# PINBALL EXPO CHANGES - UPDATED

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2018-03-08  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2018/03/08/pinball-expo-changes

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## Analysis

In March 2018, Pinball News reported on a major split between Pinball Expo co-organizers Rob Berk and Mike Pacak after 33 years of partnership. Rob announced plans for a new competing show called Pinball Palooza in September 2018, while Mike committed to continuing Pinball Expo in October at the original Westin venue in Wheeling. The conflict emerged from disagreements over show direction and Mike's management approach, which had prompted boycotts from vendors and exhibitors. By the article's final update, Expo was confirmed to proceed at the original dates and venue.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Rob Berk and Mike Pacak had been running Pinball Expo together since its inception (33 years as of 2018) — _Mike Pacak's email: 'Rob Berk and I have parted ways after 33 years of putting on the Pinball Expo'_
- [HIGH] Mike Pacak's attitude toward vendors, exhibitors, machine donors and volunteers was a major reason certain companies and individuals boycotted Expo — _Pinball News reporting on discussions with Rob Berk_
- [HIGH] Rob Berk planned to launch Pinball Palooza for September 12-15, 2018 at a Convention Center in Schaumburg, Illinois — _Rob's announcement to Pinball News with provisional dates and venue_
- [MEDIUM] Rob Berk paid Mike Pacak for the rights to use the Pinball Expo name — _'It is understood Rob paid Mike for the use of the Pinball Expo name' - phrased as understood but not explicitly confirmed by either party_
- [HIGH] Competing shows (Texas Pinball Festival, Pintastic, Replay FX, NW Pinball Show, Mid-West Gaming Classic, Southern-Fried Gameroom Expo) have grown while manufacturer support for Expo has declined — _Pinball News reporting on show landscape before the split_

### Notable Quotes

> "Rob decided that he no longer wanted to be a partner and chose to go his own separate way. This decision was completely of his own choosing and wasn't brought up for any type of discussion."
> — **Mike Pacak**, UPDATE 1
> _Mike's public response to the split, emphasizing Rob's unilateral decision_

> "There WILL be a pinball show taking place, as advertised in the past, at the Westin Hotel in Wheeling, IL on Oct 17-21, 2018."
> — **Mike Pacak**, UPDATE 1
> _Confirmation that Mike would continue the show despite the split_

> "Contrary to what you may have heard about this show, people are NOT 'jumping ship.' Many have already planned their vacations and booked their travel to Chicago for this."
> — **Mike Pacak**, UPDATE 1
> _Mike's defense against claims of vendor/attendee defection to Rob's new show_

> "Rob brought together the collectors and the fans while Mike brought in the manufacturers through his operator connections, but there has been a clear difference of opinion between the two over the future direction of the show."
> — **Pinball News**, Main article
> _Analysis of each co-organizer's role and contribution to Expo's success_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Rob Berk | person | Co-organizer of Pinball Expo, split from Mike Pacak in 2018 to create Pinball Palooza; primarily responsible for collector and fan engagement |
| Mike Pacak | person | Co-organizer of Pinball Expo, remained with original show after split; primarily responsible for manufacturer relations; management style cited as reason for boycotts |
| Pinball Expo | event | Long-running annual pinball industry trade show and community event; co-organized by Rob Berk and Mike Pacak; faced significant leadership crisis in 2018 |
| Pinball Palooza | event | New show created by Rob Berk as alternative to Pinball Expo; planned for September 12-15, 2018 in Schaumburg, Illinois |
| Lonnie Mihin | person | Mike Pacak's son; ran game hall at Pinball Expo; took on greater organizational role following Rob Berk's departure |
| Pinball News | organization | Independent pinball media outlet that reported on the Expo split and consulted with both organizers about show improvements |
| Texas Pinball Festival | event | Competing pinball show that has grown significantly in recent years, drawing manufacturer support away from Expo |
| Replay FX | event | Competing pinball show that has grown significantly, representing fragmentation of pinball community events |
| Westin Chicago North Shore | organization | Hotel venue in Wheeling, Illinois that hosted Pinball Expo; confirmed for original dates after split |
| Schaumburg Convention Center | organization | Planned venue for Pinball Palooza (Rob Berk's competing show) in September 2018 |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Industry event competition and fragmentation, Leadership conflict and business partnership dissolution, Vendor/exhibitor boycotts and show sustainability
- **Secondary:** Manufacturer support and attendance dynamics, Community organizer turnover and succession planning, IP/brand ownership and trademark disputes
- **Mentioned:** Show format improvements and community feedback

