Rob Berk is a prominent pinball industry figure and collector who founded and has solely promoted Pinball Expo since 1985. He holds a Guinness World Record for the largest private pinball collection with approximately 1,150 machines and is based in Waro, Ohio near Youngstown. He is also the owner of Pastimes Arcade and has been associated with Jersey Jack Pinball ownership.
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Rob Berk should buy the Alaska machine to display alongside his Dragon collection
There are 40 hours of seminars scheduled at Expo 41
Over 40 homebrew games will be exhibited at Expo 41
Joe Kaminkow spent $1 million of his own money to produce the Beatles pinball machine
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Satara Guitars is exhibiting pinball playfield guitars at Expo for the first time
HomPin's Blues Brothers is making its first appearance on American soil at Expo 41
Chicago Pinball Expo has been running for 41 years
The current Expo venue is 100,000 square feet
Hotels are filling up faster than ever before for Expo 41
Pat Lawlor seminars are consistently the most popular sessions at Expo with packed rooms
Rob Berk holds the Guinness World Record for the largest private pinball collection through Pastimes Arcade
Renaissance hotel rooms sold out within the first month of booking opening for Expo 2025
Pinball Expo has been organized by Rob Berk every year since its founding in 1984
Pinball Expo 2024 will feature 100,000 square feet of venue space
Over 125 international attendees are registered for Expo 2024 from Europe, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Argentina, Austria, and Australia
Five factory tours will be offered at Expo 2024 across Chicago Gaming, Galloping Ghost, Logan Arcade, American Pinball, Jersey Jack, and Stern
Stern was the last pinball manufacturer standing after Williams shut down around 2000
The Wizard of Oz announcement revitalized the pinball industry and led to consumer demand for better games
Collectors now represent a major customer segment for pinball manufacturers, contradicting early assumptions that operators were primary buyers
Rob Berk's Expo was the first platform where Gottlieb, Williams, and Bally manufacturers directly interacted and communicated
Alvin Gottlieb delivered a 3.5-hour slide presentation at an early Expo banquet covering every Gottlieb game with individual storylines
Rob Berk has collected approximately 75 pinball games from the 1930s era
Rob Berk holds the Guinness World Record for the largest private pinball collection with over 1,400 machines
Getting machines working after import is 'another battle' beyond just receiving them
Only 200 units of [specific machine] were ever produced
Some machines in the shipment will be available to see at the upcoming Pinball Expo
The imported machines have exceptionally clean playfields and cosmetics
This shipment took three to four months to compile
Rob Berk partnered with American Pinball to bring Magic Girl to Expo
Rob Berk's personal collection contains approximately 1,200 pinball machines
There are currently 10-12+ active pinball manufacturers, with several unannounced companies showing at the 2021 Expo
The pinball industry will continue to grow and demand remains strong despite supply chain constraints
Virtual/hybrid Expo models should continue to support international participation, especially from Europe
Steve Kordek's observation that the pinball industry runs in cycles of ups and downs with rebound patterns was accurate
Spain had a thriving independent pinball manufacturing industry serving an exclusive Spanish market
Pinball Expo is in its 37th year of operation
China's parts supply difficulties are negatively impacting pinball manufacturer production timelines
The 2021 Expo will display well over 400 games set for free play, including rare Spanish/Italian titles and vintage Valley machines
The inaugural 1985 Pinball Expo had approximately 100 attendees and Alvin Gottlieb's commitment was pivotal to its success
Pinball Expo 2020 will be held October 14-18
Rob Berk brought approximately 140 machines from his personal collection to Expo 2019
Rob Berk is the organizer of Pinball Expo
The buy-out completion with Mike Pacak won't be finalized for a couple of years
Pinball Expo 2018 will feature more vendors, more games, and expanded experience
The Westin has allocated an additional 5,000 sq ft of exhibit space for 2018
George Gomez is confirmed as banquet speaker for Pinball Expo 2018
Rob Berk is now the sole owner of the Pinball Expo name, assets, liabilities and contractual obligations
Rob Berk believes he owns the Pinball Expo name and has the rights to use it for his show
Berk currently maintains around 80 machines set up in his basement at home
Rob Berk owned approximately 500 pinball machines at his peak collection
Rob Berk is the founder and organizer of Chicago Pinball Expo
Rob Berk describes himself as an average pinball player who has never ranked in major tournaments