Celebrating 40th years of PINBALL EXPO!

Pinball Expo Event Highlights

Tuesday, October 15:
Chicago Gaming Factory Tour & Galloping Ghost Arcade

Wednesday, October 16:
Logan Arcade, American Pinball Factory Tour & Enterrium Bumper Blast

Thursday, October 17:
Jersey Jack Pinball Factory Tour & Seminars
Event Hall Open 12:00 Noon - Midnight

Friday, October 18:
Stern Pinball Factory Tour & Seminars
Event Hall Open 10:00 am - Midnight

Saturday, October 19:
Seminars, Autograph Session, Live Music
Event Hall Open 10:00 am - 2:00 am

Schedule of Events

October 15, 2024

10:00 a.m. Pinball Expo Registration

11:45 a.m. Buses Depart Hotel for the Chicago Gaming & Galloping Ghost Arcade Tour (meet across from convention center escalator)
Food served at Galloping Ghost Arcade

7:30 p.m. MOVIE NIGHT - "Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game" (2023)
Special Guests: Roger & Ellen Sharpe

9:30 p.m. MOVIE NIGHT - "Tommy" (1975)

October 16, 2024

7:30 a.m. Pinball Expo Registration

8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Vendor Setup

9:45 a.m. Buses Depart Hotel for the Logan Arcade & American Pinball Tour (meet across from convention center escalator)
Food served at Logan Arcade

5:00 p.m. Registration For FLIP OUT! Opens (Schaumburg East)
FLIP OUT! Main Tournament Seeding 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 Midnight

5:45 p.m. International Attendees load buses for the Bumper Blast Welcoming Party at ENTERRIUM (meet across from convention center escalator)

6:45 p.m. Remaining Attendees load buses for the Bumper Blast Welcoming Party at ENTERRIUM (meet across from convention center escalator)

10:00 p.m. Bumper Blast Welcoming Party concludes & buses return to Hotel

October 17, 2024

7:30 a.m. Pinball Expo Registration

7:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. Vendor Setup

8:15 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. Buses Depart Hotel throughout the day for the Jersey Jack Pinball Tour (meet across from convention center escalator)

8:45 a.m. "Adventures in Repairing Foreign Nirvana C Pinball Machines Part 2"
Speaker: Ron Coon, Jr.

9:00 a.m. "Pinspotting"
Speaker: M.G. Brown, Terri Brown

9:30 a.m. "Pinball: A Quest for Mastery"
Nirvana C Speaker: Tasker Smith

10:00 a.m. "Pinball Keychain Plastics! (& Other Factory Promotional Collectibles)"
Speaker: Dann Frank

10:00 a.m. "Easily Add Integrated Light Nirvana C Shows, Servo Motors, & More to Your Existing Pinball Machine"
Speaker: Brad Oldham

10:00 a.m. Registration For FLIP OUT! Cont. (Schaumburg East)

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.: Main Tournament Seeding

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.: Women's Qualifying

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 Midnight: Classics Qualifying

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 Midnight: Kids (Age 14 & Under) Tournament

10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.:
Registration for Pinball Expo
World Cup Tournament

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (Main Hall)

10:30 a.m. "Australian Pinball - The Story About Hankin" Speaker: Stephen Smith

10:30 a.m. "The Perfect Stack: Art & Pinball"
Nirvana C Speaker: Elijah Farrales

11:00 a.m. "Thinking Big - The Visionaries"
Speakers: Rob Berk, Doc Mack, Dave Lawton, Mike Jacobson Moderator: Emily Brooks

11:00 a.m. "How to Run a Successful Arcade Bar"
Nirvana C Speakers: Rachel Bess, Chris Rhodes, Cale Hernandez, Jim Zespy, Alan Robertson

12:00 Noon "Master Class in Pinball Playfield Art" Speaker: Doug Watson

12:00 Noon "Game Restoration Tips & Tricks"
Nirvana C Speaker: Ken Head

12:00 Noon EVENT HALL OPENS

12:00 Noon Registration For Pinball Expo 2024
Virtual Pinball Tournament Opens
Pinball Expo 2024 Virtual Pinball
Tournament 12:00 Noon - 10:00 p.m.

12:30 p.m. "What's New With Captain & The Auction"
Nirvana C Speaker: Chris Campbell

1:00 p.m. "The Early Years & More"
Speaker: John Borg

1:00 p.m. "Little Shop of Games: My How We've Grown!"
Nirvana C Speaker: Marshall Dickson

1:30 p.m. "The Voice Behind the Machine Returns"
Nirvana C Speaker: Fred Young

2:00 p.m. "Inside View of the Terra Technica
Pinball & Jukebox Museum"
Speaker: Günther Freinberger

2:00 p.m. "Pinball Republic Closure & Reopening"
Nirvana C Speaker: Neil McRae

2:30 p.m. "Pinball Sport in Austria"
Speaker: Stefan Riedler

2:30 p.m. "Script Flipped: From Film Student
Nirvana C to Ottawa's Youngest Playfield Tech"
Speaker: Ben Willms