### Sentiment

**Negative** (-0.65) — The article details a significant industry crisis with fractious partnership dissolution, boycotts, and competing shows. However, Mike's tone in UPDATE 1 is defensive but optimistic about show continuity. Overall sentiment is negative due to the conflict and uncertainty, though not entirely pessimistic about outcomes.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Leadership transition at Pinball Expo with Mike Pacak's son Lonnie Mihin taking on greater organizational role following Rob Berk's departure (confidence: high) — Mike's email: 'My son Lonnie Mihin, who ran the game hall last year and who has been a part of the Pinball Expo since it's inception, is going to be taking on a greater role'
- **[community_signal]** Major split between Pinball Expo co-organizers Rob Berk and Mike Pacak after 33-year partnership, with competing shows planned for 2018 (confidence: high) — Rob announced Pinball Palooza for September while Mike committed to Pinball Expo in October; fundamental disagreement over show direction and Mike's management style cited as cause
- **[event_signal]** Pinball Expo facing vendor and exhibitor boycotts due to co-organizer Mike Pacak's management approach (confidence: high) — Article states 'Mike's attitude in his dealings with vendors, exhibitors, machine donors and volunteers has also been cited as a major reason certain companies and individuals have been boycotting Expo'
- **[market_signal]** Competitive pinball show landscape fragmenting with Texas Pinball Festival, Replay FX, Pintastic, and others growing while Expo's vendor/manufacturer support declines (confidence: high) — Multiple competing shows mentioned as having 'grown by leaps and bounds in recent years' while 'manufacturers have been setting up in other parts of the US'
- **[community_signal]** Rob Berk departing Pinball Expo to create competing Pinball Palooza event in September 2018 (confidence: high) — Rob's planned split announced with specific dates (September 12-15, 2018) and venue (Schaumburg Convention Center)

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## Transcript

Date:
9th March, 2018

See updates at the bottom of this article for important new information

In December last year, Pinball News met with Pinball Expo co-organiser Rob Berk to discuss changes he wanted to make to the show.

![Rob Berk at Pinball Expo](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-expo-changes/02-pinball-expo-changes.jpg)

Rob Berk at Pinball Expo

There had been a feeling at the previous event held in October than significant changes needed to be made to prevent Expo shrinking due to reduced levels of support from vendors, exhibitors, manufacturers, machine donors, speakers and visitors.  Shows such as the Texas Pinball Festival, Pintastic, Replay FX, the NW Pinball Show, the Mid-West Gaming Classic and the Southern-Fried Gameroom Expo have all grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, and while Expo is still unrivalled in terms of having most of the pinball manufacturers and industry professionals on its doorstep, those other shows have been more than happy to fly in pinball guests to bolster their list of attractions while pinball manufacturers have been setting up in other parts of the US.

Pinball Expo has been run by Rob Berk and Mike Pacak since its inception.  Rob brought together the collectors and the fans while Mike brought in the manufacturers through his operator connections, but there has been a clear difference of opinion between the two over the future direction of the show.  Mike’s attitude in his dealings with vendors, exhibitors, machine donors and volunteers has also been cited as a major reason certain companies and individuals have been boycotting Expo.

