# GRAND OLE GAMEROOM EXPO **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 2018-11-18 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2018/11/18/grand-ole-gameroom-expo --- ## Analysis The Grand Ole Gameroom Expo in Nashville (November 9-11, 2018) was held at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel in its third year. The event featured hundreds of pinball and arcade games, seminars, tournaments, and vendor booths, with major pinball distributors like Marco Specialties and Flip N Out showcasing new games from Stern, Chicago Gaming, Multimorphic, Spooky, and Jersey Jack. The expo included competitive IFPA tournaments, esports events, and partnerships with Red Bull, positioning itself as an increasingly significant North American gaming convention. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Grand Ole Gameroom Expo is in its third year (2018) — _Stated directly in article opening_ - [HIGH] Marco Specialties, Flip N Out LLC, and Music City Pinball were primary pinball vendors — _Named explicitly with descriptions of their booths and inventory_ - [HIGH] The Grand OGRE matchplay tournament was Tennessee's Largest IFPA Pinball Tournament — _Stated by organizers per the article_ - [HIGH] 3-day adult weekend passes cost $60 with unrestricted access to gaming and seminars — _Explicitly stated in pricing section_ - [HIGH] Over $7,000 in prizes and trophies were awarded across all tournaments — _Stated in tournament coverage section_ ### Notable Quotes > "Tennessee's Largest IFPA Pinball Tournament" > — **Grand Ole Gameroom Expo organizers** > _Official claim about tournament scale and significance in regional competitive pinball landscape_ > "As the old saying goes: 'If it doesn't break, it isn't pinball'" > — **Article author** > _Cultural reference reflecting pinball community humor about equipment durability and maintenance_ > "the Grande Ole Gameroom Expo is a very well run and entertaining Pinball and Arcade Game show that is poised to shed its past regional role and become a must-attend for both players and exhibitors alike on the North American pinball show and expo scene" > — **Article author** > _Assessment of expo's trajectory and potential significance in North American pinball circuit_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Grand Ole Gameroom Expo | event | Annual pinball and arcade gaming convention held in Nashville, TN; 2018 was its third year, held November 9-11 at Millennium Maxwell House Hotel | | Millennium Maxwell House Hotel | organization | Venue for 2018 Grand Ole Gameroom Expo in Nashville; honors historic Maxwell House Hotel (1869-1961) | | Marco Specialties | company | Major pinball distributor and vendor at expo; showcased latest Stern games | | Flip N Out LLC | company | Pinball vendor from Benton, KY; displayed newest games from Stern, Chicago Gaming, Valley Dynamo, Multimorphic, Spooky, and Jersey Jack | | Music City Pinball | company | Local pinball vendor and organizer at Grand Ole Gameroom Expo | | Portal Pinball | company | Arcade operator from Kennesaw, GA (Atlanta area); brought several games and offered repair services at expo | | Marco Ramirez | person | Marco Specialties representative; panelist on 'Pinball Behind The Scenes' roundtable discussion | | Mike Vinkour | person | Stern Pinball representative; panelist on 'Pinball Behind The Scenes' roundtable discussion | | Rachel Bess | person | Electric Bat Arcade representative; panelist on 'Pinball Behind The Scenes' roundtable discussion | | Whitney Roberts | person | Host of Brokentoken classic arcade and pinball podcast; panelist on 'Pinball Behind The Scenes' roundtable discussion | | Brent Griffith | person | Host of Brokentoken classic arcade and pinball podcast; panelist on 'Pinball Behind The Scenes' roundtable discussion | | Stern Pinball | company | Major pinball manufacturer; games showcased at expo via Marco Specialties and Flip N Out | | Chicago Gaming | company | Pinball manufacturer; games displayed by Flip N Out at expo | | Multimorphic | company | Pinball manufacturer; games displayed by Flip N Out at expo | | Spooky Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer; games displayed by Flip N Out at expo | | Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer; games displayed by Flip N Out at expo | | Valley Dynamo | company | Game manufacturer; games displayed by Flip N Out at expo | | Red Bull | company | Corporate partner for expo; provided limited-edition Pac-Man theme energy drinks/mocktails to attendees | | The Beatles: Beatlemania Pinball | game | New pinball game being promoted at expo | | Yopp's Pub | organization | Nashville venue; sponsor of pinball tournaments at expo | | Tennessee Esports Alliance | organization | Hosted TNEA Arena esports events and Rocket League tournament at expo | | Music City Geeks | organization | Local gaming social club; had table at expo for information and community engagement | | Imoto Arcade | company | Posted YouTube walkthrough of 2018 expo | | Electric Bat Arcade | organization | Arcade venue represented by Rachel Bess at expo panel | | David Corrigan | person | Show organizer/staff credited in article acknowledgments | ### Topics - **Primary:** Community Events & Expos, Pinball Tournaments (IFPA), Pinball & Arcade Venues, Manufacturer & Distributor Presence - **Secondary:** Regional Pinball Scene (Tennessee/Southeast), Esports & Gaming Partnerships, Pinball Industry Growth & Positioning - **Mentioned:** Arcade Repair & Maintenance Services ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — Article expresses strong approval of expo organization, variety of offerings, pricing value, and growth trajectory. Author praises it as 'very well run and entertaining' and predicts it will become 'must-attend' North American event. Only neutral elements are factual event descriptions. ### Signals - **[business_signal]** Vendor ecosystem supporting pinball includes distributors, arcade operators, and specialized service providers (Portal Pinball repair services, merchandise vendors) (confidence: high) — Multiple vendor categories present: Marco Specialties, Flip N Out, Music City Pinball as distributors; Portal Pinball offering repair; vendors