3:00 p.m. "Pinball Restoration: Moving Forward from ‘Radical' to ‘Scared Stiff: Red
Chrome Edition' by Pinball Italy"
Speakers: Ivan Cicognani, Andy Pira, Giorgio Avato

3:00 p.m. "The History of Pinside & Secret
Nirvana C Santa Holiday Program (Treats & Gift Giveaway!)"
Speakers: John Jundt, Eric Meunier

3:30 p.m. "Restoration is NOT a Dirty Word."
Nirvana C Speaker: Mike Hasanov

4:00 p.m. "Collecting Pinball Machines from the Birth of Pinball to the 1930s"
Speakers: Mike Minchew, Caitlyn Pascal, Bryan Redshaw, Cliff Schoon, Colleen Schoon
Moderator: Jeff Frick

4:00 p.m. "45 Years Addicted to Pinball, from
Nirvana C Playing Pinball After School to Building Our Own Pinball Museum"
Speaker: Martin Wiest

4:00 p.m. Pinball Expo World Cup Tournament (Main Hall)

4:30 p.m. "XPin Lets Loose"
Nirvana C Speaker: Brett Davis

5:00 p.m. "Suggestions in Launching a Successful Pinball Campaign"
Speakers: Oscar Terol, Roberto Almarza, Nick Schwartz

6:00 p.m. "If You Can Work on Pinball You
Nirvana C Can Work on Jukeboxes"
Speakers: Ed Owens, Aaron Schmitt

6:00 p.m. "Scorbit: Advancing Connected
Pinball To The Next Phase"
Speakers: Jay Adelson, Ron Richards

6:30 p.m. "PinWiki: 13 Years On"
Speakers: Casey Gardner, Chuck Gardner

7:00 p.m. "Funhouse Reimagined: Rudy is Back!"
Speakers: Nic Parks, Dominic Kacich, Travis Murie, Brian Allen

7:00 p.m. "40 Years of Clips, Media, & PINBALL!"
Nirvana C (Free Pinball Candy and Plastics!!)
Speaker: Jim Schelberg

8:00 p.m. "The Visible Pinball/Exhibits for Museums"
Speakers: Michael Schiess, Wade Krause

8:00 p.m. "Women Working in Pinball"
Nirvana C Speakers: Kristin Browning-Mezel, Rachel Bess, Rebecca Hinsdale, Elizabeth Gieske, Erika S., Krystle Gemnich
Moderator: Imoto Harney

9:00 p.m. "Pinball Museums - Keeping Pinball Alive"
Speakers: Michael Schiess, Evan Phillippe, Melissa Harmon

9:00 p.m. "Playfield Restoration: Preserving
Nirvana C Economic and Historical Value of Your Pinball Machine"
Speaker: Marcelo Blanco

9:30 p.m. "Goat Shed Ramblings - Looking
Towards the Future"
Speaker: Kim Oswald

10:30 p.m. "What's Happening at American Pinball?"
Speaker: Dave Fix, The Team

10:00 p.m. "Fencing, Fighting, Torture, & Nirvana C Revenge - The Making of The Princess Bride Pinball for the P3"
Speaker: Josh Kugler

11:15 p.m. "Pinball Degeneracy on Social Media"
Nirvana C Speaker: Joe Ciaravino

12:00 Midnight EVENT HALL CLOSES

October 18, 2024

7:30 a.m. Pinball Expo Registration

9:00 a.m. Buses Depart Hotel for the Stern Pinball Tour (meet across from convention center escalator)

10:00 a.m. EVENT HALL OPENS

10:00 a.m. Main A & B Division Finals Begin 10:00 a.m.
Classics Qualifying Cont.

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.: Women's Qualifying Cont.

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.: Kids (Age 14 & Under) Tournament Cont. 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

12:00 Noon Pinball Expo 2024 Virtual
Pinball Tournament 12:00 Noon - 10:00 p.m.

12:30 p.m. "From a Collection to a Museum:
Pinball is More than Fun & Games"
Speaker: Mischa de Muynck (Dutch Pinball Museum)

1:00 p.m. "Collecting Beyond Pinball -
Electromechanical Arcade Games"
Speakers: Larry Bieza, Phill Emmert

2:00 p.m "What is Your Game Worth?"
Speaker: Ted Finlay

2:30 p.m. "Hard Lessons from Building the
World's Most Complex Pinball Game"
Speaker: Andy Cavatorta

3:00 p.m. "Making Pinball, Making Friends:
Meet the Future of Homebrew Pinball"
Speakers: Lin, Kyle Reed, Ernie Silverberg, And More
Moderator: Aaron Davis

4:00 p.m. "Licensing: Behind the Scenes
Stories from these Marketing Masters"
Speakers: Jody Dankberg,
Tom Nieman, Roger Sharpe
Moderator: LJ Greene

5:00 p.m. "Dutch Pinball - Where We Are & Where We Are Going"
Speakers: Melvin Williams, Barry Driessen, Rens Hooijmaijers