![Rob with Mike Pacak](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/news/pinball-expo-changes/01-pinball-expo-changes.jpg)

Rob with Mike Pacak

Rob told Pinball News of his plans to split with Mike and set up his own show for 2018.  No firm details were available at the time but, with Expo 2018’s dates having been announced at the end of 2017’s show, we urged Rob to let everyone know as soon as possible in case people were planning flights or hotel accommodation.  We put an advisory on our Diary listing for Pinball Expo warning of a possible date change.

Now Rob has given more details, with his show being called Pinball Palooza and provisional dates set for one month earlier than the previously-announced Pinball Expo dates.  Pinball Palooza is planned for 12th-15th September, 2018, and the venue is expected to be at the Convention Center in the north-western Chicago suburb of Schaumburg.

While Rob told Pinball News he believes he owns the Pinball Expo name, he didn’t want any argument over brand ownership to delay the announcement and planning for his new show, hence the new Pinball Palooza name.  Meanwhile, Mike has stated that he will go ahead with Pinball Expo – or a differently-named show – on the original dates at the Expo host hotel, the Westin in Wheeling, working with his son Lonnie.  He said he thought it was unfair to visitors to change dates or venue at this late stage.

Pinball News was also consulted about issues with the existing Pinball Expo format, how the seminar schedule could be boosted, what could be done to bring the boycotters back on board, and what new features could be added to help grow the show.

UPDATE 1

Mike Pacak has confirmed that he will be holding his show on the original dates in 2018, and is also committed to booking the Westin for the show for 2019.

In an upbeat  e-mail to attendees, supporters and vendors, Mike said he had received a lot of support from vendors and attendees.  Here’s his message:

To all past, present and future Pinball Expo vendors and attendees:

As many of you may have heard, Rob Berk and I have parted ways after 33 years of putting on the Pinball Expo. Rob decided that he no longer wanted to be a partner and chose to go his own separate way. This decision was completely of his own choosing and wasn’t brought up for any type of discussion.

Because of this change, I just wanted to clear up any confusion there may be on the status of the show. In our separation agreement we both have the right to do a show. There WILL be a pinball show taking place, as advertised in the past, at the Westin Hotel in Wheeling, IL on Oct 17-21, 2018. These dates were planned and set for two years already.

Contrary to what you may have heard about this show, people are NOT “jumping ship.” Many have already planned their vacations and booked their travel to Chicago for this. Contracts with the hotel are in place for both 2018 and 2019. All of the vendors and attendees I have spoken with so far have expressed their interest and commitment to continuing the show as planned. For those wondering if there will there be a change to the name of the show, there will be. The new name has yet to be determined but will be announced shortly.

In light of the recent events, changes are in the works for those involved with organization of the show. My son Lonnie Mihin, who ran the game hall last year and who has been a part of the Pinball Expo since it’s inception, is going to be taking on a greater role in the planning and execution of the show. I am also currently in talks with several other’s who are interested in becoming a part of the show. A new website with more information detailing this will be available soon.

The changes that are being implemented will ultimately help in achieving the goal of making a bigger, better and much smoother running show for everyone.  In closing, I would like to thank you all for the many years of support that you have shown and I look forward to seeing you all in October.

With regard to the use of the name, Rob Berk has confirmed that he now has the rights to use Pinball Expo for his show.  It is understood Rob paid Mike for the use of the Pinball Expo name – a title he first coined in 1984 – but it is not clear if the September 2017 show will use it or the previously-announced Pinball Palooza name.

At the time of writing, the Pinball Expo website shows the details for the planned October show in Wheeling.  Meanwhile the Pinball Palooza website , which is owned by Rob, only contains a holding page from the domain host.

UPDATE 2

As a result of recent changes detailed in our latest report here, Pinball Expo is now back on at the original hotel – the Westin Chicago North Shore in Wheeling – on the original dates of October 17th-21st.

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: a1f456b5-ce28-4b26-8329-ae4e6db10385*