2013 Pinball Show - where would the best place be

[swinks]

With out voting for your home town, if we were to have a pinball show in 2013, we would have to be a little strategic to get maximum support as well as be affordable for most to visit.

eg if it was in Sydney we could maybe get support from AMD, where as I know if a location like Newcastle was on the cards rent for a location would be cheaper but visitor numbers would be less.

Now time like the present to get people motivated and you never know.

Cast your votes

[swinks]

Still on the pinball show subject to get better numbers should the show be combined with other shows to get better exposure and better numbers?

Please those lucky enough to have gone to a show please share your experiences as well.

[swinks]

Having never organised a show nor been to one for that matter, what does it take to organise show?

As any member here been part of a team that host the only show a few years ago? What do you know needs to be considered?

[GORGAR 1]

By all reports alot of money and there's alot of red tape with councils and insurance and so on.

Peter

[ktm450]

Melbourne is where it is all is at, If you could keep out the bitching, there are more major dealers and parts suppliers in Melbourne than elsewhere in Australia.
This is where alot of the setup costs could be recuperated, by alowing the dealers to have stalls with parts for sale etc.

[Strangeways]

Melbourne is where it is all is at, If you could keep out the bitching, there are more major dealers and parts suppliers in Melbourne than elsewhere in Australia.
This is where alot of the setup costs could be recuperated, by alowing the dealers to have stalls with parts for sale etc.

+1

Would be a political nightmare if the dealers were involved. For this reason, it might be better outside of Melbourne. If it was an enthusiast's event, then it would have to be Melbourne. Having said that, if the Pinball Museum on the Gold Coast was up and running, then QLD would be the obvious choice.

I know it was extremely difficult to organize the Expo 2009, but on face value it was successful. It was uncomfortable to realize that the event was more about selling pins than having a genuine effort to present the hobby to the public. I guess that if the reason behind the Expo is to promote machines and everyone is welcome, then it would be great to have it at the South Wharf / Melbourne Exhibition Center. A positive agenda rather than a bitching one.

I'm all about promoting the hobby and preserving pinball - so I DO want to see an Expo. But key people would need to be involved, and most of them are in the industry, rather than the hobby.

[Strangeways]

Hotrods, Cars or Arcade stuff. Gameroom equipment - Neon signs, Mini Bar, Movie posters - Stuff like that.

I always thought that a "presence" at a Car show would always work.

[Pop Bumper Pete]

People wulling to do the work

[Pop Bumper Pete]

What is the aim of the show?
Is it to sell containers of machines, or a celibration of all things arcade?
Are you trying to make money, or do yoy simply wabt ti cover costs and donate tbe rest to charity?

[Pop Bumper Pete]

Geelong
Keep dealers away
Parts sellers anrd resoration services are welcome, but containers of 'projects ' not welcome

[Wotto]

Funny – I was only last night discussing this topic with a mate on the phone.
I said ‘our hobby’ should have jumped into bed with Comic Con – a show currently touring Oz and  show that has a MASSIVE following overseas.
Apparently this is Australia’s first year  of Comicon ( or a down sized version of it )

These guys get 10,000++ heads through the door to look at comics, characters and quirky stuff FFS.
SURELY an area of that show could be allocated to also display pinball machines – it kinda fits with the theming and you get 10,000 instant spectators/ attendees.

I doubt that games themselves would sell at ANY Expo/ venue to be honest, but it shouldn’t be about that – it should be about highlighting ( reminding ) the general public of this great game and would be a PERFECT marketing opportunity for sellers to ‘prospect’ for potential future sales and new customers from the massive crowds that attend a show like Comic Con ( or similar if any shows out there ).
Apart from small $ items I don’t think that ANY business goes into a ‘show’ expecting to close a stack of sales – they use the shows to attract new customers and promote thier business/ product.

I think some of the Commercial guys and also guys on the ‘fringe’ of being commercial in our hobby should take some time and contact the Comic Con organisers and see if they are running it again in 2013 and GET IN ON IT.

Shared advertising, shared costs all mean it is a cheaper option than running a SOLO pinball show AND the crowds are already WAY bigger and that’s WITHOUT having pinball for Comic Con to promote as part of the attraction. What a GREAT way to get pinball into the eyes of THOUSANDS. Even if there was only around 30-50 games there to start with IT WILL GET PEOPLE TALKING and see if it can grow from there in the years ahead.

Time has proven that this hobby in Australia is truly incapable of organising its own professional event properly  -  I think that 2009 was a GREAT effort but has proven impossible to replicate on a better/ larger scale - the talk is ALWAYS there in this hobby – the real action just isn’t , and its dragging on WAY too long.

Here is an avenue  WELL worth investigating I reckon.
If nothing changes – then nothing changes.

DISCUSS.

[ktm450]

I always thought that a "presence" at a Car show would always work.

That is a good idea, could set up an area when the hot rod show is in town, a lot of the people into older cars would also find some nostalgia in playing the pins

[Pinprick]

I reckon Wotto's idea is brilliant!

Everything he says makes a lot of sense to me.
Comic-con even comes to remote outposts (Perth)
The car show idea could also be very good, as most guys into pinball like their cars too.
I suppose it's largely a matter of overcoming the usual inertia and rivalry among the commercial dudes.
Overseas they "get it on" repeatedly - why not here?

 

[swinks]

I agree with Wotto, we need to start somewhere and realistically we need to piggy back with something else to reduce costs and improve exposure. Things like comicon have a wide demographic of people enjoying from young to old and based on some comments from some of spooky's podcasts they said the two have worked well together - exposing lots of potential people to the hobby.

AMD could use it to expose any new pinballs relating to comics especially if there is to be a X-men or Avengers game - reckon there sales would be easily boosted.

Some game owners could setup there superman's, batman's etc

Then parts suppliers could get on the wagon and promote parts etc and maybe even JJP with a few woz's. Then set up a tournament for playing at night for the keen.


like Wotto says - let's discuss


In addition - I know this will spark some negative stuff but it could be more successful with involving Aussie Arcade for improved numbers, donated playing machines etc. Cast the bitching aside and maybe have AA v's AP tournament 

[Wotto]

Forget the ‘bitchy’ aspect.
Don’t worry about that – the WHOLE hobby can contribute, be you black , yellow, AA associated, AP associated , brindle, short , tall – it DOESNT MATTER.

What  I personally  DONT think should ever happen at ANY event is for EITHER FORUM to have ANY direct involvement ( as in any control ) in a show – a show needs to be as independent as possible and ALL about the game of pinball. Once new people get drawn to the game and potentially become new owners/ members of our games community then THEY can then discover for themselves the forums and the on-going back up assistance available at either place or other places.
 
Forums don’t need to part of the exhibition – games do.
Enthusiastic people that can promote the games and the enjoyment they bring need to be involved and the games can do all the talking.

A general competition however ( no AA Vs AP stuff ) could be a great part of the show, to show Joe Public that there is more to the game these days than just bashing a ball around for the heck of it.