of the Dutch Pinball Museum opened at 5:30 PM. The first part of the Stern Pinball delegation arrived at the museum just after 6:00 PM. It consisted of Doug Skor (Director of Export Sales), John Buscaglia (EVP / Chief Revenue Officer), Pat Powers (Director of Tech Support), and Lloyd Durtant (Marketing Europe). LJ Green helped organize the event and welcomed them to the museum. About 15 minutes later, Gary Stern, CEO Seth Davis, and his wife Allison arrived.
The delegation was directed to two tables in the bar area of the museum where typical Dutch tomato soup with meatballs, croquettes on a bun, and Brabant sausage rolls were served. Following this supper, Gerard van de Sanden, founder of the Dutch Pinball Museum, took Gary and Seth to the museum’s attic, where Gary would give his talk. After a brief inspection, Gary and Seth approached two Stern Electronics pinball games: Orbitor 1 and Nugent. Seth had apparently never seen the Orbitor 1 and played the game while Gary signed it.
Next, Gerard took the two on a tour through his museum. At the Alvin G. dual-player soccer game, Gary explained the Total Recall prototype he had once built to Seth. When approaching a Bingo game, Gary also explained the economics to Seth. Gary and Seth both signed the Wall of Fame. At the Python Anghelo concept drawings for a Madonna-themed pinball game, Gary explained he once went after the Dick Tracie license, which would include Madonna as well. In the museum’s dinosaur room, Gary pointed out to Seth the ball-eating dinosaur on Data East’s Jurrasic Parc.
On his way to the next floor, Gary explains to Gerard how the ban on pinball was lifted in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. Gary also describes how Stern Electronics’ Memory Lane is basically the same game as Bally’s Strikes’ n Spares.
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