selling accessories, parts, wearables - **[community_signal]** Industry roundtable discussion format bringing together manufacturers (Stern via Mike Vinkour), distributors (Marco Specialties via Marco Ramirez), operators (Electric Bat Arcade), and media personalities (Brokentoken podcast hosts) (confidence: high) — 'Pinball Behind The Scenes' roundtable featured Marco Ramirez, Mike Vinkour, Rachel Bess, Whitney Roberts, and Brent Griffith - **[event_signal]** Multiple manufacturers and major distributors (Marco Specialties, Flip N Out) actively showcasing latest games from Stern, Chicago Gaming, Multimorphic, Spooky, Jersey Jack at expo (confidence: high) — Flip N Out had games from Stern, Chicago Gaming, Valley Dynamo, Multimorphic, Spooky and Jersey Jack; Marco Specialties displayed all latest Stern games - **[community_signal]** Tennessee competitive pinball scene demonstrated through IFPA tournament activity; 'Grand OGRE matchplay' tournament claimed as 'Tennessee's Largest IFPA Pinball Tournament' (confidence: high) — Grand OGRE Matchplay tournament held Saturday night; Nashville vs Memphis pinball challenge tournament organized; Yopp's Pub sponsorship of tournaments - **[event_signal]** Grand Ole Gameroom Expo in Nashville positioned as rapidly growing regional convention with potential to become major North American pinball show (confidence: high) — Author states expo is 'poised to shed its past regional role and become a must-attend for both players and exhibitors alike on the North American pinball show and expo scene' - **[market_signal]** Pricing accessibility signal: $60 3-day adult pass with unrestricted access to all gaming areas and seminars; children's passes at half price; no admission required for vendor areas (confidence: high) — Author states '3-day adult weekend pass offered by the Grand Ole Gameroom Expo is a very good deal for all ages. $60 got you 3-day unrestricted access' --- ## Transcript Date: 9th - 11th November, 2018 Location: Millennium Maxwell House, 2025 Rosa L Parks Blvd., Nashville, TN, 37228, USA Nashville’s Grand Ole Gameroom Expo is now in its third year, and for 2018 was held in a new location – Millennium Hotels’ Maxwell House. ![The Millennium Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/029-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) The Millennium Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville The hotel’s name is in homage to Nashville’s famous and historic Maxwell House Hotel. The Maxwell House was a fixture of Nashville’s downtown from 1869 to 1961 when it was destroyed by a fire on Christmas night. The Maxwell House hosted many famous guests including Jane Addams, Sarah Bernhardt, William Jennings Bryan, Enrico Caruso, “Buffalo Bill” Cody, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Annie Oakley, William Sydney Porter (O. Henry), General Tom Thumb, Cornelius Vanderbilt, George Westinghouse, and U.S. Presidents Andrew Johnson, Rutherford B. Hayes, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was quoted as saying that a cup of coffee he drank at the Maxwell House was “good to the last drop”. This has been used as the advertising slogan for Maxwell House coffee, which is served at and named after the hotel. The coffee brand is still in operation, and is now owned by Kraft Heinz. The Maxwell House Hotel features “Praline’s” restaurant as well as “Maxwell’s” pub which had a no-cover live open mic Blues Jam on Friday night. The hotel offers free shuttle service for guests to the Nashville Honky-Tonk entertainment district departing every thirty minutes until midnight. The hotel also has a business center with computers and printers available for use by guests as well as an exercise and weight room. The organizers of the Grand Ole Gameroom Expo offered a discounted hotel rate for those attendees who wished to take advantage of it. If you plan to attend the 2019 Expo, I’d suggest that you make your hotel reservations as soon as your travel plans are completed – I inquired about rooms six weeks before the show and was one of the last show rate guests booked. I feel that the 3-day adult weekend pass offered by the Grand Ole Gameroom Expo is a very good deal for all ages. $60 got you 3-day unrestricted access to all of the gaming areas as well as the seminars. Children’s passes could be purchased for half the adult price. The organizers offered attractive event t-shirts and posters to attendees for a modest extra cost. ![The show registration desk](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/001-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) The show registration desk Local gaming organizations were given a table right next to the admissions check-in for their flyers and information. Music City Geeks social club had members available during prime hours to answer any questions and pass out candy to the attendees. The Expo offered hundreds of pinball games, arcade video games, games of skill such as skee-ball in the spacious Grande Ballroom. There were dozens of console games set up in the International and Embassy meeting rooms for free play and tournament use. ![Some of the many pinballs at the show](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/003-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) Some of the many pinballs at the show ![More of the many pinballs at the show](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/016-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) More pinballs](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/011-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018-1024x768.jpg)](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/011-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) More of the pinballs ![More of the pinballs](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/017-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) More of the pinballs ![Some of the numerous video games available to play](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/005-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) Some of the numerous video games available to play ![More classic videos](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/023-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) More