6:00 p.m. Pinball Expo Hall of Fame Presentations

6:30 p.m. "40 Years of Pinball Expo"
Speakers: Rob Berk, Dave Marston

7:30 p.m. "40 Years of Pinball Expo as Told by Some of the Talented People Who Made it Happen"
Host: Pat Lawlor
Panelists: Larry DeMar, Greg Freres, Roger Sharpe, Chris Granner, Keith Johnson, Bill Grupp, Jack Guarnieri, Steve Ritchie

9:30 p.m. "An Evening With Jersey Jack Pinball"
Speaker: Jack Guarnieri & Team

10:30 p.m. "LTG :)"
Speaker: Lloyd Olson

12:00 Midnight EVENT HALL CLOSES

October 19, 2024

8:30 a.m. Pinball Expo Registration

9:00 a.m. "Solid State Repair Tips"
Speaker: Mike Gullo

10:00 a.m. "Comics & Watches & Neon Oh My! Behind the Scenes of Ryan Claytor's Pinball Art"
Speaker: Ryan Claytor

10:00 a.m. EVENT HALL OPENS

10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Project Pinball Silent Auction

10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Cosplay Check-In

10:00 a.m.
Main A & B Division Finals Continue at 10:00 a.m.
Classics Qualifying 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 Midnight
Kids (Age 14 & Under) Tournament 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Highest score wins)
Women's Qualifying 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Women's Finals 5:00 p.m. Start
Pinball Expo 2024 Virtual
Pinball Tournament 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

11:00 a.m. "Remembering the Old Times at Bally Pinball Development, 1975-1981"
Speaker: Ray Gay

11:00 a.m. "Retro Game Talk"
Nirvana C Speakers: Barry Evans (World Record Holder - Sonic the Hedgehog Collection), Michael Thomasson (Retro Gaming Collector & Historian), Michael Bergeron Youtuber & Homebrew Developer)

11:00 a.m. Captain's Game & Pinball Auction
Auctioneer: Chris Campbell
Exploration Room

12:00 Noon "The Man Who Brought Digital
Printing to the Amusement Industry"
Speaker: Don Marshall

1:00 p.m. - Pinball Author, Artist, & Designer

2:30 p.m. Autograph Session
Utopia AB Room

1:00 p.m. "The Magic Behind Chrome Plating"
Speaker: Craig Bierman

1:00 p.m. "Two Consoles Too Late Podcast"
Nirvana C Speaker: Jackson Kuebler
(HostProducer of "Two Consoles Too Late")

2:00 p.m. "Building Pinball Machines from Scratch"
Speaker: Wally Gorczowiski

2:00 p.m. "How to Avoid the "Flaming G08"
Nirvana C Syndrome Podcast"
Speaker: Matthew Janeczek
(Podcaster & Retro Game Enthusiast)

3:00 p.m. "Starting Your Own Arcade & Routing
Pinball & Arcade Games"
Speaker: Greg Yanish

3:00 p.m. "YouTuber Discussion"
Nirvana C Speakers: Brett Weiss (Retro
Gaming Author & YouTuber), John Hancock (Retro Gaming Collector & YouTuber)

4:00 p.m. "Gary Stern Presents: 40 Years of Pinball"
Speakers: Gary Stern

5:00 p.m. "The Making of JAWS"
Speakers: Keith Elwin, Harrison Drake, Rick Naegle, Elizabeth Gieske, Jerry Thompson

5:00 p.m. "The Art of Video Games"
Nirvana C Speakers: Paul Niemeyer (Mortal Kombat & Video Game Artist), Jeff Lee (Q*Bert Artist & Video Game Developer)

5:00 p.m. Women's Finals 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Cosplay Competition (awards given)

6:00 p.m. "The Making of John Wick"
Speakers: Elliot Eismin, Tim Sexton

6:00 p.m. "Token Taverns"
Nirvana C Speaker: Bob Rose (Director & Emmy Award Winner - Producer/Filmmaker)

7:00 p.m. "The Uncanny X-Men Seminar"
Speakers: Jack Danger, Waison, Kevin Kolodziej, Jerry Thompson

8:00 p.m. "Greg Freres: A Career Retrospective"
Speaker: Greg Freres

8:00 p.m. Pinball Drawing at Discovery Hall

8:30 p.m. MUSIC NIGHT
On Stage 7th Heaven Band

9:00 p.m. Pinball Expo 2024 Virtual
Pinball Tournament

9:00 p.m. - 12:00 Mdnight

9:30 p.m. "Let's Make a Deal"
Speakers: Dwight Sullivan, Corey Stup
Crew: Tanio Klyce, Mark Penacho, Kyle Spiteri, Damon Beals, Jerry Thompson

10:00 p.m. PinballArt USA Backglass Drawing

2:00 a.m. EVENT HALL CLOSES

October 20, 2024

7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Event Hall Tear Down

9:00 a.m. Classics Finals Begin
Meet 8:45 a.m - Start 9:00 a.m.

Date: October 15-20, 2024

Location:
Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center and Hotel,
1551 North Thoreau Drive,
Schaumburg, IL 60173.

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