Chicago Pinball Expo is the premier annual pinball industry convention, typically held in September-October, serving as the central gathering point for manufacturers, homebrew designers, operators, and enthusiasts. The event functions as a major announcement venue for new game releases, a showcase for 40-50 homebrew games, and hosts tournaments with 250+ qualifying players. It attracts significant media attention and serves as a critical networking hub where industry scouting, product launches, and community building occur.
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Two games caught fire at Expo
Chicago Expo improvement includes additional vendor hall and refocused tournament structure, positioning as relaunched event
Pinball expo (likely the main annual gathering referenced multiple times as deadline for fully finished Bootleggers builds)
Upcoming major pinball show where Monsters Inc. will be displayed
Pinball industry trade show/event that has concluded as of the editorial date (April 2026)
Pinball convention where Turner Pinball showed slimline Ninja Eclipse cabinet (negative reception); Kyle Smet's Friday the 13th will be in Electric Playground booth
Upcoming pinball industry event where Don plans Star Wars unboxing and topper contest appearance
Major pinball industry trade show; 2024 featured record-breaking homebrew section (37-40 games); includes seminars and community engagement activities
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Upcoming pinball convention/show where Don and Matt Pinball plan to have a booth with Jaws Premium ball-eating mod
Major pinball industry event where Jersey Jack debuted Elton John and other new games were released; had significant queues for Elton John and Pulp Fiction; Jack held conference panel discussing game features
Upcoming pinball expo where Oktoberfest will be playable with multiple machines available; likely refers to Pinburgh or similar major event.
Annual pinball industry gathering (implied to be in Chicago, 'Pinball Capital of the World'). Shalhoub attends regularly as author and community figure since 2000; serves as family reunion for pinball designers, artists, and enthusiasts.
Major pinball industry event that Matt attended, featured vendors, public play space, games, networking opportunities
Major pinball industry event that conflicts with EPC in scheduling
Pinball industry event where Deadflip flippers will debut and Jack Danger may have tournament participation
Upcoming pinball industry event where major announcements will be made Monday and Tuesday next week
Pinball expo event; Carl and Tom attended; featured Elwin's Bond gameplay; Karl streamed the event
Major pinball exposition; hosts Pin Brawl and Classics tournament; Escher attended first at age 4 in 2007
Upcoming pinball industry exposition where Alice will be playable hands-on; critical juncture for real gameplay assessment and community feedback
Upcoming pinball event Orbital Albert is nervous/excited to attend, will meet many community members
Upcoming pinball exposition where Don expects to meet with Pinball Brothers; ABBA machines unlikely to be available due to shipping delays
Upcoming pinball expo; Poor Man's Pinball has large booth with flea market component; 6-7 passes available; host planning content coverage next month
Pinball tournament event where Escher Lefkoff won; young players dominated finals
Pinball exposition/convention; referenced as venue where Predator and Alien could be played side-by-side.
Major pinball industry show (likely Pinball Expo 2026); featured Big Trouble in Little China with one of the longest player lines of the event
Major pinball tournament/convention; hosted factory-setup games; location where Davidson learned Deadpool exploit from Kaylee and Tim
Major pinball industry event; Roger Sharp confirmed attendance; referenced as upcoming trade show opportunity
2022 pinball convention that Carrie attended; first time able to attend without vendor booth responsibilities
Industry event where new games will first be playable; Cary expects X-Men will be available for hands-on play at Expo
Pinball industry event expected to host full game reveal within approximately 12 days
Major pinball industry event (2025 referenced); GTF soft relaunch will occur here with cast appearances and seminars
Pinball industry convention where Labyrinth will be available for public play next week
Pinball exhibition attended by Dennis and Tony; showed Legends of Valhalla deluxe version approximately one year prior to this episode
Major pinball industry event; Joel attended recently (Chicago Expo implied), participated in Epic Expo Tailgate stream
Major pinball industry event; discussed regarding potential attendees (Ken, Dennis, Joe Fox, Mark Silk); timing relevant to new parent considerations
Chicago Pinball Expo; October timing; expected venue for Saw homebrew; where next Spooky announcement may occur
Pinball event mentioned as opportunity to play Jurassic Park with audience
Chicago Pinball Expo, major tournament venue where Mandalorian's mid-playfield bias was exposed through real-world competitive play