classic videos ![Console gaming](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/019-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) Console gaming There were rows of the newest pinball games available to play courtesy of Marco Specialties, Flip N Out LLC of Benton, KY, and Music City Pinball. The companies had representatives on hand to answer any questions, hand out information and also award prizes such as t-shirts and hats to attendees who achieved high scores or just looked like they could use some swag. ![Flip N Out had many of the newest games from Stern, Chicago Gaming, Valley Dynamo, Multimorphic, Spooky and Jersey Jack](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/015-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) Flip Jack ![The Flip N Out stand](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/009-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) The Flip N Out stand ![Marco Specialties had all the latest Stern games](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/008-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) Marco Specialties had all the latest Stern games ![The Marco Specialties stand](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/014-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) The Marco Specialties stand ![The new The Beatles: Beatlemania Pinball game was being promoted too](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/026-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) The too The Promenade area outside of the Grande Ballroom was packed with vendors of all types selling wearables, accessories, parts and also console game cartridges. For this show, you did not need to purchase an admission pass to have access to the vendor areas. ![The vendor area](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/028-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) The vendor area ![Branded wooden boards, coasters and mugs](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/018-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) Branded wooden boards, coasters and mugs ![Lots of gamer merchandise](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/012-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) Lots of gamer merchandise The Forum East Room hosted the majority of the Expo seminars. The seminars kicked off Saturday morning with a highly entertaining round-table discussion titled Pinball Behind The Scenes with Marco Ramirez (Marco Specialties), Mike Vinkour (Stern), Rachel Bess (Electric Bat Arcade), Whiney Roberts and Brent Griffith. Brent and Whitney may be known by some Pinball News readers as the hosts of the Brokentoken classic arcade and pinball podcast. ![The Pinball Behind The Scenes round-table discussion](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/006-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) The Pinball Behind The Scenes round-table discussion After a Friday night icebreaker, the Grand OGRE matchplay pinball tournament was held Saturday night in a reserved area of the Grande Ballroom. The organizers stated that this was Tennessee’s Largest IFPA Pinball Tournament. The tournaments were well attended and produced some furious competition. There was also a Nashville vs Memphis pinball challenge tournament Saturday night. Yopp’s Pub of Nashville was one of the sponsors of the pinball tournaments. ![Grand Ogre Matchplay Pinball Tournament](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/002-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) Grand Ogre Matchplay Pinball Tournament Tennessee Esports Alliance hosted the TNEA Arena event in the Embassy Room Friday and Saturday and in the International Room on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the Expo. Saturday there was Rocket League tournament play in the Forum West Room. Over $7,000 in prizes and trophies were awarded to the winners. There was an area in the Forum West Room dedicated to VR gaming; this gave attendees a chance to try out the latest virtual reality games and form an opinion about this nascent technology. ![The schedule of events in the main seminar room](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/024-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) The schedule of events in the main seminar room The Red Bull drinks company was one of the partners for the Grand Ole Gameroom Expo, and each paid attendee received a coupon good for a free limited-edition Red Bull Pac-Man theme energy drink or mocktail available at the walk-up bar and snack shop located just outside of the Grande Ballroom entrance. I feel that having a concession area near the main gaming room is a feature that other show organizers might want to take note of and include in their shows. Each Pac-Man drink can had a special code under the tab to unlock additional mazes for the Pac-Man app that is available at pacman.redbull.com and other major mobile app stores. ![Pac-Man with a Red Bull chiller below](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018/022-grand-ole-gameroom-expo-2018.jpg) Pac-Man with a Red Bull chiller below Portal Pinball of Kennesaw, GA (Atlanta area) brought several games from their arcade to the free play area and also had staff members on hand to offer help with game repair. As the old saying goes: “If it doesn’t break, it isn’t pinball”. Look for a future site review of Portal Pinball here on Pinball News. Imoto Arcade posted a nice walk-through of the 2018 Expo and it is now available for viewing on YouTube. Overall, I feel that the Grande Ole Gameroom Expo is a very well run and entertaining Pinball and Arcade Game show that is poised to shed its past regional role and become a must-attend for both players and exhibitors alike on the North American pinball show and expo scene. 2019 dates for the Grand Ole Gameroom Expo have not yet been announced, but when they are known, we will let you know right here on Pinball News. Sincere thanks to David Corrigan, Digital Hero Games LLC, and the show staff for their assistance in covering this show. _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: e12535ce-c5d6-4a73-a55b-f042b856c3a6*