PINBALL NEWS DIARY

It is like the comicon for pinball, retro console, classic arcade video! Gameroom exhibitors of all types of games, parts, and collectibles are under one roof at this once-a-year festival for you to play, buy and sell. If they are a major name in pinball and arcade gaming, they are here.

Play all the games you want with admission. Interested in honing your pinball play and improving gaming skills? Want the industry low-down and to be an insider on innovations? We have that covered. Take a break from playing to join meetups and seminars hosted by industry insiders and celebrity guests – designers, modders, programmers, artists, and entrepreneurs galore.

Note: Same location and Memorial Day weekend dates as last year.

PinBrew is a three-day fun filled event with the emphasis on pinball. Come join us at the show and for the price of the ticket you will be able to enjoy a full day or all three days playing over 100 pinball machines new and old. We will have a selection of arcade games there that you may have played in younger days as well. Our show combines the fun of games with great craft beers and local foods. Each day we will have different breweries set up giving you the opportunity to try a variety of their best brews.

We will be enjoying different foods from some of the region’s best Food trucks. Everything from barbecue to pierogis. Also, some of the areas best coffee will be represented there by Stonefruit Coffee Company.

And for you serious pinheads we will have vendors displaying some of the newest pinball machines, Mods and parts. There will be games there for sale that you can take home from the show. And plenty of tournaments for all you serious pinball wizards.

UPDATE: The physical show is cancelled, but there will be a full schedule of seminars, factory tours and interviews on the pinballexpo.com website over the same dates as the show.

Pinball Expo returns to the Westin Chicago North Shore for the 36th anniversary in 2020, including the Stern Pinball factory tour, a huge seminar schedule, IFPA-ranked tournaments, a wide range of parts, machine and add-on vendors, two large games rooms, exhibits of the latest games and products and much more, starting with a free banquet on Wednesday evening.

Pinball News will be video recording all the seminars and they will be made available on the Pinball News site and YouTube channel soon after.

Note:  Normally only the tournaments continue into Sunday.  Pinball Expo vendor, games and seminar halls are all expected to close Saturday night.

PinBrew is a three-day fun filled event with the emphasis on pinball. Come join us at the show and for the price of the ticket you will be able to enjoy a full day or all three days playing over 100 pinball machines new and old. We will have a selection of arcade games there that you may have played in younger days as well. Our show combines the fun of games with great craft beers and local foods. Each day we will have different breweries set up giving you the opportunity to try a variety of their best brews.

We will be enjoying different foods from some of the region’s best Food trucks. Everything from barbecue to pierogis. Also, some of the areas best coffee will be represented there by Stonefruit Coffee Company.

And for you serious pinheads we will have vendors displaying some of the newest pinball machines, Mods and parts. There will be games there for sale that you can take home from the show. And plenty of tournaments for all you serious pinball wizards.

NOTE: New location

After last year’s Virtual Pinball Expo, for 2021 the longest-running pinball show moves to a new home at the Renaissance Convention Center & Hotel in the city of Schaumburg.

Schaumburg is much nearer Chicago O’Hare airport than the previous location at the Westin in Wheeling, while the main show hall has expanded to 70,000 sq ft, almost three times the size of the main vendor hall at the Westin.  There are also dedicated seminar rooms and multiple meeting spaces in hotel and attached Convention Center.

Booking for the show and the hotel rooms opens at the end of October 2020.