Major pinball event where Keith presented Archer; where George Gomez invited Keith to dinner meeting
Major pinball event referenced in IFPA analysis for meaningful games winner statistics
Chicago Pinball Expo mentioned as reference point; October 16 event precedes it; PIN Stadium Lights has booth displaying products
Major pinball industry event where Paul met Stern team members and confirmed Jaws purchase
Chicago Pinball Expo being discussed as relaunched event with new leadership; attendance and tournament participation strong; major announcement venue for Stern, American Pinball, and Deep Root
Pinball exhibition event featuring new game announcements and Spanish machine display; hosts attended/watched coverage
Regional pinball competition/exhibition event mentioned as venue where Battle Stations was demonstrated with positive reception
Major pinball industry event; Bug attending but not streaming from location; venue for Scooby-Doo wizard mode reveal
Chicago Pinball Expo; Elwin plans to attend; expected future venue for Stern Pro Circuit
Major pinball industry event in October; Jared competing at Stern Pro Circuit finals before attending
Pinball Expo where Josh took Jeff to lunch (tax-deductible expense); Wednesday night event mentioned; timing reference for tournament scheduling
Annual Chicago Pinball Expo; venue for game announcements; Back to the Future announcement planned for upcoming event
Chicago Pinball Expo; October event; Josh Sharp unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts with school and professional organization conference
Chicago Pinball Expo; where Electric Playground will debut Attack from Mars topper; occurring one week after October 9 launch
Pinball Expo event; host and George planning to attend; looking to play physical Stargate
Chicago Pinball Expo; hosted tournament lasting until 5:30 AM with ~250 qualifying players; 250+ attendees from Electric Bat team; major venue for game announcements and community gathering
Pinball event where one participant played a pre-war machine previously
Annual pinball exposition where Nick showcased Tony Hawk Pro Skater and was discovered by The Electric Playground
Event where Monster League Hockey was showcased; appears to be Pinfest 2025
Pinball convention where Coleman showcased both Greek Gods (twice) and Atom; venue for demonstrating homebrew games to broader community
Chicago Pinball Expo where Turbo Time was exhibited; Moran's second appearance with significantly upgraded code and art
Pinball exhibition where The Greatest Showman debuted last year and won Best In Show out of 40 homebrews
Event where TMNT license announcement was made approximately one month prior to this update
Previous event where King Kong scoring records were established
Major pinball industry event where Stern's third cornerstone and remaster expected to be announced
Chicago Pinball Expo where Big Trouble in Little China was showcased; featured significant player queues
Referenced as venue where customers will first play Winchester; discussed as timing consideration for content creators' streaming decisions
Pinball industry trade show (Chicago Pinball Expo); timing reference point (approximately one month before Star Wars development began post-Metallica)
Chicago Pinball Expo; Walt attended tournament and met multiple Spooky/Stern personnel; source of multiple Beetlejuice Easter eggs and merchandise
Chicago Pinball Expo; venue where Star Wars was publicly shown and launched post-Expo
Major pinball event Don is preparing to attend; Rob Burke doing promotion work
Major pinball industry show where Walking Dead remaster, Star Wars, Predator, and Harry Potter expected to be showcased
Chicago Pinball Expo; mentioned as venue where podcast hosts are sharing booth with Ian; giveaway ends October 14th before Expo
Chicago Pinball Expo; inspired hosts' arcade operating interest through operator panels and networking
Major pinball industry show where hosts played numerous games, met developers, and gathered market intelligence on upcoming releases
Chicago Pinball Expo occurring during this episode; featured homebrew section with games like Big Trouble in Little China, Mad Max, and Monsters Inc.
Chicago Pinball Expo; hosts planning Thursday arrival for media event/mixer; opens Friday 11 AM; hosts will have booth presence; expected to have significant crowds for Star Wars play.
Major pinball convention (Texas Pinball Festival) where Monster League Hockey debuted; features 40-50 homebrew games; discussed as venue where manufacturers scout innovative designs.
Chicago Pinball Expo; venue for Project Pinball charity auction; hosts attended multiple times
Chicago Pinball Expo in September; venue to play Fall of the Empire Star Wars
Chicago Pinball Expo; Winchester Mystery House revealed mid-October
Pinball Expo where Winchester launch occurred; FOMO drove rapid sell-out by day one
Major pinball show where Aaron Davis recently exhibited; Predator was playable
Referenced as annual event in September-October timeframe when new game announcements typically occur
Major pinball convention; referenced for homebrew game showcases
Where Cassandra Peterson appeared; timing driver for Elvira announcement